The Heart of the Matter
September 25, 2017
I Take a Few Deep Breaths

Mitch Ditkoff II.jpg

On a good day
I take a few deep breaths
and feel God's primal tide inside me.
A force of nature they are,
coming from who knows where.
They continue, these breaths,
one slow motion wave at a time,
and take everything I have
back into the ocean.
Nothing remains,
nothing at all,
just the blue sky overhead
and the shell of a body
at ease, at rest, at peace,
now thankful for a power
greater than me
hiding in my breath.


Some inspiration for you
My book of poetry

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:44 PM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2017
Peace Quotes for All Time

The International Peace Day was yesterday, September 21st. But guess what? Peace needs to happen every day. And so, in honor of everyday peace, I invite you to enjoy the above slide show, featuring inspiring quotes about peace from well-known luminaries. And while you're at it, check out PeaceCast 2017 and TPRF's Medicine for Peace. Both of them will help you remember why peace needs to be our number one priority.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:15 PM | Comments (1)

September 21, 2017
Honoring International Peace Day

Key to Puzzle.jpg

The UN-sanctioned International Day of Peace Day is happening on September 21st -- an occasion for people, everywhere, to pause and reflect on what they can do help make peace a reality -- for themselves and others. If peace is something you care about, The Heart of the Matter invites you to tune into two inspired organizations and the multi-media they are producing to help get the word out.

The Prem Rawat Foundation
PeaceCast TV

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

September 04, 2017
Honoring the Soulful Music, Life, and Family of Richie Ingui

richie-ingui-obituary.jpeg

If you are a long-time Heart of the Matter reader, there is a good chance you are familiar with the music of Richie Ingui -- an extraordinarily gifted singer and deep-hearted man who unexpectedly passed away this past winter.

In the entertainment world, Richie was most famous for his iconic 1967 song, with the Soul Survivors -- Expressway to Your Heart. But there was also another side to Richie's music that many in the music marketplace never got to hear -- songs of love, longing, and gratitude inspired by his long-time connection to his teacher, Prem Rawat.

Many of us who knew Richie miss him deeply, but none more than his wife and soul-mate of 50 years, Cheryl, and their two children.

Recently, a few of Richie's Philly friends came up with a beautiful way to honor his memory, provide some much-needed help to his family, and share inspiration with people who have been touched (or will be touched) by Richie's soulful music.

Towards this end, a collection of 17 of Richie's songs, has been put together -- a kind of "Greatest Hits" from back in the day. It's called "Be A Lover To Me" and it is sure to inspire, uplift, and remind you of what the deepest part of you yearns for.

Because of copyright issues, these songs cannot be sold. However, the need is pressing and gifts can be freely exchanged. So, if you feel inspired to be part of this effort, here's how you can participate:

1. Send a gift, in the form of a check, to Cheryl Ingui. (38 Wheatsheaf Road, Shomong, NJ 08088.) Or, you can pay via Paypal: philysoul@comcast.net. All gifts go directly to Cheryl and the Ingui children.

2. Send an email to David Richman (Drichman007@gmail.com), informing him of the gift you mailed to Cheryl.

3. In response to your gift, you will receive a gift in the mail -- a USB drive containing 17 of Richie's songs.

If you are so moved, please consider forwarding this link to friends of yours who have been touched by Richie's music over the years. Your communication to them is likely to be the only way they will hear about this crowdsourced expression of love going out to Richie and his family. We are all in this together.

IMG_1126-1.jpg

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:31 PM | Comments (0)

Welcome to Mitch Ditkoff's blog about what's really important in this life: Peace, gratitude, love, joy, clarity, and the effort required to wake up and smell the roses. Enjoy!

   Contact me   
© MITCH DITKOFF