November 29, 2008
Diving 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, 2008
Thirst 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)

September 17, 2008
The 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 (0)

July 29, 2008
There'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 28, 2008
101 Things I've Learned So Far

I like making lists. They help me distill things down to the essentials. So... here's one of the most important lists I could make -- something I could leave behind for my kids. It could be longer. It could be shorter. But I like the number "101," so here goes...

PS: Feel free to add your own learnings by clicking on "comments" below.

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 the real movie of life.

21. Marriage is a yoga.
22. Life is not supposed to be a struggle.
23. It's always helpful to be in the presence of a living Master.
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. It's impossible to understand the teachings of a Master with the mind. The mind can know about the truth, but it cannot experience the truth.
28. Life is not what you 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. Slow down. Less is more.
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 of the truth 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 that need to be honored.
57. We all have a story to tell. Let's tell it already.
58. Learn from your mistakes.
59. Enjoy this "come as you are" party.
60. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to become fully awake.

61. Eat more sushi.
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 my 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. Life is an open book. Write it.
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. (PS: Who's doing the thinking?)
85. Confusion is just a word for an order that is not yet understood. (Henry Miller)

86. Be the same in a room full of people as I am when alone.
87. 60 is the new 59.
88. Every moment of life has the potential to be the best one yet.
89. Stop complaining.
90. Whatever I do, give it my best.

91. Listen more deeply.
92. Treasure my friends.
93. Be happy for others' successes.
94. Gratitude is the most authentic prayer.
95. God cannot be googled.

96. Practice Knowledge.
97. Pause.
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. If I die today, I'll die a happy man.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 09:14 AM | Comments (3)

July 27, 2008
Being 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)

July 04, 2008
Ahhh... 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), click "sign in" below and lay it on me. I'll be giving away a copy of my new book, Awake at the Wheel, 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 (3)

July 02, 2008
Hidden 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)

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? Please 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 admire, 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 experience of Maharaji's Knowledge 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 (0)

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? Please 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 admire, 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 experience of Maharaji's Knowledge 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 (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 Insight

This 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 10, 2008
34 Reasons Why I Like Being with Maharaji

This past weekend I attended a two-day event with Maharaji at the Palace Theater in Albany, NY. As always, I enjoyed the experience immensely.

On the way home, I started thinking about why, specifically, I enjoy being with him as much as I do -- and how I might describe these benefits to others, especially those intrigued by Maharaji's message, but not totally sure if it's really for them.

Well... at the risk of trying to explain the unexplainable, here goes:

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

PS: Feel free to add to this list by posting a comment -- your own "reasons" why it's good being with Maharaji.

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:56 AM | Comments (8)

June 01, 2008
Shameless 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, 2008
An 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, 2008
It'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, 2008
Jazzman

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, 2008
The 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, 2008
Seeding 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)