by Charles McAlpine | Sep 1, 2017 | Blog
I just read this article (https://greatist.com/live/healing-crystals-are-probably-wack) titled “Crystal are Probably Bullsh*t, but I Love Them” by Derek Flanzraich. There is a lot I like about this piece. Especially the awareness of being intentional or the power of setting intentions. However what it really got me thinking about why I’m so drawn to Crystals. What I believe about them.., and what I don’t. In the article above, the author writes “In practice, there’s no evidence crystals have special powers. In fact, science has evidence against it.” Yet we live in a time of technologies that at their core, under the plastic casings, behind the glass screens, and connected by touch sensitive keypads, are based on Crystals! Cellphones, computers, radio, television, tools, lasers, home appliances and even our cars are made possible, more effective, and useful by the natural properties of Crystals. So the way I see it, Science and technology don’t believe Crystals have any natural properties that you or I can access or use on our own. But they use them in chips, capacitors, batteries, and so much more. The majority of their research tools, equipment, and products are only possible because of the natural properties of Crystals and metals…. All from the Mineral Kingdom. And I haven’t even mentioned the foundation of modern medicine and pharmaceuticals. Or the absolute requirement of daily minerals from food and water that our bodies crave and need! So once they are modified, produced and for sale, then these crystals which have been sliced, pulverized, encased or otherwise unrecognizable to their native form… are now powerful products and everyday items that they want...
by Charles McAlpine | Aug 18, 2017 | Blog
I want to tell you why we are here. Why we do what we do and why we exist. And it is quite simple: We are here to connect and create connections. Here is what I mean. Life is busy, hectic, distracting, and demanding. Most of us are being pulled in multiple directions, most of time. We have family, work, health, relationship and social commitments that are all vying for our attention. And if that is not enough, we are saturated with global information, news and content 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anything that is happening, anywhere in the world is or can be known within minutes if not seconds. As we go about our days juggling our ‘to-do-list’ amidst the buzz and noise of a technology-based world.., it is often hard to get our own needs met. We are eating on the run. Checking in with loved ones between meetings. Trying to get home early enough to relax or catch-up on rest, before starting it all over again. We have become experts at multi-tasking.., yet at the same time it can be hard to connect with the most important person in this equation. Ourselves. Believe it or not our connection to Self Is the first and most important connection we are here to make. We are naturally evolving Beings. We are crafting and creating our lives from moment to moment. But when it feels like time is flying by, how do we slow down enough to connect to any given moment. It is a challenge for many of us. You may have a sense...
by Charles McAlpine | Jun 11, 2017 | Blog
Years ago, when I first started exploring Spirituality and a deeper connection to internal guidance, I was introduced to the concept of the various ‘Aspects of Self’, that we all have within us. If you look at archetypical systems, you can find many different versions of this. In different cultures, religions and societal structures. This is the one I first worked with and therefore is easiest for me to relate to. ‘Aspects of Self’ such as the child, adolescent, nurturing parent, indulgent parent, negative ego, healthy adult, etc. All of these are voices in our head, that depending on the situations or circumstances, come forward and begin to raise their voice. They get our attention and influence our behaviors! Especially in situations where in the past, we were heavily influenced by similar events. Learning to quiet the noise of our monkey-minds, so we can hear and distinguish how these different voices or ‘Aspects of Self’ present themselves takes focus. We begin to start seeing the patterns that trigger them to come forward. Developing relationships with all ‘Aspects of Self’ is important integration work. It is valuable personal growth work. I know for me it has been a central part of my own process. YET! Here I am discovering another layer of one of these ‘Aspects of Self’ that I didn’t know was at play! My adolescent HATES rules. Words such as never, always, should, shouldn’t, must, can’t and have to… send them into rebellious defiance. And man, are they stubborn! Now mind you, I have had a lot of awareness about this resistance as it relates to organizations, systems...
