The Cosmic Jokester

Did you ever get the feeling that this life is just one big joke, being played out at your expense?

Some things just don't seem to make sense. Here is a short list, that I've been contemplating...

*The best way to conquer your enemies....is to love them.
*To find God....stop looking.
*To gain wisdom....stop thinking.
*To feel wealthy....give it away.
*To gain more influence....place other people's interests first.

(that list looks like future articles for me to write...hmmm)

At times life just doesn't seem logical and maybe that's why so many people struggle. But what if it's all just a big joke? What if there is a God (or Goddess, women like to have fun too) and he or she gets together with their amigos, every once in awhile to have some fun with us little people down here?

Now things would start to make sense to me! For instance...some years ago, I was listening to a speaker promoting his memory course. He demonstrated his craft by memorizing the names of every person in the room (there were about 50 of us) plus some details about each of us. And this was just for starters, the guy was amazing, he had all kinds of memory tricks....I was impressed!

So I plunked down my 100 bucks. After all, as my friends know I tend to have a suspect memory. If I get really involved in something I can forget seemingly small details, like to pick up my son after school.

Anyway, I was conjuring up in my mind all the benefits and how I would impress my friends with my new impressive display of memory skills. They were going to impressed next week after I graduated from the course. There was only one problem....I forgot to go!

This little story has entertained many over the years and always at my embarassing expense. I can't begin to count how times I've heard lines from so called friends like, how many times did he resell the same course to you? A cosmic joke? I think so.

It's things like this that have led me to believe that life is not meant to be taken so serious. If it's one big cosmic joke, then I want to be in on it. And if my head is full of hot air as many have long suspected...so what? When my life on this planet is done, the least they will say of me is...the fool sure had a good time!

Smile, and people will think you are in on the joke!

Eduardo

Spiritual Rules of Money

"money doesn't seem to like people who are desperate for it" Ernie Zelinski

Ernie has written several books telling us how to quit your job and live a comfortable rewarding life. Ernie, has done it, so who am I to argue his success. One interesting part I found in his book...Real Success without a Real Job was his little known, but 'Important Spiritual Rules of Money' I invite you to read this list over and see if it resonates for you as it did for me. I'm pleased he called them rules and not laws as so many pompous writers are fond of these days. Check this out...

Spiritual Rules of Money:

1. If money becomes your primary focus in life, then money is all that you will get.
2. Spending a lot of money can get you trapped into thinking you are prosperous and
having a lot of fun, when all you are doing is spending a lot of money.
3. The person with no money may be poor; however not as poor as the person who has
nothing but money (ouch)
4. Prosperity isn't a matter of acquiring how much money you desire; it's a matter of being happy with how much you presently have.
5. It is better to be out of money than out of new creative ideas on how to have money.
6. Above all, the value of money lies in the creative and spiritual uses to which it can be put and not in how many possessions it can buy.

That's good stuff and lot's to think about. One thing I've realized is that money is attracted most easily to those who have a purpose greater than themselves. It may be to build an empire or to give your family what you never had. Or maybe the idea of developing a product or service you strongly believe in.

"pursue those things that you love to do, and do it so well that the world can't help but notice...then money must flow to you, as surely as the river must flow to the ocean"

What happens when you one day realize that you have more than you will ever need? We see this in movie stars and athletes. Because they have no meaning in their life, money soon becomes insufficent. So they turn to self destructive behaviors. All they need to do to save themselves is find a meaning greater than themselves and their problems will be solved. It's just that easy.

"money is a blessing when you have a use for it that is greater than yourself"

Eduardo

I have everything I need

Did you ever have one of those thoughts you just couldn't get out of your head? Me too!

Lately, I keep thinking....I have everything I need.

This is a strange thought for me because, I know there is no beer in the fridge and the new BMW convertible, that I've been dreaming about is no where to be seen. So amigo, what can this mean?

I have noticed lately, something different is happening in my life. At times, I'll be doing something and need a tool or I'll be writing and need an idea; then poof, I get the idea or I'll think of some way of improvising for a tool I don't have. Sometimes I need help and out of the blue, help appears.

So I'm thinking is it because I'm holding this belief that I'm seeing and finding possibilities I just might not have noticed before? Was everything I needed there, but just below my level of awareness?

What if I decide that I need 10 million dollars? Well, I'm pretty darn certain that baring a computer glitch, I can go to the bank and it won't be there.

However, if I assume that I have everything I need, then maybe I already have the ideas to manifest it? This is getting interesting!

For those of us who believe that what we concentrate on becomes real, this might be a really valuable thought. Whatever it is, I'm thinking this is a pretty good belief to have. So I'm keeping it.

