A Different Kind of TED Video
Funny. Charming. Engaging
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2013The Importance of Laying Fallow
Click the link below
for a brief
blog posting
on the importance
of laying fallow
sometimes --
renewing,
restoring,
and rejuvenating.
We are
human beings first,
human doings second.
From the
Words of Peace Global blog.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)
May 06, 2013Peacebeats in England
Peacebeats is a new intiative, in England, attempting to spread a beautiful message of peace through music, spoken word, and creative expression. The beat goes on!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:03 PM | Comments (1)
April 22, 2013Yo Yo Mastery and You You
This guy is completely off the charts. Wow! Think about what YOU are committed to and WHAT you need to do to develop the kind of mastery this young man demonstrates.
On practice
The Best Archer in All of China
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February 28, 2013The Gift of an Ordinary Day
This is totally exquisite. If you have grown children, you will absolutely relate. If your kids are still at home, this is something to remind you of what you have. If you don't have kids, it's still a profound comtemplation on letting go and enjoying the moment.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:07 AM | Comments (1)
February 27, 2013The Five Regrets of the Dying
Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives.
She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom.
"When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again."
THE FIVE REGRETS OF THE DYING
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it."
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence."
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
"Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying."
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again."
Thanks to David Passes for the heads up
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:08 PM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2013It's Always Something
One thing that's common to most of us is that we tend to focus on what's wrong, instead of what's right... to see what's missing instead of what we have... to let the ever-changing dramas of our lives take us over. If this describes you, know there is an alternative...
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February 07, 2013Feel at Home in this Moment
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January 27, 2013It's About Awakening
Excerpted from Amaroo, 9/14
Online videos of Prem Rawat
Schedule of Prem Rawat on TV
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January 10, 2013Why Your Bank Account Is Empty
Ever wonder why your
bank account
seems to be empty
most of the time?
To find out, simply
click the link below.
I've done the research
and lay it out for you
in black and white.
I may not know the details
of your economic life,
but it doesn't matter.
There's a universal principal
at play.
Call me "spacey" if you want
but there's no denying
this immutable law of nature.
Emptiness
is everywhere!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)
January 07, 2013Chekhov's Glint of Light
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January 01, 2013101 Things I've Learned So Far
1. Everything I need is within me.
2. There is only NOW. The past is over. The future is a dream.
3. Love is the only game in town.
4. It's easy to forget. But it's also easy to remember.
5. Eventually we all have to let go (so why not let go now?)
6. Everything changes.
7. I am not the doer.
8. It feels good to give away stuff I don't really need.
9. I am never more than a breath away from fulfillment.
10. It's a huge help to have a teacher -- especially one I love.
11. Everything happens for the best.
12. Life is a gift.
13. I can't clean a muddy pond by poking at it with a stick.
14. Every time I point a finger, three are pointing back at me.
15. First effort, then grace.
16. It's a blessing to serve.
17. I am not here to teach anybody anything. I am here to love -- and the love will do the teaching.
18. There will never be peace on Earth until the people on Earth are at peace.
19. Worry is optional.
20. When I stop projecting my stuff on the universe, I begin to enjoy life.
21. Marriage is a yoga.
22. Life is not supposed to be a struggle.
23. Ain't nothing like the real thing, baby.
24. Doubt is a killer. Give up doubt.
25. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas. (Groucho Marx)
26. I am not taking anything with me that I don't already have.
27. Don't take myself so seriously
28. Life is not what I think.
29. Take more time to smell the roses (and plant some, too).
30. There is a feeling deep within my heart that is absolutely exquisite.
31. Wash your bowl.
32. There is a difference between desire and longing. Desire is wanting what I don't have. Longing is wanting what I do.
33. The world appears more beautiful the more beautiful I feel.
34. Time is an illusion.
35. Let go of letting go. Then let go of that, too.
36. There is nothing to be afraid of.
37. Drink more champagne.
38. Trust that which is trustworthy.
39. Stretch more.
40. Don't turn my point of view into a religion.
41. Be kinder.
42. Get enough rest.
43. I don't really need anyone's approval.
44. I am not a victim. No one has power over me.
45. I am responsible (and so are you).
46. Money is not the root of all evil. Ignorance is the root of all evil.
47. Most conversations are about the past, the future, or unfinished business.
48. Honor thy incarnation (Ram Dass)
49. When I'm not on the path, it's razor thin. When I'm on the path, it's a million miles wide.
50. One man's ceiling is another man's floor. (Paul Simon)
51. All Masters have said the same thing in different ways.
52. Everything I need is coming to me, and I already have everything I need.
53. Keep it simple.
54. We're all in this together.
55. When a pickpocket meets a saint, all he sees are pockets.
56. Ideas are sometimes more than ideas. They are inspirations from the beyond.
57. We all have a story to tell. Let's tell it already.
58. Learn from my mistakes.
59. Enjoy this "come as you are" party.
60. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to become fully awake.
61. Hug more.
62. I can only take one breath at a time.
63. Life is a dance.
64. I am both the center of the universe and an extremely small particle of dust.
65. Drink more water.
66. The people I don't like often teach me more than my friends.
67. I am a nobleman. My father is the King.
68. Life is not so much about the what, but the how.
69. Be careful not to get addicted to your own story.
70. When you meet the Buddha on the road, ask him if he wants a foot massage.
71. Celebrate more.
72. Learn how to say no without being negative.
73. Each step is also an arrival.
74. There's nothing wrong with inconsistency. Yes there is.
75. Peace is possible on planet Earth.
76. Not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted, counts. (Einstein)
77. Read all contracts carefully before signing them.
78. The mind is a chicken with its head cut off.
79. Breathe deep.
80. Ask for help.
81. God is in the details.
82. Stop trying so hard.
83. Write a letter, by hand, once in a while.
84. It's not about what others think of me. It's what I think of myself.
85. When I find a pair of pants I really like, buy two.
86. Be the same in a room full of people as you are when you're alone.
87. 60 is the new 59.
88. Forgive
89. Stop complaining.
90. Treat people to dinner.
91. Listen more deeply.
92. Invest in yourself.
93. Be happy for others' successes.
94. Gratitude is the most authentic prayer.
95. Don't judge the judgers for judging.
97. Pause before committing.
98. I have no problems. The only problem I have is thinking I have problems.
99. Every cloud has a silver lining. Every silver lining has a golden lining.
100. Be a field big enough for others to dance in.
101. Be more like my dog.
How about YOU? What have YOU learned so far?
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:14 AM | Comments (17)
December 30, 2012The Top Ten Postings from 2012
Here are the 10 most popular postings on Heart of the Matter in 2012. (Who knew that Bill Hicks and George Carlin would make it to #6?)
THE TOP 10 POSTINGS FROM THIS BLOG IN 2012
6. Bill Hicks and George Carlin Speak
8. How To Request an Invitation to a Prem Rawat Event in North America
10. Is Peace Possible: The Movie
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:03 AM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2012Putting the IS Back in Christmas
Maybe there's a hundred presents under your Christmas tree. Maybe there's one. Doesn't matter. Soon you'll be opening them (or it) and making the decision whether or not to open slowly (saving the wrapping paper) or tearing like a maniac.
The givers, assuming they're in the room, will be watching you for telltale signs of whether you like what they bought you, and you, aware that you are being watched, will be a little too expressive -- in a kind-hearted attempt to calm the fears of your loved ones.