by Charles McAlpine | Feb 26, 2017 | Blog
It’s Sunday and I am at Susanne Wilson’s “Mediumship for Non-Mediums” event at the Embassy Suites in Paradise Valley. The room is full and the energy level is high. The first part of the morning was an introduction to Mediumship and covered information on what is happening in the field. This includes scientific research, evidence studies and new (and old) thoughts on the expansion of our connection with loved ones on the other side. Dr Gary Schwartz shared some of what he is working on that he calls “Soul Phone” which is about introducing technology to the field with the intention of creating a way to share messages between the physical world and spirit. Two-way messages. Yet what really struck me this morning has to do with the Intentional Living principle of “Setting Healthy Boundaries”. What I realized, as I was listening to Susanne, is that sometimes the setting of new boundaries, is really about expanding or pushing the boundary further than perhaps what we have allowed before. I tend to think of setting boundaries as part of the work of self-care. It is often about preventing others from taking advantage or crossing a line that we ourselves would not cross. So this was an eye opening awareness. Death is experienced in as many different ways as there are people on the planet. It is something that we all know is inevitable…, yet it also often creates a great deal of discomfort. Many of us do not really think about what happens after death until we experience a personal loss. Then, even if we have a vague idea of...
by Charles McAlpine | Oct 30, 2016 | Blog
Look around and see what the 3D world is trying to reflect back to you. What is happening in the external world that is trying to inform your inner world. There is always something the Universe is trying to share with us. In my case there is a shit-storm happening! The plaza where Storm Wisdom is located is under siege with major plumbing problems that are part of the original construction. 40+ year old pipes that are disintegrating. Old sewage that is backing up. Restricted flow of water. Stench that seeps up from out of nowhere. The plumbing issues affecting the plaza where Storm Wisdom is located highlight the critical importance of reliable and well-maintained infrastructure. While the plumbing problems are being addressed by commercial plumbers, it is equally crucial to ensure that other essential systems like electrical, grouting, and roofing services are inspected and maintained to prevent any potential complications. Collaborating with reputable service providers in these fields can help mitigate risks and ensure the overall functionality and safety of the plaza. When selecting professionals for these services, it is beneficial to consider the experiences and expertise of companies by checking richtek reviews, which provide valuable insights into the quality of their work. By prioritizing regular maintenance and timely interventions across multiple aspects of the plaza’s infrastructure, a sustainable and efficient environment can be maintained, promoting the well-being of businesses and individuals in the area. This has been going on for a few weeks, but is culminating now. Commercial Plumbers have been onsite for over a week with jackhammers, shovels, temporary pipes or tubes. Blocked off parking. Overflowing...
by Charles McAlpine | Jun 5, 2016 | Blog
A couple of days ago, while doing some writing, I realized there was something I needed to do! I was writing about “Who I am becoming”. There is so much happening right now and many of us are feeling the intensity of all this activity. The world around us is shifting and changing. Some people are adjusting and adapting to these changes. Some are disconnecting and finding new ways of being. Others are still holding on to their old ways and wondering why they are not working like they use. I a lot of what I was reflecting on while writing was about being more intentional about who I am moving forward. If you are like me, you have spent a long time being a student of Life. This means looking deep within to discover your truth. To discover your passion. Even your purpose. I know it seems like we would/should know these things. Aren’t we are the ones who have lived this experience or adventure we call our life? But what many of us don’t realize is how much others have affected our perspective. How our perspective influences how we interpret the events and circumstances we experience. In truth, most of us need to slow down. To become the Observer of our own life. To hear the internal messages from various aspects of ourselves. Then we begin to realize we are running old stories that no longer fit or apply (if they ever did!). So this is where I was in my writing, when I had this thought. “I need to create a meditation/visualization for myself”. To focus...