Anything that makes my life; fun, easy and abundant has to be a good thing!

Eduardo

What does it mean, to live lightly?

I came across an article about living lightly and wondered what it was about. Turns out it was about living green and leaving the smallest possible carbon print on the planet. That's nice but it got me thinking....

How else can we live lightly?

By my definition of living lightly, I mean living an effortless life. That would involve a lot of things. Not carrying around excess baggage, being happpy and loving etc. Here are a few quick thoughts about how I try to live lightly:

Be Opimistic I expect things to work out for me. I easily envision that my life will improve. I'm never sure how, other than I anticipate that the universe is on my side.

I decide how to interpret what happens. Because I've decided that the universe is on my side, when something goes wrong, I assume it is for a good reason. Somehow, I will find a benefit. Sometimes I don't find the answer until years later but it always seems to show up.

Let go And when things go wrong and misfortune strikes, I try to let go of it, as soon as I can. This is when I say to myself...it is what is! Some things you just can't do much about, it has happened and the only course is to let it go or if possible take some positive action.

Good for you There was a time (not so long ago) when I would read or hear about some good fortune that came to someone, who I maybe didn't like or admire. This would bring feelings of jealousy. Now, I've trained myself to just say quietly in my head...good for you! I decided that if good things can happen to those who I think don't deserve it, then even better can come my way.

Be kind to everyone and everything I try to smile and act friendly to everyone I come into contact with. This means the homeless guy begging for change and the ill tempered waitress who is run off her feet. Being kind to people is easy but try being kind to things. I was real kind to my car this morning when I took it to the car wash. The damn thing didn't even say thank you! It did look much better though.

Laugh at everything and as often as I can Some of my best stories that amuse friends were tales of my misfortunes. It takes the sting out of problems when you can laugh about them. And for some dang reason it pleases the heck out of my amigos when they get a laugh at my expense.

I have a purpose here on this planet. Even before I figured out what the purpose of my life was, I assumed that I had one. It was only a matter of time before I figured it out. I just never knew it would take so long. Having a purpose gives me meaning beyond just surviving until I die.

Life was meant to be fun, easy and over-flowing with abundance Sure I made that up myself! Who cares, it's served me better than any other personal thought or philosophy I've ever had. Ever since I adopted that mantra, quess what....my life has become fun, easy and abundant. So who's the fool?

I wrote a poem as a reminder to myself I usually keep them to myself (for obvious reasons), however I've shared this one before so here goes, it's called 'Go Gently'...

go gently
like the cool summer breeze
that refreshes

be open to inspiration
as the flower is
to the morning sun

make no more effort
than the river
on it's journey to the sea

be not fixated
on the destination
for that is the end

it is the journey
to be enjoyed
and cherished

your destiny
is free will
just say thank you

live without effort
carry no burden
for none is necessary

know that life is
meant to be fun, easy
and over-flowing with abundance

Hey, I'm just getting warmed up, but before I start rambling, I'll give it a rest and ask you....how do you live lightly?

Smile; if you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid!
(I got that from a Greek philospher named Epictetus and not from one of my so-called amigos)

Eduardo

I have a hunch you will like this...

We've all experienced sudden moments of knowingness. We know them as hunches, intuitions and flashes of insight. Here is what Dr. Joyce Brothers has to say about this...

'hunches are usually based on facts that are hidden just below the concious level'

So you could say that hunches are a form of inner wisdom. This wisdom can be experienced by a gut feeling, a flash of insight, a dream or an unexpected rush of energy.

Generally speaking our culture preaches logic and scoffs at intuition. So we were mostly trained to not trust these hunches. However, many of the worlds greatest inventions and visions were born in moments of doing nothing when the recipient was moved by an intuition.

Benjamin Franklin flew a kite and Sir Isaac Newton loved to mediatate under an apple tree. They did quite well by their sudden insights. And I'm betting your mother had pretty good intuitions when you did something wrong!

So how do you encourage your own intuitions? First you need to find all available knowledge on the subject (remember that hunches are usually based on facts). Find your own special quiet spot that is free from distraction. Next you need to totally trust in yourself to find the answers. And finally when you get the hunch, write it down immediately. Hunches can be very fleeting insights that can be easily lost or forgotten. They are best captured when the mind has quiet moments and sometimes during mundane chores such as driving or showering.

One thing is certain, you aren't likely to capture a great insight if the radio is blaring your favorite tunes.

My final comment is that if you don't use your insights when you do get them the mind automatically quits retrieving insights for you. So expect intuition to show up and it will!

And amigos think on this...