That's the surface stuff.
The real present you'll be receiving is the PRESENT, as in the present moment -- the moment of the world winding down and nothing else happening except the timeless act of appreciating the fact that YOU ARE LOVED. So, here's to the PRESENT moment. Here's to opening it and discovering all that is contained within. It fits! It doesn't need to be returned! It's what you've always wanted!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:46 PM | Comments (2)
Gratitude
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December 11, 2012When You Walk Into the Room
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:27 PM | Comments (1)
Why Groucho Raised His Eyebrows
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November 08, 2012Baby, Oh Baby!
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October 19, 2012Is Peace Possible? THE MOVIE
'is peace possible' the movie from rohn bayes on Vimeo.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:25 AM | Comments (1)
September 26, 2012Perception, Reality, and Resolution
Part #1 of this blog post is a brief story I wrote two weeks ago at a retreat center in Australia, based on my observations, in an amphitheater, on the day my teacher, Prem Rawat, had a Reception Line for his students.
Part #2 is the response I received, a few days later, from one of the players in Part #1.
Part #3 is a summary of what I learned from the experience.
PART #1: The Perception
I am sitting in the amphitheater watching hundreds of people returning from the Reception Line, Maharaji's favorite music playing in the background.
On the large screen is an endless stream of photos of happy people, smiling, laughing, or just being totally focused. The line keeps moving, each person a universe folded into itself.
Everyone is radiant, self-contained, walking more slowly than usual.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see a woman, on the line, dancing. She, too, has just returned from seeing Maharaji. The only thing different is SHE IS DANCING -- the most beautiful dance I think I've ever seen -- a dance of uncontainable joy.
The security guy takes note and, mindful of his duty, starts to approach her from behind as she dances by.
She cannot see him, bouncing and bounding from one step to the other, arms to the sky in perfect sync with her invisible dance partner.
Those of us in the audience are watching this little scene unfold, silently rooting for the dutiful security guy to keep his distance and let her keep dancing up the aisle.
He seems concerned, like there is something he is supposed to DO, but the closer he gets to her, the more it seems like there is some kind of invisible force field around her, protecting the dancing from any kind of disturbance.
Her dancing trumps his security and, as the song she is dancing to ends, she keeps dancing up the aisle, eyes on fire -- the rest of us madly clapping -- for her, for the dance, and the extraordinary perfection of this little moment in time.
PART #2: The Reality
A few days after I posted the above story on Facebook, I received the following comment from Michael Nelthorpe -- the "Security Guy."
"Nice story Mitch. I was the guy. Not quite the way you saw it.
I slipped in behind her so no one stopped her dancing or interrupted her 'space'.
Times change, Mitch. We treat EVERYONE as his guest no matter what."
PART #3: The Resolution
What did I learn from this little episode? A lot.
To begin with, what I think is happening and what is actually happening are sometimes two very different things.
It was easy for me to conclude that the "security guy" was doing the traditional "security thing", when, in fact, what was really happening was quite the opposite. He was not attempting to interfere with the beautiful dance going on. He was trying to protect it!
He was protecting. I was projecting.
Why did I assume what I assumed? Because I had an outdated concept of "Event Security". So outdated, in fact, that I did not even know that "Security" wasn't called "Security" anymore -- but "Safety".
You might quibble that this is semantics, but from what I can tell, it's far more than that, as evidenced by Michael Nelthorpe's crystal clear feedback to me -- given, by the way, with elegance, feeling, and the spirit of "we're all in this together" -- which, I now understand is what his commitment was to the dancing lady.
As a writer (or human being... or man... or Virgo... or baby boomer.. or whatever), it's easy to default to habitual ways of looking at things, based on my past experiences and assumptions.
The fact of the matter, is, however, that every moment is a new one. If we really want to appreciate what's going on, we have to let go of old ways of seeing.
It's a bit like the classic story of the five blind men trying to figure out what an elephant looked like. Each of them were touching a different part of the elephant and they each concluded something different, based on what part they were touching.
The guy who was touching the tail got a very different impression of the elephant than the guy who was touching the trunk... or the leg.
This seems to be our challenge. Each of us are looking through our own lens, trying to make sense of things. Then, based on our limited perceptions, we proceed to proclaim to the world what we see -- as if what we see was the only reality.
"When a pickpocket meets a saint, all he sees are pockets," goes the old adage.
I saw the "dancing lady" and the "security guy" and made my own poetic leap to a false conclusion, then proceeded to write about it and get a whole bunch of confirmations -- 68 Facebook LIKES.
Yes, I know the essence of what I was writing about was real and that, indeed, similar scenarios play out, in many ways, every day of our lives.
But the FACT is: my conclusion at the Amaroo amphitheater was faulty.
This was a great lesson for me.
It gave me (and gives me) pause. I am more conscious now of not jumping to conclusions... of allowing more space and time before I proclaim anything to be true.
I am also newly committed to entertaining diverse inputs (second opinions and reality checks) before I go dancing off to the races.
What conclusion have you come up with lately that might be bogus? What assumption have you made -- about someone or something -- that might be completely unreal?
Long videos of Prem Rawat
Short videos of Prem Rawat
More about his message
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:35 AM | Comments (6)
September 25, 2012The Light at the End of the Tunnel
We are sitting in a tunnel, checking our email, thinking about yesterday and tomorrow, when just behind us, brighter than a thousand suns, is a light streaming in from a place astrophysicists will never find. We're looking down. It's looking in -- illuminating our chance to turn around, stand up, and be amazed.
More
Photo: Mimi Ditkoff (15)
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August 20, 2012It's Really Very Simple
More where this came from
Words of Peace Global
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:01 AM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2012A Word to the Wise
More goodies
Words of Peace Global
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:24 PM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2012The Beautiful Paradox
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)
August 13, 2012Take What You Need
I don't know
about you.
But
I'd
rather
see
this sign
on a
telephone
poll
than
all
the
ones
about
babysitters,
snow shovellers,
and
house movers.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:44 PM | Comments (1)
August 12, 2012The Secret Revealed
Looking
for
the
promised
land?
It
is
right
beneath
your
feet.
The
path?
The
distance
from
head
to
heart.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:02 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2012The Glowing Ember of Your Heart
Everybody I know has something within them -- ember-like and glowing -- that is completely capable of flaming up at any given moment.
This "something" has been called many things by many people throughout the ages, but it does not need a name to give off light.
Primal, elemental, and pure, it is the innate potential every human being has to be fully alive.
What fans the flame of this unnameable ember varies from person to person, but its essence is the same: the power to ignite a transcendental sense of wholeness, goodness, and joy.
Some people have this moment once in their lives. Some have it every day.
Here's my wish for you: Find that which fans the glowing ember of your heart. And when you do, give thanks.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 04:11 PM | Comments (3)
June 17, 2012Running Up and Down the Aisles
One of the good things about having a living Teacher is that often he/she says something that goes in so deep it becomes a kind of radioactive isotope of truth -- radiating from the inside out, forever.
One particular moment like this happened for me a few years ago. I was at an event where Prem Rawat was speaking and, in a very casual way, he used a modern image to make a very ancient point.
He was talking about the phenomenon of impatience and likened the human condition to being a passenger on a jet plane traveling at 650 mph, but running up and down the aisles trying to get there faster.