by Charles McAlpine | Jun 21, 2015 | Blog
Watch out what you ask for! You’ll probably get it!! I tend to be a seeker. I want to understand how things work, how the pieces fit together. I like to explore the unknown. I want to chart my own course and choose my route. Often times I will carve out a new path, or attempt to venture where it feels no one has gone before (at least not in the same way!). Of course I am mostly referring to spiritual exploration… Our purpose, our connection to a higher source, what makes us tick, and how the heck did we get where we are? It is the pursuit of spiritual truths that motivates and propels many of our journeys. And if you are like me, then just following the pack isn’t all that inspiring. I want to experience for myself what it means to evolve, expand awareness or deepen the connection to consciousness. Hearing about someone else’s experience may be informative, but it is not enough to feed the hunger and longing of my spirit. So we open ourselves to change. We explore new territories and embrace transformation. Chaos feels like a constant companion. And then we ask ourselves “why”? You see, when we set these intentions to expand and embrace deeper truths or invite new levels of awareness; we think the answers or the insights will come to us in our dreams, meditations, or through our imagination. Yet, we live in a physical world. That which we seek appears in our day-to-day lives. We open ourselves to change and then assume that automatically the cells in our body...
by Charles McAlpine | Apr 5, 2015 | Blog
Have you ever felt like you were a fish hooked and fighting for your life? It sounds dramatic, but when you are caught up in the struggle and drama of someone else’s narrative and you are fighting for your own perspective; that is how it feels! This is not my normal way of operating or even the kind of situation I have a lot of experience with… Yet, right now, I have several of them going on all at the same time! So I know it is cosmic or an important opportunity for something new to emerge. Right now, ALL of the situations I am thinking of have to do with money. Investments going south. Situations changing without any input from me or some of the other people involved. Someone else working hard to have things their way, at my expense. It kinda sucks! When we first encounter these disruptions in our world, they feel isolated. Each one is approached, evaluated and addressed as if it is unique. At least that is how it is for me. I become aware that something is happening, I feel threatened, I start to resist and look at how to keep things the way they were before I got hooked. But the more I resist, the deeper the hook goes! Now I am in a fight for my life. Or at least, that is how it feels while I am trying to tug my way to freedom. Then another (similar) situation is added to the mix and it feels overwhelming. My logical mind attempts to figure it out. I spend a lot of...
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 | 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 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 | 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 Charles McAlpine | Oct 5, 2014 | Blog
Something new is emerging. This chrysalis phase is getting closer to completion. I don’t have fully developed wings yet. However, I know that soon I will be able to fly! I understand why Dr. Joyce Mills uses butterflies as a metaphor for her teachings and even her beautiful card deck ‘Butterfly Wisdom’. It is so fitting for these times of transformation that we all go through. Unlike caterpillars who go through this metamorphosis once, most humans go through this many times in a single life time. Each time the experience of finding new wings feels different than the last. Simply because we are not the same organism that went through the previous experience. We have evolved. By no means am I imagining that this is the final metamorphism! In fact I am sure there are several more. And yet this one feels significant! This one for me, seems like it is happening at a time that will allow the sage within me to emerge. This current transformation is aligned with the 6th Face of the Soul, called the ‘Double’, from the teaching of Lazaris (‘7 Faces of the Soul‘). And the timing of this latest transformation feels as if it is here to usher me into this new phase of life. What I notice about this latest experience of transformation or change is that I have been aware that this is what has been going on! This does not mean it isn’t at times challenging. I have felt the familiar energies of impatience and anxiety. “How long will this last” and “What will it look, feel, or be like...