"you lose 100% of the opportunities
that you never go for"

Smile, I have a hunch that life was meant to be fun and easy!

Eduardo

Claim your treasure!

I know where you can go to lay claim to untold treasures. Sometimes they are free and even when they are not, the cost is so pitifully low it's incredible. They are practically giving away the good stuff!

You would be doing yourself an immense favour if you get in on this soon and often. I'm talking more treasure than all the Pirate's loot on Treasure Island.

Have you guessed what I'm talking about?

Good for you, I never doubted you for a moment. Of course I'm talking about books at your local library or from the neighborhood book store. Think about this; someone has successfully dealt with every single problem that you will ever have in your life. Chances are very high, that they've written about it, so it's all there and for a few dollars, the answers are yours. Too lazy to make the trip? No problem, just fire up your search engine and I'm sure the answer is moments away.

"the good thing about books is, you always have someone to take to bed"

You lucky dog! Your life just got easier and all you have to do, is a little reading. Get the best brains on the planet working for you for peanuts. Books will comfort you, excite you, inform you and show you the path to health, wealth and happiness. They are your willing servants.

"there are many reasons to read a book; to learn something, to be entertained or to have something to brag about having read"

Someone else did the hard work. They made all the mistakes, figured out how to do it right and then wrote it all down for you. They provide the short cuts so our life can be fun, easy and abundant.

Now of course you can learn stuff without reading. But, that would be like trying to find your way around a strange country without a map. You could do it, but you would put on a lot of needless miles and get you to places you don't want to go.

Books are my amigos, so if you'll excuse me, I need a few more amigos!

Eduardo

Tattoo this to your forehead, and you will be much happier!

I'll bet you would like to perform magic; for yourself and for others. No problem, I Eduardo am about to teach you some magical words and a technique, that will transform your life (if you will allow it).

I can't prevent you having problems or misfortune, I can however, make it incredibly easier to deal with life's downers. You know I want nothing more than for your and my life to be fun, easy and abundant. Now I have the technology (does that sound impressive?) Best of all, it is so incredibly simple, that you might think me a fool. No problem, I'm used to that.

So enough Eduardo, what are these magical words you speak of?

Patience grasshopper, first I must explain how to use the magic.

Whenever you have an unpleasant experience, simply repeat the magic words immediately. Then you should stop; thinking, reacting and feeling. You need only do this for a moment. Then the magic can do it's work. Ok, now that you understand the process, here are the magic words....

"it is, what it is"

Brilliant right? Or is it as clear as mud? Allow me to give an illustration of the process and how it worked for me.

Prior to departing on a recent vacation, I awoke and found that some idiot had spray pained the side of my little convertible with an obsenity. My first reation was to shout out....(insert appropriate profanity here). However, having recently discovered my new technology I chose a different response. I paused and then said to myself....oh well, it is what it is. For a moment I detached myself from my feelings and quit thinking.

Amazingly, I felt a little better. As the day went on, everytime the feeling would surface in my consciousness, I would repeat the magic words...it is what it is! By the end of the day, their was no anger left in me.

Hold onto your shorts friends, I'm not advocating that you do nothing when misfortune strikes. I needed to take the appropriate actions to remedy what I could. I just didn't need to carry around negative energy about it. Once, I accepted that, it is what it is, I could get on with finding a solution. Your thinking up a solution, is much easier if you are not encumbered with negative feelings and energy. Clarity is highly beneficial to productive thinking.

"I have everything I need"

Since I was leaving the next day, there was no time to have the car taken to a body shop. My brother (bless his little pea picking heart) offered to park the car in his garage and see if anything could be done. While I was laying on a beach in Mexico, he actually managed to remove the profanity. So no cost to Eduardo, no work on my part and I got to enjoy my holiday. Perfecto!

I believe it was Mark Twain who said something like...I have had a lot of troubles in my life, most of them never happened. So when a problem hits you smack in the head, repeat the magic words and give yourself a little time out. It will do you wonders. Try to remember what some wise guy said....

"worry is your imagination, working overtime to try and make things worse"

Smile, it makes people think you know what you are talking about!

Eduardo

Business and Career Decison Maker

There are several things that are critical to your success and happiness when you are faced with starting or buying a business or making a career change. I want your life to fun, easy and abundant, so I have developed this incredible guideline. Please don't make any decision without checking it out first.

Prior to making that big decison ask yourself these 4 important questions:

1. What will I do? Is this something that I find ethical, rewarding, and profitable?

2. Where will I do it? You don't want to trap yourself into living someplace where you will be unhappy a year from now. Nor would you want to end up in a place that would leave you physically or emotionally unhappy.