Nailed!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:29 AM | Comments (1)
June 05, 2012Your Virtual Fortune Cookie
Thanks to Lynn Kindler for the image
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May 17, 2012A Bird Not in the Hand
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)
May 09, 2012Go Beyond Your Imagination
OK, movers and shakers, lovers of Knowledge, humbled ones, happy ones, gopis, fools, lunatics, learners, Luigis, and other assorted humanoids sometimes bummed by a crumbling economy, shaky world order, and the rising price of cappuccino -- it's time to realize that whatever difficulties you're experiencing these days are actually gifts -- each lovingly wrapped with silver linings beyond anything you can imagine.
Really. There's something in it for you. Know that everything happens for the best.
Say goodbye to the old. Let it go. The old forms are dying. Their time has come and gone. But YOU are still here -- YOU, the crown of creation!
Mostly everything you've depended on in your life has revealed itself to be completely undependable. Your job? Your finances? Your relationship? Ha! Now you see them, now you don't. Seductions, one and all.
Security? Good luck! Helen Keller said it best. "Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
OK, maybe your cash flow isn't flowing, but that doesn't mean that YOU can't flow. YES YOU CAN!
Dudes and Dudinas of the world, it's time to say goodbye to whatever it was that's been propping you up or providing you with a temporary identity to trot out at parties in between the brie and the creeping conclusion you probably should have stayed home.
What remains when all the conditional stuff of our life is gone? What remains when the veil disappears and the show leaves town and everything we think we are or have reveals itself to be nothing but a few flickering shadows on a few flickering walls? Ah, Grasshopper, that is the question.
My big fat opinion?
I can say without a shadow of doubt or any unpaid speeding tickets that there is at least one human being on the planet who not only knows what remains after all the conditional stuff of our life is gone, but has the knack of awakening the rest of us to that place.
Is he the only one? God only knows. Maybe there's a million. Maybe there's 23. Maybe all these Wise Ones are break dancing in a cave in the Himalayas or maybe they're meditating in a mall in New Jersey.
What does Prem Rawat have to say about this matter? "Go search the four corners of the world for this peace and if you cannot find it, come back to me. I'll be wherever you are."
In that primeval place, there is no past, no future, no Wall Street, no Wal-mart, no alimony, no acrimony, no cholesterol, no antioxidents, no anti-Christs, no waiting, no lines, no hanging chads.
In that place, everyone gets bailed out. And the currency is LOVE, sweet sweet love. Not love of this or love of that or love of him or her. Just love. Love with no bounds. Love with no agenda. Love with no strings.
That's it, folks! LOVE!
What everything comes down to. Love, the universal donor. Love, the back stage pass. Love, what you do everything for. What moves you... and where it moves you to.
So let it be and let it go and let it rip. Take the wonderful bull of life by the horns (or at least wave the red flag instead of the white).
Now's the time. Everything up to this point has been prelude, the universe clearing it's throat so it could say something, far beyond words, and say it through YOU!
Oh great people of the blogosphere, don't hold back. Sing it out! Dance it out! Write it out! Speak it out! Be your beautiful self!
And should it come to pass that you choose to ignore the lovely verbs in the previous paragraph because they sound like too much of a rant, so be it! No problem. Whatever. No matter. But whatever you decide to do or not do, do it all the way.
There, you have it in a nutshell.
Do it all the way! Do not hold back. Do not covet thy neighbor's lawnmower, i-phone, astrological signs, tax bracket, or URL. Do not worry about the Dow. The Tao? (No need to worry about that either). Your finances? Oy vey! Don't ask. Let go! Dive in! Have fun!
And remember... YOU ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE!
OK, so maybe no one's going with you when it's time to leave your mortal coil, but while you're here? Rejoice! Reach out! Connect! Find your tribe! And when you do, make whatever effort it takes to get in the groove.
In the words of that famous hip hop philosopher, Johann von Wolfgang Goethe, "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
(Photo by Dujarandille)
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:03 AM | Comments (5)
April 10, 2012Dare to Be Different
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)
April 01, 2012A Sign of The Times
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:04 AM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2012iPhone, Therefore I Am?
I just had a realization. Well, maybe "realization" is too fancy a word. Make that more of an insight. Nah... "insight" sounds just a tad too self-congratulatory.
For want of a better word, let's call my little moment a semi-embarrassing wake up call -- the kind of learning experience I claim is good for me, but I really don't want to have.
It's a moment I've had a hundred times before, but not until two days ago, in Newark Airport, as I was exiting Flight #1140 from LA, did the whole thing really dawn on me.
There I was, merrily walking through Terminal "C", glad to be heading home after a three-day business trip, when I reached into my pocket for my trusty iPhone only to discover it wasn't there.
My iPhone wasn't there! Gone. It was gone. My iPhone was gone!
Gone, as in missing. Gone, as in not in my pocket. Gone, as in WHERE IN THE WORLD WAS MY FREAKING IPHONE with all those apps and appointments and contacts?
No, I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Neither was I in New Jersey. I was in a sudden state of panic -- as far away from samadhi as a person could be, Woody Allen on steroids -- my former digital life flashing before my eyes.
Where just a minute ago I was a conscious human being firmly rooted in a deep experience of peace, now I was wildly slapping every pocket I could find like some kind of poster boy for Tourette's Syndrome
This ridiculous outtake from a movie that would never be made took less than five seconds (iPhone having been joyfully located in the outside left pocket of my overcoat), but those five seconds were very revealing -- me (Mr. Been-On-The-Path-For-40-Years) so easily discombobulated by a temporarily missing phone.
Which, I guess, is a good thing -- as it popped, once again, the bubble of my own pitiful self-image -- that shiny golden calf (half decaf, half soy latte) I all-too-often worship at.
The whole thing reminds me of that classic Zen story of the young monk who -- after ten years of deep practice in the mountain monastery -- is invited by his Master to give the morning talk at the local village temple.
The young monk's discourse was impeccable that day, his Master astounded by his protege's ability to quote from the most esoteric of Zen doctrine.
But when the talk was over and it was time for the young monk to begin his long trek back up the mountain, he could not find his sandals.
Apparently, in his excitement at having been selected to speak, he'd forgotten where he put them.
Unsmiling, his Master shot him a glance and pointed to the mountain top.
"Ten more years, young friend. Ten more years."
And that's exactly how long it took the monk to be asked again to give the morning talk at the village temple.
The good news? On that day he remembered exactly where his sandals were.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:04 PM | Comments (1)
February 29, 2012Buddha in Winter
This is the stone Buddha I pass on the way to my car buried in snow. He is not cold. He is not late. He just sits there, like he always does, reminding me of everything by doing nothing.
Photo: Evelyne Pouget
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:21 PM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2012A Sign of the Times
Yes, indeed,
it's time to stop waiting for a sign.
Waiting for what sign, by the way?
That everything is OK?
That you are being guided?
That love is what it's all about?
What you've been waiting for
is already here.
Always has been. Always will be.
You got it. You do.
It's where you are right now
And while there may be
many ways to "get there/here",
here's one that works for me.
Breath by breath.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2012Reboot, Refresh, Renew!
Sometimes, we all need
a fresh start,
a new beginning,
a chance
to wipe the slate clean,
or, to borrow a word
from techno-land,
reboot.