by Charles McAlpine | Oct 5, 2014 | Blog
Something new is emerging. This chrysalis phase is getting closer to completion. I don’t have fully developed wings yet. However, I know that soon I will be able to fly! I understand why Dr. Joyce Mills uses butterflies as a metaphor for her teachings and even her beautiful card deck ‘Butterfly Wisdom’. It is so fitting for these times of transformation that we all go through. Unlike caterpillars who go through this metamorphosis once, most humans go through this many times in a single life time. Each time the experience of finding new wings feels different than the last. Simply because we are not the same organism that went through the previous experience. We have evolved. By no means am I imagining that this is the final metamorphism! In fact I am sure there are several more. And yet this one feels significant! This one for me, seems like it is happening at a time that will allow the sage within me to emerge. This current transformation is aligned with the 6th Face of the Soul, called the ‘Double’, from the teaching of Lazaris (‘7 Faces of the Soul‘). And the timing of this latest transformation feels as if it is here to usher me into this new phase of life. What I notice about this latest experience of transformation or change is that I have been aware that this is what has been going on! This does not mean it isn’t at times challenging. I have felt the familiar energies of impatience and anxiety. “How long will this last” and “What will it look, feel, or be like...
by Charles McAlpine | Sep 21, 2014 | Blog
I have been contemplating personal authority this week. It seems to me that a major part of becoming more self-aware, includes taking back authority for our own lives. It is not uncommon to discuss the need to feel a sense of responsibility for what we create in our lives. Yet, there is little direct conversation about our authority. Or maybe there is, and I am just not exposed to it. Here are my thoughts on this. When we are young, we are dependent upon our parents. We are not equipped to make choices for ourselves. We lack the experience to navigate the world around us, and so they instruct, guide, discipline and teach us what we need to know to be safe. Siblings, babysitters, other parents also play a role. Teachers, religious and spiritual leaders, schools and churches.., even social groups and sport teams begin to shape and inform us. As we get older and more independent, we seek counsel from doctors, lawyers, accountants, technologists, therapists, and many others in specialized fields. We start to engaged in politics, current and social events. Media plays a huge role in our lives, from advertisements, programs, reality televisions, pop-up promotions, social media and the news. We rely on ALL of these to help us navigate this thing called life. Some of it feels right. Some makes us uncomfortable. Some, is simply part of the noise. AND, on top of that we are all unique. So no two people have the exact same experiences, influences and circumstances. Even twin siblings who appear to be exposed to exactly the same thing. We may be...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Sep 21, 2014 | Blog
I have been contemplating personal authority this week. It seems to me that a major part of becoming more self-aware, includes taking back authority for our own lives. It is not uncommon to discuss the need to feel a sense of responsibility for what we create in our lives. Yet, there is little direct conversation about our authority. Or maybe there is, and I am just not exposed to it. Here are my thoughts on this. When we are young, we are dependent upon our parents. We are not equipped to make choices for ourselves. We lack the experience to navigate the world around us, and so they instruct, guide, discipline and teach us what we need to know to be safe. Siblings, babysitters, other parents also play a role. Teachers, religious and spiritual leaders, schools and churches.., even social groups and sport teams begin to shape and inform us. As we get older and more independent, we seek counsel from doctors, lawyers, accountants, technologists, therapists, and many others in specialized fields. We start to engaged in politics, current and social events. Media plays a huge role in our lives, from advertisements, programs, reality televisions, pop-up promotions, social media and the news. We rely on ALL of these to help us navigate this thing called life. Some of it feels right. Some makes us uncomfortable. Some, is simply part of the noise. AND, on top of that we are all unique. So no two people have the exact same experiences, influences and circumstances. Even twin siblings who appear to be exposed to exactly the same thing. We may be...
by Charles McAlpine | Sep 13, 2014 | Blog
Who stole my summer? I can’t believe we are in the month of September already! I don’t remember feeling like this year was flying by.., until I realize fall is almost here! Darn, it sure sneaks up on you! You can feel the change in the air! A few more weeks of these hot days, and suddenly it gives way to cooler evenings, morning coffee on the patio and the pool becomes a water feature in the backyard that you get to enjoy looking at, but swimming becomes a distant memory. I am actually ready for some change. You see, I have been in an odd state for most of the summer. Everything in my external world is fine, but man, internally it seems like constant change; awareness, absorbing, morphing, readjusting, releasing and then starting over. I think I am close to figuring out what is going on inside my head, then boom… Back to square one. I was talking with someone who offers intuitive insights and guidance, and they indicated that I would probably be feeling this way for another 6 – 8 weeks. Then perhaps I could begin to see what is beyond the horizon for me. Even as they were saying this to me, I was thinking… “The way things are going.., I could be a completely different person in 6 weeks!” Sometimes when we have engrained behaviors or established coping mechanisms… It takes time to make adjustments or to integrate whatever is new. I am the type of man that in the past has needed to have something I was working towards. I thrive with...
