When LIFE starts making sense . . .

"People living deeply have no fear of death." ~ Anais Nin

Ah . . . "People living deeply have no fear of death." So simple yet so powerful and true. Those words by author Anais Nin really resonate with me. Besides inspiring me to live life to the fullest, they are also a reminder to live in the NOW. At least that 's one of the meanings I come away with. When we're focused on our BLISS, there are no thoughts of death or of wondering what will happen to us when we die. Being present, in the moment, the NOW, awakens within us a sense of being fully alive, and once that happens, we begin to understand how eternal we are.

I remember not too long ago when I had questions about why we were here on Earth. It all seemed so futile. A couple of years ago my dad was hospitalized for like the third time in the same year. Aside from the whole experience being quite horrible, I was also in a terrible state of mind. Rage coursed through my veins. And here I was, visiting him in the hospital every day. Seeing him practically unrecognizable. He was hallucinating and out of it most of the time. Well, I was certainly not happy. One day I sat in his hospital room and started writing this long letter about how horrible things were. I was basically asking why the hell we were here on Earth. What was the purpose of our lives if we came here, worked, suffered and then we died. What was all that about? I wrote pages and pages about what a complete waste of time life was. I just couldn't understand why any of us were here.

I still have that letter, in fact I read some of it a few months ago and it was like someone else had written it. And I understood him. Not because I agreed with what was written, but I understood how someone in his state of mind could think that way. At the time, I had no understanding of much of anything. I wasn't living any sort of life that gave me any kind of joy. I had no hope whatsoever and as I wrote last week, we can't survive long without HOPE. The me that wrote that letter was really a shell of a person living a life that barely touched the surface of anything. I wasn't even close to living deeply. At that time I was so far from my true self that it's really a miracle I survived at all.

So many, many things have changed since I wrote those words. I began to seek the answers to all of my questions about life and my purpose here. Was it just to work at a boring job or to keep struggling to become a famous singer? Or was I just wasting time until I died? I always felt there was a reason for my being here. . . but I wasn't sure what it was. at that point Slowly, when I was ready for it, the Universal answers revealed themselves to me. I began to understand more and more the reason for my existence. Although I don't always make it easy on myself, I do believe and get glimpses of the fact that at it's very core, LIFE is most definitely beautiful and quite easy. I now understand the power I have over the things I see and experience. Every single day I have the choice to live an authentic life and be true to the me that came forth into the physical to experience as much joy as possible.

The more I focus on joy and feeling good, the more reasons the Universe gives me to feel good and joyful. As I concentrate on that which brings me absolute bliss, I keep connecting to my Source. That eternal Source that is everlasting. Any fear of death disappears when you are living this life in the way that you intended when you came forth into the physical. Of course we start to doubt our reasons for living . . . if WE ARE NOT LIVING! The instant you begin to take steps towards revealing what brings you to a state of happiness and bliss, that's the instant life starts making sense. That is the moment you begin to truly experience life like you've never experienced it before. It ceases to be a journey towards an inevitable end but more of a journey that can be packed with a myriad of mind-blowing experiences without end. Life is eternal . . .

So, think about it for the next couple of days. What makes you feel alive? What steps can you take right now to bring some joy into your life? What is your BLISS? What wonderful gift are you here on Earth to give to us?

Peace and Light to you and KEEP DREAMING

Gene-Manuel

You have absolute control over . . . YOU

"Poor is the man, whose pleasures depend on the permission of another." ~ Madonna (Justify My Love)

Ha ha! Although I'll use any excuse to use a quote from Madonna, those words have always meant a lot to me. When I first heard these lyrics, as part of the "Justify My Love" song, I was a young kid still struggling with my sexuality. Therefore, I took them to heart as a message to be myself. That I had the right to love and be loved no matter what the world at large thought of people like me. The words kept repeating in my head. "Poor is the man, whose pleasures depend on the permission of another." It still took me about a year or so after this song to fully accept who I was. Part of this included the acceptance of the fact that in life, we sometimes have to deal with others not liking us for their own personal reasons. And the big lesson there is not letting this ever stop us from leading a fantastic, free and authentic life. No matter who these people are.

This quote applies to life, period. Poor is anyone that lets their own happiness rest in the hands of another person. When I decided to accept myself completely, that was all I needed to do. I'm not saying it was easy to come to the realization that by me coming out to my parents, I ran the risk of losing them forever, but you know what? If my being gay was going to do that, then they did not deserve me in their lives. I wasn't going to let that possibility get in the way of living a life free of hiding. The more I lied to them the worse I felt. I also realized that it was my responsibility to be honest about who I was. Whenever I lied to them, the one that was truly being deceived and ultimately hurt, was me.

With the understanding that we have absolute control over our lives, comes some responsibility. Nobody can do anything to you. Nobody can make you feel small without your permission. Nobody can make you feel less-than without your permission. Nobody can make you feel happy, sad, worthless, glorious, fabulous, etc. without YOUR permission. Granted, as children, without the proper tools or life experience, it's quite easy to get caught up in that cycle of letting others dictate how you feel. But, as we grow older and more experienced, there comes a time when we have to realize it's all in our power. Blaming others for how we feel is no longer a viable option.