That's what
this piece is about.
newly published
on Words of Peace Global.
Clear the decks!
Let go!
Begin again, now!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:49 PM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2011What Lens Are You Looking Through?
Thanks to Mac Knowles for the heads up.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:29 PM | Comments (0)
September 24, 2011Falling in Love?
Have you ever
fallen in love?
How about
RISEN in love?
I'm talking about
the unconditional kind.
Prem Rawat can help.
This just in from
the WOPG blog
Illustration: Sara Shaffer
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:54 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2011Creativity Late in Life
Think you're too old to create! Think again. Here are some incredible examples to keep you on top of your game. Go for it! Click "full screen" (bottom right icon) for easiest reading.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:45 PM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2011Be Who You Are
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May 07, 2011Pass the Bus
Click here
for a new
posting of mine
just published on the
Words of Peace Global
blog.
It's all about
a moment
most of us experience
when we think too much
or inaccurately
about what's really happening,
a trick of the mind
in which we momentarily
forget
the beautiful place
of ease and love
inside.
Illustration: Sara Shaffer
More from the wopg blog
(click and scroll)
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:21 PM | Comments (1)
April 14, 2011It's Never Too Late to Create
I sometimes run into people who tell me that their best creative days are behind them -- that they could have accomplished great things if only they had started sooner and that they are "too old" to take on a big, hairy project.
Really?
Think again.
If you have any doubt, click on the link below to get a whiff of what some extraordinary people accomplished late in life.
You may not be a Michelangelo or Stradivarius, but so what? You can still accomplish miracles. All you need to do is begin (and let go of the bogus thought that "it's too late.")
It's not.
1. Grandma Moses started painting when she was 64.
2. Michelangelo designed the dome in St. Peter's Basilica between the ages of 72-88.
3. Stradivarius fashioned his two most famous violins when he was in his early 90's.
4. Mary Baker Eddy established the Christian Science Monitor when she was 87.
5. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum when he was 91.
6. Mahatma Ghandi successfully completed negotiations for Britain to grant India's independence at the age of 77.
7. Golda Meir serviced as Prime Minister of Israel from the ages of 70-76.
8. Peter Drucker wrote "Management Changes for Turbulent Times" when he was 89.
9. P.T. Barnum joined forces with his arch rival, James Baily, when he was 71.
10. Nelson Mandela was inaugerated as the President of South Africa at the age of 75.
11. Noah Webster published "An America Dictionary of the English Language" at the age of 70.
12. Giuseppe Verdi composed his operatic masterpiece, Falstaff, at the age of 80.
13. Pablo Picasso produced a remarkable sereis of 347 etchings at the age of 86.
All examples excerpted from The Creative Age by Gene Cohen. Great book.
Photo
Photo
Photo
Photo
Idea Champions
First Breath, Last Breath
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April 11, 2011The Power of Words
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March 20, 2011Less Is More
"It's
taken me
all
my life
to
learn
what
not
to
play."
-Dizzy Gillespie
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January 29, 2011Two Wolves and You
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.
"One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
"The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
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January 24, 2011The Parable of the Brussel Sprout
First
there was
the eye of the needle,
then
the mustard seed,
the pillar of salt,
the coat of many colors,
and the belly of the whale
Now?
The unheralded
brussel sprout.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:07 PM | Comments (0)
December 30, 2010The King's Speech
I don't usually review movies on this blog, but in this case I will make an exception. The King's Speech is an extraordinary movie. Inspiring. Lucid. Compelling. And extremely well acted. If you are looking for your "voice" in 2011, this movie is for you.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)
December 28, 2010Snow Day!
Growing up in New York, there were three things I found utterly amazing: the accents of people from other places, baseball, and snow days.
If you're from California, Mexico, or Hawaii, you probably know what the first two are all about. But the third? Allow me to explain.
A snow day, for those of you who have never experienced winter, is an unexpected day off from school granted by a benevolent universe. You go to bed at night, dreading your history test the next day, and wake up with three feet of snow outside your window -- your mother telling you (having just heard it on the radio) that school is closed.
It's a snow day!
Somehow, while you slept, the whole world shut down. Everything came to a halt. The only thing you can see out your window is a solitary bird looking for food and the kid next door, arms outstretched, making snow angels.
You jump for joy! Yahoo! Hallelujah!
Gone is the need to rush through breakfast. Gone is the need to catch the bus. Gone is the need to perform.
All bets are off. Your time is your own. You are free!
You look out the window and everything is white. The jagged edges of the world have been softened, curved, and relaxed. Everything is still, as if the God you've heard so much about in Sunday school has just hit the pause button.
You have time to slow down, time to do nothing at all -- and feel really good about it. After all, this isn't a sick day, it's a snow day -- a complete and utter gift... an unexpected bit of grace... an inheritance you didn't realize was on its way.
For me, the gift my Teacher gives is a bit like that.
And the ultimate beauty of the whole thing? You don't have to wait for an "Act of God," while you sleep, to enjoy its benefits. It's with you every second of the day, every breath.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:54 AM | Comments (1)
Snow Day!
Growing up in New York, there were three things I found utterly amazing: the accents of people from other places, baseball, and snow days.
If you're from California, Mexico, or Hawaii, you probably know what the first two are all about. But the third? Allow me to explain.
A snow day, for those of you who have never experienced winter, is an unexpected day off from school granted by a benevolent universe. You go to bed at night, dreading your history test the next day, and wake up with three feet of snow outside your window -- your mother telling you (having just heard it on the radio) that school is closed.
It's a snow day!
Somehow, while you slept, the whole world shut down. Everything came to a halt. The only thing you can see out your window is a solitary bird looking for food and the kid next door, arms outstretched, making snow angels.
You jump for joy! Yahoo! Hallelujah!
Gone is the need to rush through breakfast. Gone is the need to catch the bus. Gone is the need to perform.
All bets are off. Your time is your own. You are free!
You look out the window and everything is white. The jagged edges of the world have been softened, curved, and relaxed. Everything is still, as if the God you've heard so much about in Sunday school has just hit the pause button.
You have time to slow down, time to do nothing at all -- and feel really good about it. After all, this isn't a sick day, it's a snow day -- a complete and utter gift... an unexpected bit of grace... an inheritance you didn't realize was on its way.
For me, the gift my Teacher gives is a bit like that.
And the ultimate beauty of the whole thing? You don't have to wait for an "Act of God," while you sleep, to enjoy its benefits. It's with you every second of the day, every breath.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:54 AM | Comments (1)
September 30, 2010The One Minute Seeker
In days gone by, classic seekers had to endure a ton of trials and tribulations to find what they were looking for.
They walked across deserts. They fasted. They hunted for the One in faraway places.
No more. Those days are over. The game has changed. Things have heated up, big time.
Now, that which you are looking for is looking for you. Your inner questing for something timeless, pure, and full of love has been responded to.
Really. Click here to find out more.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:01 AM | Comments (2)
September 03, 2010Ahhh... Watermelon!
Somewhere along the line you've probably heard of this thing called a "Zen Koan"-- a question or statement that cannot be "gotten" by the rational mind.
For centuries, Zen Masters have used them as a way to confound their students' habit of thinking too much -- with the intention of shocking the mind into a state of true awareness.
Appropriate responses to a koan may vary according to circumstances. Different teachers may demand different responses to a given koan on a given day. A fixed answer cannot be correct in every circumstance.