by Charles McAlpine | Sep 13, 2014 | Blog
Who stole my summer? I can’t believe we are in the month of September already! I don’t remember feeling like this year was flying by.., until I realize fall is almost here! Darn, it sure sneaks up on you! You can feel the change in the air! A few more weeks of these hot days, and suddenly it gives way to cooler evenings, morning coffee on the patio and the pool becomes a water feature in the backyard that you get to enjoy looking at, but swimming becomes a distant memory. I am actually ready for some change. You see, I have been in an odd state for most of the summer. Everything in my external world is fine, but man, internally it seems like constant change; awareness, absorbing, morphing, readjusting, releasing and then starting over. I think I am close to figuring out what is going on inside my head, then boom… Back to square one. I was talking with someone who offers intuitive insights and guidance, and they indicated that I would probably be feeling this way for another 6 – 8 weeks. Then perhaps I could begin to see what is beyond the horizon for me. Even as they were saying this to me, I was thinking… “The way things are going.., I could be a completely different person in 6 weeks!” Sometimes when we have engrained behaviors or established coping mechanisms… It takes time to make adjustments or to integrate whatever is new. I am the type of man that in the past has needed to have something I was working towards. I thrive with...
by Charles McAlpine | Sep 7, 2014 | Blog
I dream of the day when we have integrated all that is possible from the energetic shifts of our time. I believe in the beauty and possibility of mankind to find peace through connection and sharing; versus holding ourselves separate and feeling the need to protect what we have as if those things define us. I know it is possible to shift our relationship with the land, water, air, plants, and animals so that we are once again connected and living in a symbiotic and sustainable way. I trust that we have the skills, talent and natural abilities to allow each other to be unique and authentic in our own way and that through this celebration of our diverse nature, we feel our connection to one another and to All-That-Is. Yet, I just can’t imagine what it will look like.., and as a result, I am unsure how we will get there! It seems to me, that the shift I am talking about would have to be so dramatic that EVERYTHING would have to change. So much so, that a complete collapse of the house-of-cards we are currently creating would be required. “Complete collapse” sounds scary! And so it is easier to keep contributing to the status quo, because the alternatives seem so distant and fantasy like. We would have to treat each other with respect. We would need to honor the planet and all her creatures. It would mean setting down our egos and aggression. Greed and fear could not be the driving force and the desire for power over others and the hoarding and exploitation of resources...
by Charles McAlpine | Sep 7, 2014 | Blog
I dream of the day when we have integrated all that is possible from the energetic shifts of our time. I believe in the beauty and possibility of mankind to find peace through connection and sharing; versus holding ourselves separate and feeling the need to protect what we have as if those things define us. I know it is possible to shift our relationship with the land, water, air, plants, and animals so that we are once again connected and living in a symbiotic and sustainable way. I trust that we have the skills, talent and natural abilities to allow each other to be unique and authentic in our own way and that through this celebration of our diverse nature, we feel our connection to one another and to All-That-Is. Yet, I just can’t imagine what it will look like.., and as a result, I am unsure how we will get there! It seems to me, that the shift I am talking about would have to be so dramatic that EVERYTHING would have to change. So much so, that a complete collapse of the house-of-cards we are currently creating would be required. “Complete collapse” sounds scary! And so it is easier to keep contributing to the status quo, because the alternatives seem so distant and fantasy like. We would have to treat each other with respect. We would need to honor the planet and all her creatures. It would mean setting down our egos and aggression. Greed and fear could not be the driving force and the desire for power over others and the hoarding and exploitation of resources...