3. Who will I do it with. Whom you end up working with or employing can have a major impact on your success.

4. This is the Truthteller extra....Will I have fun doing it? To me, this is the most important consideration. If you enjoy what you do and have fun with it, then it won't be work but more like play. You will have more energy and creativity.

Life gets fun, easy and abundant when you have all 4 of these suggestions answered to your satisfaction.

Smile, the more you do, the richer you'll be!

Eduardo

The Great Epiphany's

"I get a lot of epiphany's (sudden insights). It's probably because I thought I knew so much when I actually knew so little"

So off the top of my head, here are some of great epiphany's over the past year. I will give them to you without comment. See if any of them resonate with you?

* I have everything I need

* The answer is always love and the way love is expressed is kindness. Love and happiness are the same thing.

* The world needs and craves enlightenment. Anyone and anything can be a teacher.

* Most people don't like to think and are happy to let someone else do it for them

* Manifestation of what you want, requires imagination. Imagination requires play. Therefore, getting what you want is fun and easy.

* Life is easier if I accept complete responsibility for everything in my life.

* I tend to forget lessons learned, so I need constant reminders.

* We tend to remember best, what we think is important or funny.



Eduardo

BONUS: The guy who smiles when something goes wrong, has just thought of someone to blame (unknown funny person)

What this world needs is....a recess!

"join the rescue recess movement"

Remember when as a kid in school, the recess bell would ring. My heart would jump for joy as I would always try to be the first to hit the swings or grab the soccer ball. Ahh...recess, exhilarating fun. A chance to get out of the stuffy classroom and get some oxygen pumping through the system with some good old fashioned fresh air. Beautiful!

"get out of your stuffy office and into the sunshine"

Imagine if, every business had to give it's employees a recess in the morning and another in the afternoon? I would bet anyone, that productivity would increase, stress would be reduced and the work place would be a happier place. Just like the kids, it would be hard for the big people, to be stressed when they are having fun. Kids can invent games and so can the supposedly smarter adults.

"it's not possible to be stressed when you are having fun"

I know some are thinking, hey Eduardo, we have coffee or smoke breaks now, so what's the difference? Is this just semantics? NO, this is a fun break. Do what you like but have fun for 20 minutes, twice a day. Companies in my world would do what ever they could to facilate the fun concept. Maybe they would install Wii games on your computer or just tell you to go outside and go for a walk in the park. Perhaps 20 minutes wouldn't be enough? Who cares how long the break is, if the productivity and quality of work go up?

"what this world needs is more fun"

We've got it all wrong, life isn't and shouldn't be serious stuff. Life should be fun, easy and abundant (there I go again). Creativity which is the juice for super achievement is hard and difficult when your world gets too serious. Creativity is the offspring of fun. Isn't that beautiful? Have more fun, get more abundance.

(Hey another great idea....what if when people go for counselling when their relationship is falling apart, they are first required to visit the Happy Consultant. He or she would prescribe a heavy dose of fun to be taken for an extended period. If that didn't work, then go straight to your lawyer).

"and what about Happy School for the slow learners"

I have decided that the world of business, needs "happy consultants". Forget the physcholgist, first try a happy consultant. I think I'd make a great happy consultant. I've got the qualifications...I'm happy. That's the first prerequesite. Next, I'm creative, I can think of ton of ways to have fun. I've done and love to research the topic. So hire me! (I'm expensive but I'd give a money back guarantee on funny paper of course).

I figure that if the workplace was a happier environment, that it would save companies and even the government billions of dollars in lost productivity. The health system wouldn't be over stressed. And most importantly the world would be a better place. This is just so good...I'm excited...wait recess is over, I better get back to work.

Smile, there is always a goofball like me, looking out for you!

Eduardo

P.S. Donations to the 'Rescue Recess' movement can be sent directly to me.

A love story....really!

Ok, it's Valentine's Day and as a special treat I have one those heart warming, sappy, stories that will just make you want to go, ahhhhhhhhh. Either that or you'll think I've just gone a little soft (not in the head I hope). Enjoy....

"The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him."

So what do you think happened to baby Owen the hippo? That's right, he was lonesome and depressed until he found a surrogate mother. That mother just happened to be a tortoise...a very big tortoise.

A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park , told AFP.

After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added. "The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

So all is well. The baby hippo and the tortoise, a most unusual couple, have bonded and are filling a need for each other. It kinda makes me think about unusual pairings we see in humans. Some people just don't at first glance appear to be well matched, but it works anyway.

Sort of reminds me of myself and some of my amigos. An odd lot, now I just need to decide, who is the tortoise and who is the hippo?