Sound familiar?
The Master -- Zen or otherwise -- is not looking for an answer in a specific form, but for evidence that the student has grasped something beyond duality, beyond mind, beyond all the strategizing and mental static that separates the seeker from the finder.
And now for the moment of truth...
"Where do you get the seeds to grow seedless watermelons?"
If you think you know the answer (or better yet, don't think, but know the answer anyway), lay it on me. I'll be giving away a copy of my poetry book, Thirst Quench Thirst to the three people who submit the best answer in any of the following categories:
1. Funniest
2. Most Zen-like
3. Most accurate
All responses will be posted HERE within the next two weeks. Stay tuned.
And now... go eat some watermelon!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:58 AM | Comments (8)
July 01, 2010Life Is Like a Pinball Game, Isn't It?
Life is like a pinball game.
Well, maybe not. But for the sake of the next few minutes, let's stay with the pinball metaphor. OK?
I mean, the whole playing field is tilted, right? And no matter how talented you are with the flippers, or how many bells you ring or lights you flash, that shiny, silvery ball eventually finds its way down that little black hole.
GAME OVER!
For some of us, this inevitable moment is like death -- the ultimate bummer. All those cool sounds and lights? Gone. The high score you spent so much time racking up? Gone. In their place?
"Player #1" standing there, moaning about the Game Maker and their own lame attempts to manipulate the flippers.
Well... I think there's another way to look at this -- a second option -- the kind of option where the real game begins when that silvery ball disappears down the hole.
And what kind of game is that?
A game that requires no flippers, no beeps, no bells, no lights, and no score. This game is tilted, too, but it's tilted in your favor.
YOU WIN! And the only thing you have to do is be.
OK, so maybe this metaphor doesn't completely hold up. But so what?
No word, no painting, no poem will ever be enough to describe the game that is waiting to be enjoyed when we let go, turn within, and stop trying so hard to rack up a high score.
Hey, we've already won!
Curious? Click here.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2010Going Awake
Two nights ago, as I was getting into bed, it dawned on me what a pleasure it is to sleep.
The act of getting under the covers, laying down my head, and letting go of the world is an extraordinary experience.
In that state, there is nothing to do. Nowhere to go. No one to call. In that state, breathing is the only game in town -- or should I say being breathed.
One breath in. One breath out. One breath in. One breath out.
Imagine what life would be like if we let go to waking in the same way we let go to sleep.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:08 AM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2010The Beauty of What's in Front of You
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds -- then hurried to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year old boy...
His mother tried to rush him, but the boy stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The themes were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: How do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
Ouch!
Try not to miss the beauty of life coming your way -- it may be right in front of you. Right now, in fact.
Thanks to Larry Lustbader and Matt Miller for forwarding the link.
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March 16, 2010Be Who You Are!
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March 06, 2010The Entire Universe is Yours
If you knew how much you already had, you wouldn't waste a second wanting anything more. The entire universe is yours and still you are longing for something else. The world is a milkweed pod. The more you try to grab it, the further it floats away. Stop for a second. Extend your hand. Receive your inheritance. All the legal work's been done a thousand years ago. Throw a party! Invite your friends and a hundred people you don't know. Feed them. Give them something good to drink. Dance until you cannot stand.
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January 10, 2010Follow Your Bliss
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January 04, 2010Finding Home
When I was a small boy, I used to look up at the sky a lot, sigh, and think one basic thought: "I want to go home."
Though my parents tried their best to love me (allowance! grilled cheese! dog!)I was sure I came from someplace else. I felt like an orphan.
It wasn't that I was unhappy. I wasn't. i just felt displaced -- absolutely sure that my real home was very faraway.
As I grew up and translated my boyish sky-prayers into a more classical spiritual quest, I began to notice a pattern in the books I was reading.
Beyond the jargon and the all too common habit of implying that their way was the only way, a central theme was emerging -- the home I was looking for was within me.
My seemingly unquenchable thirst to have the experience of arriving was not going to be a matter of traveling to exotic places worthy of my pilgrimage. It was going to be a matter of turning within.
But how? How does one turn within?
Well, that's what my teacher, Maharaji, was (and still is) revealing. In a very simple way, he has a knack for helping people experience their true home.
Yes, home is where the heart is, but where is the heart?
That is the quest. And that is also the destination.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:21 PM | Comments (0)
December 26, 2009One More Difference Between Men and Women
Since the beginning of time, pundits, psychologists, and philosophers have been waxing poetic about the differences between men and women.
Many well-researched theories and observations have been postulated -- everything from variations of XY chromosomes to moon cycles to shopping habits.
Though I am not a pundit, psychologist, or philosopher, I would like to take this moment to propose yet another difference between the sexes -- something I've been noticing for years, but never completely understood until this morning's opening of Christmas presents:
1. Men and women wrap presents completely differently.
Presents wrapped by women look really good. The edges are square. The tape is in all the right places. There are no unnecessary wrinkles, crunched up paper, or rips. The presents women wrap could easily be photographed for a catalog or Good Housekeeping centerfold.
Presents wrapped by men are usually a joke. Asymmetrical. Random. Pitifully sophomoric. Like an old pair of sweat pants stuffed into a drawer a little too quickly before the dinner guests arrive.
2. Men and women open presents completely differently.
Women look for the seams and the tape and use their tapered fingers in mysteriously delicate ways so the wrapping can be flawlessly removed, flattened, folded, and used again in the future.
Men are huns. They rip. They tear. They plunder the paper as if it was a small village needing to be taken over immediately.
The remains of the wrapping, no matter how beautifully conceived by the giver, ends up in a balled-up heap of chaos on the floor -- unusable for anything but kindling or throwing at other males across the room.
NEXT WEEK: Nail care
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:18 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2009Not All There? Says Who?
Twice in the past two days a curious thing happened to me. In separate conversations with two friends at two different times, I was told that two other, mutual friends of ours were "not all there."
After sharing their assessments, each of my friends looked at me as if expecting some kind of acknowledgment about the brilliance of their comments. None was forthcoming. And WHY it wasn't was because I had a completely different experience of the people they were referring to.
"Not all there" was not a phrase I would use to describe these folks. Yes, they were quirky. Yes, they were different. And yes, their "social skills" left something to be desired. But so what? That didn't make them "not all there" -- just refreshingly unique.
Which one of us is so "there" that we have the right or the wisdom to judge another person's "thereness?" None of us. In fact, some of the most "all there" people I know appear to be the "least there" in the eyes of those whose favorite hobby seems to be judging.
"Just not lest ye be judged."
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:39 AM | Comments (1)
November 22, 2009Bloom Where You Are Planted
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July 14, 200952 Reasons Why People Like Being with Maharaji
A year ago, on this blog, I posted 34 reasons why I like being with Maharaji -- my attempt to communicate some of the impact that seeing him, real-time, has on me.
At the end of the post, I asked readers to add their own reasons. Eleven people responded.
What follows is my original list and the additional comments of the readers who responded.
Feel free to add your own...