by Charles McAlpine | Aug 3, 2014 | Blog
OMG! I can’t believe how intense the last two weeks of July were! I couldn’t even write about it last week because of being in the grips of fear and truthfully.., a bit of shock! Storm Wisdom had it’s worst two weeks of sales EVER! When I say ever… I mean even compared to the first two weeks we were open and hardly anyone even knew we existed. We were busier then! It was scary. Of course when a cycle begins, you are not necessarily aware that something new has started. So one day where you have less than $20 in sales, you can shrug it off and assume it is some weird anomaly. After a week of questionable activity.., “shrugging it off” is a lot harder (at least for me!) You begin to question everything. As you know, you can’t run a brick and mortar business with no sales. No sales means no payroll, no rent, no utilities, etc… You get the picture! AND… Something similar was happening at home! It felt like our livelihood was being threatened! Yuck… I don’t even like thinking about it. And amongst all this, there was a definite pattern of bad communications. Not what was being communicated during this time, but old conversations, agreements or understandings were falling apart. What seemed clear six months ago was now a muddled mess. Once again for both Fito and me. It was a dark time. And of course, if you consider yourself a spiritual magician and student of life, then you have to look at these blocks, challenges, ebbs or whatever, to determine what the...
by Charles McAlpine | Aug 3, 2014 | Blog
OMG! I can’t believe how intense the last two weeks of July were! I couldn’t even write about it last week because of being in the grips of fear and truthfully.., a bit of shock! Storm Wisdom had it’s worst two weeks of sales EVER! When I say ever… I mean even compared to the first two weeks we were open and hardly anyone even knew we existed. We were busier then! It was scary. Of course when a cycle begins, you are not necessarily aware that something new has started. So one day where you have less than $20 in sales, you can shrug it off and assume it is some weird anomaly. After a week of questionable activity.., “shrugging it off” is a lot harder (at least for me!) You begin to question everything. As you know, you can’t run a brick and mortar business with no sales. No sales means no payroll, no rent, no utilities, etc… You get the picture! AND… Something similar was happening at home! It felt like our livelihood was being threatened! Yuck… I don’t even like thinking about it. And amongst all this, there was a definite pattern of bad communications. Not what was being communicated during this time, but old conversations, agreements or understandings were falling apart. What seemed clear six months ago was now a muddled mess. Once again for both Fito and me. It was a dark time. And of course, if you consider yourself a spiritual magician and student of life, then you have to look at these blocks, challenges, ebbs or whatever, to determine what the...
by Paul (Site Admin) | Jul 20, 2014 | Blog
They say that one of the ways to become more self-aware is to develop the skill of being the Observer of your own life. To witness yourself in action and instead of being attached to the actual event or experience you are having; allow yourself to be an impartial onlooker. Let’s say someone has just made a dangerous move in traffic, right in front of you. Not only are you surprised, you are likely angry and frightened by this close call. If you are in normal operating mode, you may react with intensity. You swear, send gestures, maybe scream at the driver of the car long gone. In ‘Observer’ mode, you are still surprised. You may even feel the anger. However, instead of going into full anger, you witness it. You contemplate the incident and begin to put things in perspective and context. Instead of screaming at the driver or going into road-rage, you calm yourself. Your anger never takes over. . . . . Learning to be an Observer of your life, is not something you do just for the heightened emotional situations. It is helpful during the mundane and ordinary times as well. As a matter of fact, the more you become a witness to your thoughts and emotions, the more it becomes a natural way of Being. This does not mean you don’t have thoughts and emotions, it simply means you are aware of them, and as a result, you influence them, they don’t control you. Observing your own reactions, behaviors and thoughts or emotions changes them. It changes you. Much like scientists have discovered; witnessing...