When you fully understand that your happiness, well-being, peace and calm rests within you, it's a whole new game of life. NO LONGER can your mother drive you crazy without your permission. NO LONGER can that co-worker make you crazy because of what he or she does or does not do. NO LONGER can you be mad at your boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse because they didn't act how you wanted them to act. My happiness begins and ends with me. My staying cool, calm and collected under a stressful situation all depends on how I react to said situation.

To quote Richard Bach, ""If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem." The majority of the time, people will not act the way you'd like them to. It's just the way it goes and there's no other way around it but to accept each and every one just as they are. Accept full responsibility for how you make yourself feel. It's empowering to know that within you lies the secret to a joyful, peaceful, happy life. No one can get through unless you allow them. Once you get the hang of it, the instances when you do lose your cool due to somebody's behavior, will become less and less. And when you do fly off the handle or let some instance make you nuts, you'll immediately be aware of it because it will feel unnatural. You'll know that you've temporarily given your power to somebody else. It'll be easier to regain it and go on with your happy self!

Peace and Light to you and KEEP DREAMING!

Gene-Manuel

Happiness can be shocking . . .

"You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now." ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

Whenever I'm asked "How are you?" nowadays, almost 99% of the time I answer with an enthusiastic "I'm great! How are you?". I can't tell you how many times this simple and honest response gets me the strangest looks. Whenever I answer truthfully and with a beaming smile that I am in fact feeling and doing great, the majority of the time the person on the receiving end of my answer is shocked. Some people don't even know what to do or say in return. I've had people literally stumble backwards and do a double take as if what they have just seen and heard could not have happened. It's usually a clerk at a store or a cashier at Whole Foods.

By now, most of my friends are sort of used to my upbeat mood. Although there are times when I get asked if I'm "high" on something. That always makes me laugh because then I am compelled to answer "I'm high on life!" which always gets a different response altogether. Ha! That answer's not too far from the truth. I am intoxicated by every single day right from the start. My alarm wakes me and from that moment, I start giving thanks to the Universe for yet another day filled with possibilities right at my fingertips. In a half-daze I look at my vision board and pick out a few words that will stay with me throughout the day. That always helps me get out of bed with a feeling of excitement. Today's words were, OM, CREATIVITY and SEA OF GRATITUDE! Now, that's a pretty great message to start the day!

From there, I continue infusing my day with little things to keep my positive mood going. Being grateful and doing a "Thank You Universe" rampage definitely gets me on the right track for the day. Then, throughout the morning and into the afternoon, I consciously make the effort to be on the lookout for better feeling thoughts. The things I choose to read or see on my commute are also geared towards lifting my spirits and making me aware of all the good that is out there in the world.

Even the people I follow on Twitter are a constant source of inspiration. In fact, I make it a point to mostly follow people or organizations that tweet uplifting messages of hope, peace, and love. That in turn makes me want to do the same. On Facebook, I've begun to do a Thought For The Day, where I try to share whatever it is that I'm personally working through or with. I'm always on the look out for interesting and uplifting people to interact with. From these friends I get a myriad of ideas and helpful hints that add to my joy. There are daily affirmations and new YouTube videos to share and view. I have brilliantly creative friends that share their thoughts daily about life. Others share their gorgeous art and photography and beautiful music. It's never a dull or negative moment for me on these various social sites.

I have also made it a point that I will work on my art every single day no matter what. Even if it's 11:30pm and all I have time to do is add a touch of color to a piece, I will do it. Creating is at the top of my list of things that make me extremely, extremely happy so why would I not strive to create every day? How can I expect to manifest a life filled with art if I don't give it some attention? Nothing makes me happier than when I'm working therefore, not a day goes by that at least a moment is devoted to this joy-giving activity.

My point in sharing all these different ways I keep connected to a positive stream is that it takes a bit of effort and imagination to maintain that connection. But, it is so worth it! Once you get started, it becomes easier and easier the more you do it. We know that what we focus on expands. Why not focus on being happy? Why not make it a point to fill your day with as much happiness as you can? Again, the more you do it, the more reasons you will find to continue being happy!

If you make it your daily intention to have an amazing day filled with joy, the Universe will make sure to bring experiences your way that will bring you that joy! Instead of a "same shit, different day" mentality, understand that this simply isn't so. You have not lived this day and everything that you are experiencing on a moment by moment basis is completely new. It's happening NOW and in the NOW, everything is new and fresh and you have the choice to make it the best moment you've ever had.

A simple shift in focus will have a tremendous effect on your attitude. It has for me. I haven't had a bad day in a very long time. Have there been things going on that might be considered not so great? Sure. But especially on those days, my intention to keep reaching for a better feeling thought and exposing myself to positive and joy-filled energy was even stronger. Before I knew it, the rough patch was over and I came out of it with hardly an emotional scratch. It just took concentrating on the good. There is always something good to focus on.

It's my intention to always be happy. No matter what, I know I have the power to choose a thought that will make me feel good. Beauty and love is all around me. It's in the sky above and in the faces of loved ones that are always there for me. A simple smile given to a total stranger will get you one back . . . most of the time. Ending my day filled with gratitude for the day's events only paves the way to more things to be grateful on the following day. Just a little effort gives amazing results. Try it. You'll have fun shocking people the next time you're asked how you are and you can genuinely answer back, "I'M GREAT!"

Peace and Light to you and KEEP DREAMING!

Gene-Manuel