34 Reasons Why I Like Being with Maharaji
1. I breathe more deeply
2. It becomes very easy to savor every moment
3. I stop judging myself and everyone else
4. Time slows down
5. I listen from a still place inside me
6. I feel like I'm dancing when I walk -- or at least, gliding
7. I laugh uncontrollably
8. I cry tears of joy
9. I stop worrying
10. I like what I see when I look in the mirror
11. I have a lot more fun than usual
12. I experience timelessness
13. Everything seems perfect just the way it is
14. I let go of being self-conscious
15. I feel like I'm being massaged from the inside out
16. I move in tune with a hidden music
17. I see how peace is possible for the entire planet
18. I feel like he's talking just to me
19. I am grateful for everything
20. I want to serve
21. I feel whole and complete
22. I feel a vast spaciousness
23. I live in the present moment
24. Everything is profoundly simple
25. I rededicate myself to the practice of Knowledge
26. I stop trying to improve myself
27. I lose my need to gain anyone's approval
28. I am content
29. I come from my heart, not my head
30. Life feels like a party
31. I let things come to me -- and they do
32. I feel more authentic
33. I realize I have no problems
34. I feel like I'm totally home
Why HEART OF THE MATTER readers like being with Maharaji
35. I always leave loving myself a little more. - Candice Wilmore
36. It's incredibly great being around a lot of other people who are also feeling 1-34. - Steve Kowarsky
37. I feel my Heart come alive. - Mka
38. I wake up from the core of my being. - Alan Roettinger
39. I feel like the luckiest person on earth. - Alan Roettinger
40. I realize how much I've missed him. - Alan Roettinger
41. I forget about everything I've missed out on. - Alan Roettinger
42. I get to spend some time with the best friend I will ever have. - Alan Roettinger
43. I am in awe at consciousness & clarity. - Chris Tardieu
44. I am transported back into the ocean of joy, love and strength dwelling within me. Fearlessness presides as magic filled with gratitude resumes as my guide. - Amy S.
45. Magic fills the air and my heart and the hearts of others! I love seeing the Light in their eyes and the smiles on their beatific faces! -Jon Lloyd
48. The silence within me is breathtaking. - Asiebhan
49. I get cleansed of the dirt of the mind. - Asiebhan
50. I get to laugh a lot. - Asiebhan
51. Sometimes, I am completely overwhelmed by an awareness of the possibility of what it means to be a human being and how far short of that potential I fall in my life. Then to hear him beckoning me to join him on this journey of self-fulfillment despite my shortcomings is almost too much to take. Is this what friendship and unconditional love are about? Is this how gratitude unfolds to heal the wounds of a broken heart? Is this the recognition of how fortunate I am to have witnessed the Master and felt the touch of his love in my life? Words are poor substitutes to describe what I am trying to express. - G.S.Smith
52. He has given me 20/20 vision of the heart. - Gaz
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:56 AM | Comments (17)
July 07, 2009Open Sesame
A couple of days ago, I tried to unlock my car door with my cell phone.
There I was, standing in a parking lot, pushing a random button that had nothing to do with my car, and wondering why the door wouldn't open.
At that moment in time, all technologies converged and what I was doing -- push after push after push -- somehow made perfect sense.
After finding my keys and pushing the right remote, it dawned on me that I WANT ONE DEVICE THAT OPENS EVERYTHING: the car door, the garage door, the TV, DVD, VCR, ATM, and everything else in my life that is ever locked or inaccessible.
At the risk of being overly metaphorical, folks, I do believe I already have that device. It's called "breath." When I'm in tune with it, savoring it, and moving at it's God-given pace, all things -- especially my own heart -- eventually open.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:26 PM | Comments (0)
June 05, 2009Being Shown the River Where the Fish Are Swimming
It has been said that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish.
So true.
And yet, how much better would it be to show a man the river where the fish are swimming?
This has been my experience of what Maharaji does.
If you're thirsty, he takes you down to the river where the cool waters of life, filled with all those fabulous fish, are flowing.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:50 AM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2009The Art of Seeing the Invisible
See that FedEx logo to your left? What do you notice? Letters? Colors? Height? Width? Shape? Probably. But if that's all you see, you are missing something -- something essential.
Take another look. Do you see an arrow? No? Look again. More specifically, look at the space between the "E" and the "x". The white space. See it? Cool, huh?
The first time someone pointed this out to me, I was astounded. Something that was there, for years, had been completely invisible to me.
FedEx's savvy logo designer, Lindon Leader (Leader Creative), had embedded an arrow in the "negative space" to subliminally indicate a message -- forward movement -- but I had never seen it.
Such is life...
Life. There's so much in it, staring us right in the face, but we often don't get it. We look, but don't see. We listen, but don't hear. We touch, but don't feel.
From what I can tell, all the great Teachers, Sages, and Masters have been committed to helping people see the "white arrow" -- that which is present, but not always easy to see.
They don't create the arrow or require people to go to the Himalayas to find the arrow -- they simply make the discovery of the arrow much, much easier.
They have the knack of redirecting attention to what is already there.
Not Next Day service. NOW service.
More info
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:44 PM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2009The Courage to Stand Up
Think you have a challenge or two ahead of you? Do you feel hopeless sometimes and find it hard getting back on your feet? Need a reminder about the courage, commitment, and resilience that dwell deep within you?
Check this out. You can do it! Yes you can!
Photo by Live and Learn
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:41 AM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2009Jumping for Joy
A few months ago I had a beautiful dream. I was a guest at Maharaji's residence, along with a bunch of other people and was walking around his very spacious grounds when, out of the blue, he signals me to climb an extremely tall tree. In a flash, I find myself climbing, branch over branch until I reach the top. Thrilled, I raise my arms high overhead in a classic "I did it!" pose when suddenly Maharaji signals me to JUMP into the pool below. The pool, however, is very far away -- way further away than even the best of jumps could ever possibly come close to. A wave of fear comes over me, but I decide to jump anyway. As I do, the pool moves towards me. I land in the center. Splash!
(Photo by Divya)
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 12:46 AM | Comments (1)
February 03, 2009Homegrown Words of Wisdom
Thank you to David Gittlin for these words of wisdom -- his own.
What you believe to be your upper limit is only the cracked ceiling you have been staring at for too long. You can go higher. Guaranteed.
Surrendering to self-doubt is the same thing as making a deal with the devil. Instead, make a deal with your dream and soar.
God never says, "I hear ya' knockin' but you can't come in." Keep knocking.
If you want to be great, stop trying to fit in.
The greatest challenge is to enjoy the process of getting from here to there.
Get to know the genius inside you on a first name basis. It is necessary to develop a tough mind as we mature, but not at the expense of a sensitive heart.
Don't judge yourself by the bad things you've done. Focus on the good thing you are about to begin.
The secret to lasting happiness is a heart full of love connected to a mind full of positive thoughts.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:50 AM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2008The Shortest Posts of 2008
In keeping with my height (5'8"), today's posting will be short. More to the point, it will be a hyperlinked list of Heart of the Matter's TOP TEN shortest postings of 2008 -- kind of like an early Christmas present for people with ADD. Each one will take you less time to read than it's taken you, so far, to get through this introduction.
Seeding is Believing
Remember This Feeling?
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2008Diving In Deeper
If you are new to Heart of the Matter, chances are good you've only seen a small percentage of what's available to you here -- more than 200 postings of all kinds: videos, slide shows, excerpts and reports from Maharaji's events, stories, personal reflections, poetry, humor, a talking puppet, links to cool resources, and much more.