Smile, it's Valentine's Day and someone loves you!

Eduardo

Think about this....

"The amound of outrageous joy
that you will experience in your life,
is directly related to the amount
of outrageous kindness you show"

Eduardo

The simple secrets to Valentine's Day

If you haven't yet picked out a Valentine's Day gift or planned for that day...you are in luck!

After some intensive research and having been on the planet longer than most, I have the answers to a perfect Valentine Day. I know I should charge for these secrets but I really like you guys. So just this once, I shall share all for FREE...

First let me say that the problem for most is as simple as; men don't understand how women think and women are no better. Ok, that didn't rock your world yet but it soon will.

FOR MEN: I will give you key and all that you need to do is apply it to any Valentine Day decision you make and presto you are Mr. Perfect. You will be considered to be thoughtful, considerate and romantic, just as long as you use this key....

"a woman has had a fantastic Valentine's Day if....it makes her friends jealous"

Through much trial and mostly error, I figured that one out and now the secret is yours....enjoy!

FOR WOMEN: This one is so simple and yet for some reason even though most women know it, they simply refuse to comply. Oh, sure some do, but most don't. No, ladies, I'm not talking about sex (but that's a great idea too). Since you also get it wrong most of the time, I will spill the beans, because I like you women sooo much....

"Women always want to give us what they want us to have and not what we really want."

Let me give you an example; one of the best gifts I've ever received was a case of beer! Not just my favorite Mexican cervesa but 12 bottles of beer, each one from a different country. Now that's a super gift, too bad it came from a buddy and not a lady. I would have been super impressed. So the simple thing to do if you are not sure what to give is to ask his buddies. A ticket to the next major sports event or a new golf club might make him so misty eyed, he will be singing your praises.

I know what you are thinking....if you are such a Romeo Eduardo, why are you still single? Somethings are just not explainable (especially to me).

Smile, now you know something the others don't!

Eduardo

The smartest thing I've ever written....

"todo ne es como se aparenta
ver es mucho mejor"

Ok, I wrote that in Spanish, because I thought it would make me seem smarter. It might have been better in Latin, but I know of no one, who could translate that for me. However, it remains the most profound thought I've ever had. (I know what you're thinking....who said I had profound thoughts) No matter, to me it is profound and I wanted to share it with you. Oh, just in case you couldn't translate, it means...

"all is not as it seems, it is much better"

While most of you may have thought, I was just laying on the beach soaking up the Mexican sunshine, I was also getting and recording some interesting thoughts and ideas. When this epiphany hit me, I was pumped up excited about it. Of course I immediately, shared it with my friends, who looked at me like they usually do (what color is the sky on your planet Eduardo). I remain firm in my singular belief that this is a life changing thought.

"I choose to construct my own reality, I just don't trust the job to others"

Haven't you ever noticed that two people can have the same experience and yet have entirely different interpretations of what happened to them? Let me give you an example from my holiday.

Several of us booked a cruise on a 84' sailboat. The cruise was a bit of a disaster but to me, it was still enjoyable. After the cruise was over, we were to be picked up from the marina by two vans. The first group took the first van and the rest of us were waiting for the second van, which never came. It was dark and being isolated, we were left wondering...what now?

It was way too far to consider walking and yet what choice did we have? Eventually, one of the ships crew came by in 1/2 ton truck. We had no alternative but to pile into the back of the truck for a ride back to the hotel. Six of us, crammed into the back of his truck and sitting on the floor. One of our group had a cooler with some cold beverages so we did what any tourista would do and drank on our way back. Of course this would be highly illegal in Canada or the US, but not so in Mexico.

Two in our group, thought this was the worst experience possible. Not so the rest of us, we thought it was hillarious and our most authentic experience. We laughed and joked the whole way back.

"it is what is"

That's my new motto now....it is what is. I accept whatever happens and if possible, I turn misfortune into a joke. When something goes wrong, I try and turn it into a good story.

"learn to wish that everything should come to pass, exactly as it does" (Epictetus)

Smile, all is not at it seems...it is mucho better!

Eduardo

P.S. The picture above is of the wedding party, which was the main reason for the holiday. Congratulations to Pierre and Cynthia and thanks for letting me be your 'Padre for a Day'.

I'm back!

I'm back from another incredible winter vacation...unfortunately my brain is still lounging on the beaches of Mexico. I will return to regular writing tomorrow (assuming that my brain makes it back by then)

Suffice to say that the weather was perfecto and the holiday too short. It wouldn't be legal to have much more fun than I had with my amigos. And this just has to said..."great friends are hard to find....and even harder to lose"


Eduardo