You can always access the most recent 30 postings by logging onto the site and scrolling down. For the rest of the content, you'll need to click on the archives (in the sidebar beneath "Recent Entries"). But since you're already here right now, all you need to do is click the link below for a hot-linked list of all past postings. (If you find something you like, please feel free to forward it to friends, acquaintances, family, or neighbors. That's how word about this blog is getting out.)
Heart of the Matter Monthly Archives
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
Photo by Durango99
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:12 PM | Comments (0)
September 30, 2008Thirst Quench Thirst
Hello... You can hear nothing but the sound of my voice.
You are lovingly placing your cursor over the hotlinked phrase below, clicking once and buying at least one copy of my new book of poetry, Thirst Quench Thirst.
Do not concern yourself about whether or not you actually like poetry, read poetry, or have ever heard of me. Those concerns, while certainly understandable, are beside the point. Sometimes you just need to trust your instincts. Like now, for instance.
Some of the poems in this blog are excerpted from the book, so if you're still not sure, simply scroll around and read.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, the book is only $15.00. At 72 pages, that's only $20.8 cents a page (1/18th the cost of a Starbuck's Frappucino). Such a deal!
Still need proof it's worth the money? Click below and check out the reviews:
Thirst, Quench Thirst evokes a memory of the deepest longings of the soul. Reading Mitch's poetry reminds me of what I already know, but often forget." -- Joan Apter
"This poetry has touched the deepest recesses of my heart." -- Dermott Philpott
"Mitch's poetry touches a universal human longing; the ache for internal connection to the divine. He speaks in a personal, simple, accessible way about things that are ancient and deep." -- Erika Andersen
"Most great love poetry baffles the mind, but delights the heart. And great love poetry cannot be written without great love. Mitch Ditkoff's poems are intoxicating." -- John Adorney
"This is the kind of nourishment that penetrates to the core of Divine Love, and if deeply imbibed, its sweet nectar can be savored for a lifetime." -- Jamie Delay
"Mitch mixed the most profound -- almost indescribable -- with the kind of simplicity that somehow manages to capture a feeling. Lovely stuff!" -- Candice Wilmore
"This book of poetry, delightful and charming, takes me right to the heart of the matter gently, often with wonderful humor! I read and re-read these poems just to take the ride." -- Kim Greene
"Not bad, but buy this book anyway so I can get a higher allowance." -- Jesse Pouget Ditkoff
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)
July 29, 2008There's a Saint Louis, Missouri... Why Not a Saint Francis?
If you happen to be feeling overwhelmed at the moment, unappreciated, neglected, ignored, unloved, unsettled, diminished, disappointed, disillusioned, disgruntled, or just plain dissed, the following words from Saint Francis -- spoken over 800 years ago -- may be just what the doctor ordered.
By the way, you don't have to be a saint to get the value. Just a human being.
THE SAINT FRANCIS PRAYER
"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light, and
Where there is sorrow, joy.
Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not
so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:13 PM | Comments (1)
July 02, 2008Hidden Goodies for You
If you like what you see on this blog, I invite you to click on the April, March, February, and January links in the archives (located in the sidebar). There you will find another 81 postings which you will not be able to access any other way.
Like this one for seekers with only a minute to spare.
Or this one about the joy of heckling at a dinner party with Maharaji.
Or this piece of cosmic wisdom from Woody Allen.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)
June 28, 2008"Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." (Helen Keller)
Feeling a little off today? Cash flow problems got you down? Relationship a bit shaky? Wondering how you're going to pay the rent?
If so, you may want to reflect on the above words of Hellen Keller, the inspiration behind The Miracle Worker, and the first deafblind person ever to graduate college.
Hey, you can SEE! You can HEAR! You can SPEAK! She couldn't -- and still she found her way through the obstacles to become a prolific author and a leading supporter of women's suffrage and worker's rights.
Hellen Keller was right. Security IS mostly a superstition. Life IS a daring adventure or nothing. The key, for all of us, is to stay conscious of this, make our little effort, and have some faith.
Everything happens for the best! Enjoy the adventure!
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 01:20 PM | Comments (1)
A Stroke of InsightThis 20 minute video is extraordinary. It's the story of a brain scientist, Jill Bolte Taylor, who had a severe stroke and, in the process, experienced the true essence of who she was. She makes a compelling case for the choice we all have -- separateness or unity, struggle or peace. Well worth watching. In the words of an old song whose name escapes me at the moment, "You are not your body, you are not your mind..."
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 02:46 AM | Comments (1)
June 01, 2008Shameless Self-Promotion
Dear Heart of the Matter reader:
If you are enjoying this blog, chances are good you will also enjoy my new book, Awake at the Wheel.
Part fable, part creative thinking toolbox, the book is a simple way to radically increase your chances of manifesting your most inspired ideas.
Although there are people who will say that "ideas are a dime a dozen," the fact of the matter is: your most inspired ideas are priceless. Indeed, they are often clues that there is something you are here to do.
Maybe it's an idea for a book you want to write. Maybe it's an idea for a business you want to start... or a change you want to make... or a way to serve in a new and exciting way.
Whether your idea is big small or big, it's yours and you cannot get it out of your head.
Why? Because it's trying to get your attention.
You may want to consider honoring this idea, instead of characterizing it as "mind" or "ego" or a bothersome thought distracting you from your "inner life." You may even want to follow the yellow brick road to it's ultimate manifestation.
If you do, Awake at the Wheel can help -- in a fun, entertaining, and useful way.
Intrigued? Then click here to find out more. Want to read what others have said about the book? Then click here. And if you want to read two recent reviews on the web, click here and here.
Oh... if you've already decided you want to buy the book, click here.
"If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself." -- Rollo May
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)
May 30, 2008An Ocean of Possibilities
W.C. Fields was always an exceptionally gifted performer, but some of his most unforgettable performances took place off-camera.
Like most actors at the start of their career, Fields found himself a little short of cash. A problem? Not for him. The non-traditional Mr. Fields simply created a new kind of job for himself, one summer, in Atlantic City, as a professional drowner.
Here's how it worked:
Several times a day, Fields would swim out to sea, pretend to be drowning, and then be "rescued" by one of his accomplices, the lifeguard. Invariably, a large crowd would gather on the beach as the no longer struggling actor was "resuscitated." Once it was clear that this poor fellow was going to live, the suddenly relieved crowd would turn to Field's third accomplice, the hot dog vendor, (who just happened to be standing nearby) and treat themselves to an "I'm-so-glad-he's-alive" snack. At the end of each water-logged day, Fields would split the take with his buddies -- the lifeguard and the hot dog vendor.
Brilliant!
Now, I'm not suggesting that you do anything to deceive, hustle, or con people. Not at all. What I AM suggesting, however, is that you take a fresh look at what you can do differently in order to get an extraordinary result -- whether the result you're looking for has to do with your business, your service, your relationships, or something else.
As the famous pundit, Anonymous, once said, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."
In other words, if your business, product, or service is drowning, what can you do to resuscitate it?
Is there a new approach you need to take? A different twist? An experiment you need to try?
And if so, what's your next step?
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)
May 28, 2008It's Sunday in Woodstock, But What Day Is It on Alpha Centuri?
It's Sunday here in my home town, the day the Lord rested -- although I must admit, the concept of the Lord resting is one I never completely understood. I mean, if the Lord, the Creator, the Prime Mover and Shaker, made the heavens and earth in just six days, wouldn't you think He/She/It would have celebrated on the 7th instead of taking a nap, especially when you consider that the Lord, the Prime Mover and Shaker etc. was/is, as I understand it, infinite, self-effulgent, made of pure energy, and not subject to the same laws of nature governing us. Then again, maybe there was no one to celebrate with -- Adam and Eve being somewhat dazed beneath the apple tree and not yet up to the challenge of really understanding how to boogey with the Host of Hosts, not just until the sun came up, but forever.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:19 AM | Comments (1)
May 23, 2008"The Business of Life is not a Life of Business."
Yes, it's true. The business of life is not a life of business. And only when you realize that, will your business (and your life) really flourish.
While multi-tracking has become extremely fashionable this century, remember that you only take one breath at a time -- not several. Life happens in this moment -- not the next or the last.
And while it may be your noble intention to work your tush off to provide for your family or build a nest egg or prepare for your retirement, the fact remains that these noble intentions often seduce us into getting WAY out of balance.
What IS the business of life?
Love... gratitude... consciousness.... giving and receiving... trust... freedom... feeling... learning... service... enjoyment... and really BEING a human being -- the state of mind where prophets mean at least as much to us as profits.
Money comes and money goes, but true fulfillment is forever.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:34 AM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2008"When a pickpocket meets a saint, all he sees are pockets."
"Motivation," explains psychologists, "affects perception."
In other words, you tend to SEE what your mind is preoccupied with. If you're driving through a town and you're hungry, you'll see the restaurants.
If you're running out of gas, you'll see the gas stations. If someone you love is dying, chances are good you'll see the funeral homes.
What's motivating YOU today? What lens might you be looking through? And what if you could remove that lens -- such that your experience of life was not skewed or limited or filtered?
What if your motivation was joy? What if your motivation was service... or love... or forgiveness? Might you not see the world in new ways?
If, upon seeing a saint, you saw love instead of pockets, possibility instead of doubt, how might your experience of life change for the better?
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2008"Not everything that counts can be counted; and not everything that can be counted counts." (Albert Einstein)
Some things we can measure. Some things we can't. And just because we can measure something doesn't make it more real or significant. Einstein knew this. There was always the "X factor" for him -- mystery, the unknown, the divine, and the impossible to quantify.
That's why he used to conduct "thought experiments" in his lab -- times when he turned away from the blackboard with all those exotic formulas and simply daydreamed -- letting the intuitive side of him take over for a change.
Hmmm... what might YOU be attempting to quantify or measure that would best be left alone? What might you be needing to TRUST that abides outside the boundaries of the rational, logical, analytical, scientific mind?
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:02 AM | Comments (1)
May 15, 2008Jazzman
A couple of nights ago I went to a local concert that featured my friend, the jazz saxophonist, Peter Buettner and his quartet. I had heard Peter play many times before, but never like this. He was soaring, free, transcendental, and plugged into the saxophone Gods that night. After the gig, I saw him in the lobby and told him how awesome he was. Peter smiled and mentioned that he finally figured out a way to go beyond himself and stop analyzing his own playing. In other words, he let go to his natural gifts and just let it rip.
This is the same challenge we all have, no matter what medium we use to express ourselves. When we give up being self-conscious, when we give up worrying about what other people think, the true power and beauty of our art form materializes immediately.
And so, in honor of Peter's breakthrough and the one that's imminent for you, here's a song of praise for all the jazz boppers out there -- the ones who go beyond the boundaries of form and somehow find their way home.
(Please read it aloud for maximum impact...)
JAZZMAN
There's a billion jazz men in my blood, blowing their horns for love. They've been out on the street too long to wonder what the hell is going on -- for in their freedom -- in their utmost respect for recklessness, they know that life is but a high note held above the head of anyone who listens.
Happy to be playing on a night when others less fortunate than them are recovering from day jobs, these jazz boppers restore all integrity to the underground club that is my body here in this nether world of friends and future lovers. I sing with them! I dance! I tap my soul to the beat of their incessant drumming! And though they do not need to look at me, they smile.
What I see I cannot say, nor can this midnight review redeem the essence of what it is these billion molecules of madness in human form demand.
This is the form of God before your eyes! This is the moment of majesty!
Jazz men, jazz men, play your horns and drums, pound those keys so the vague interrupters of eternity can finally get up and dance and forget themselves once and for all.
Jazz men, play yourselves.
Hey you finger drumming soldiers of man's need to stop finding himself, and so stopping, actually find himself to be found. Hey, you street licking bluesmen of the space between day and night, I love your song, your scream for no one in particular.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)
February 05, 2008The Big Game
A few weeks ago, I watched the NY Giants beat the Green Bay Packers 23-20 in an NFL championship football game. I watched it with eight friends. As always, we had a fantastic time -- an experience that our wives (no matter how wonderful they may be) have never been able to fathom. Our viewing behavior, to them, is a merely a parody of the American male: two-dimensional, woefully predictable, and absurd.
That assessment, however, was not my experience as I watched the BIG GAME. No way. On the contrary, my experience was noble, ecstatic, tribal, and divine. Beyond the pretzels, popcorn, chips, and beer something else was happening.
At the risk of making a mountain out of a football game, allow me to share a few observations about the experience and, by extension, the experience of millions of men huddled together before the Big Game. In that sacred act of viewing, NOTHING ELSE WAS HAPPENING! Zero. Nada. Zilch. No work. No bills. No back taxes. No car repairs. No war in Iraq. No recession. No primaries. No relationship issues. No cholesterol. No this and no that. Only THE GAME. Pure immersion it was. Spontaneous expression. Presence. Unbridled emotion. Liberated laughter. And the kind of concentration most yogis would gladly trade their third eye for.
What, you may ask, has any of this to do with love, longing, and letting go -- the supposed topic of this supposed blog? Plenty. The state of mind (no, make that state of being), of the BIG GAME-watching, pretzel-munching men noted in the paragraphs above is exactly the state of being required of anyone wanting to have even the slightest chance of experiencing something glorious.
OK. Let's go to the slow motion, video replay of that last sentence: I'm talking focus, friends. I'm talking compelling goal. I'm talking feeling, humor, fun. The experience of uncensored delight. And the realization that anything is possible.
Please don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about the common garden variety trance experience induced by watching TV or a movie. No. I'm talking about the BIG GAME. The "All In" moment. The Full Monte. The No Turning Back. The This Is It. The There's No Tomorrow. And all of it sprinkled with a healthy dose of pepperoni and celebration even before anyone knows the final score.
Yes, I admit, the eight of us didn't deliver anything as a result of watching the BIG GAME -- no output, no product, no proof that we had used our time well. But so what? When you're eating chips and experiencing the Unified Field of Consciousness on the day the Lord rested and time stops as your team huddles in the freezing cold, against all odds, to gather together one more time, focused on the goal and absolutely free of constraint, doubt, and delusion, what is there left to say except:
Giants 23, Packers 20. (And in overtime, yet!)
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:09 PM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2008Seeding is Believing
I have recently been accused, by one of my friends, of writing overly long blog entries. At first I got a bit defensive, but then I realized how right he was. And so, it is with great respect to the blogospheric code of brevity, that I ask you all to contemplate one, simple, non-hyperlinked question today: Where do you find the seeds to grow seedless watermelons?
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
