The Gratitude Rock in my Home
Last week I wrote my first post in a long while. I want to thank everyone for welcoming me back to the blogging world after a year and a half hiatus. We’re in for some exciting times – you and me.
Before I write another short post the purpose of which is to catch up with everyone here, I have one announcement to make.
Have you ever noticed that on the top right corner of the blog there was a tab for “Book-Coming Soon”? Haha, well, it was there for so long you probably forgot about it.
It’s time to take a look at it again because after years of putting it on hold, it’s actually “Almost Here!” Toward the end of the 2009-2010 graduate school year, I suddenly felt a strong push from nature to birth it this year. It’s now scheduled for release in October 2010 – that’s only a few short months away!
Thanks to the work of a professional editor (the name of whom you’ll know about soon), the table of contents has been reorganized with better chapter titles. The testimonial section has been updated with names of some pretty famous (and cool) authors praising the book. More importantly, I’ve also created a brand new email newsletter exclusively focused on things surrounding the book.
By signing up you’ll be “in the know” before everyone else. For example, you’ll have a sneak preview of the book cover design currently being worked on by an award-winning book designer (to be revealed in the first newsletter). You’ll also be informed firsthand when there’s updated information concerning testimonials, book signings, speaking engagements and whatever else develops. Oh yes, you’ll also know the exact date of the book’s release and how to get a copy. Plus you’ll be able to tell your friends about it!
So please take a moment to sign up for the newsletter.
You will get a totally unique newsletter exclusively for and about the book. New blog articles will continue to show up in a separate email (or for some of you RSS feed).
Okay, shall we catch up now?
Around January 2009 I was feeling the itch to go back to school but I wanted to find an institution that had some kind of spiritual development in its curriculum. So I typed “spiritual psychology” in the Google search box and a handful of schools showed up.
The first was University of Santa Monica (USM) and the second was Maharishi University of Mgmt (MUM). By that point I was sick of brutally cold winters and looked into USM so that I could enjoy the year round warm weather. They had what seemed like an impressive transformational psychology program so I began the process of applying and eventually got accepted. But there was one caveat. I’d have to make monthly cross-country trips to attend their once-a-month weekend-long classes for at least a year or two. Although this was a very costly proposition, I thought I found a way to make it happen.
The house where I was going to stay over the summer of 2009
An idea was formed between a family member and I that I live at his house (see photo) and do some heavy duty maintenance work and other errands in exchange for free rent for several months. We both figured that would have allowed me to commute to USM and still be close to my family on the East Coast. The negotiations were going so well that I really thought it was going to happen. Every objection or concern was resolved effortlessly. My room in the basement was in prime move-in condition. More importantly the kids were beyond excited about the idea of having me come live with them.
Just as I was about to reserve a U-Haul truck, I received the news that another family member (the spouse) suddenly got cold feet. “There’s no need for us to have live-in help – we can do this ourselves.” Well, without this person’s consent it made absolutely no sense for us to pursue the matter any further so it was dropped. While I was certainly disappointed, I intuitively knew the universe had something else planned for me.
A few days later I began to feel a tugging from within to look into MUM again. The rest, as they say, is history. Did you get how amazing the universe is – how precise and orderly it really is when it comes to guiding us on the right path?
More to be revealed!
One last thing – did you sign up for email newsletter updates for my book?
No?
Okay, I’ll make it really, really easy for you – instead of clicking on the above link, why don’t I just give you the sign up box right here?
| Stephen, please send me email updates about the book! |
If you liked this post and you want to be notified of the next one, subscribe via Email or Full Text RSS Feed. I would love to have you as part of the community!
2:30 am on August 22nd, 2010 1
Hey Stephen!
Congrats on the book coming in October – I signed up for the list, looking forward to it =)
12:54 pm on August 22nd, 2010 2
Stephen,
Is this sign up different than the one through Facebook, or is
it the same ?
I’m glad I clicked on the book link to see the format and chapters
and testimonials that I’m guessing is from advanced copies.
At one point on a Facebook comment you made you said something about
spending a holiday with family and how different that might be.
If you have a list of upcoming blog posts, a blog post expounding
on that would be of interest to me.
xo xo
Deb
12:55 pm on August 22nd, 2010 3
Welcome back Stephen. I have so missed your words of wisdom at Adversity University. I am looking forward to see what is different at Overcoming Obstacle Illusions. Congrats on graduating from MUM. It was nice being able to hear from you occasionally on Facebook while you were away learning more about yourself and Spirituality. Can’t wait to read your book when it is published. Welcome home.
9:39 pm on August 22nd, 2010 4
Debra:
This sign up is the same as the one you did through Facebook even though the two look different so you don’t need to worry – thanks for asking. I’m glad you clicked on the book link too.
Yes I remember saying something about how different things might throughout the holidays (I assume you’re referring to Thanksgiving when I visited family last year). Thanks for reminding me – please feel free to remind me again – I definitely want to touch on that so if I forget, let me know. At this point, I don’t have a list of upcoming blogs just yet because I usually like to create them on the spot and not necessarily ahead of time (although I probably should!).
9:41 pm on August 22nd, 2010 5
Sid: I’m really excited about it too – it’s been soooooo long since I first started writing it. I’m so thankful I followed through on my intuition to birth the book this year. It seems like the right time, you know? I’m glad you signed up to be a part of the email list for the newsletter. I hope you also tell all your friends via a word or two of your own about it. Someone was telling me that the world needs to hear that “Obstacles” are indeed “Illusions”!!
9:47 pm on August 22nd, 2010 6
Patricia: And how I missed you too! Even though I was gone for so long, it doesn’t feel like it does it? What’s different about “Overcoming Obstacle Illusions” is basically expounding on the idea that obstacles are really illusions if we have the right mind set. In fact, there are no problems! A lot of people might take issue with that but in the coming posts I plan to share my viewpoints on why I believe this to be so. I feel that because of where I am spiritually, emotionally, physically and otherwise, the new title does better justice. It’s not just about overcoming adversity anymore. It’s about taking our minds, bodies and spirits to the next level through different options available to us. Thank you so much Patricia – that was a very beautiful welcome home message. It warmed my heart considerably!
7:13 am on August 23rd, 2010 7
Stephen,
Your words to Patricia –
‘It’s about taking our minds, bodies and spirits to the next level through different options available to us.’
Reminded me of this graphic I recently created.
http://a.imageshack.us/img839/631/debart.jpg
9:21 am on August 23rd, 2010 8
Hi Stephen,
Welcome back!!!! I have missed you and am excited for your book and to catch up in general. Congratulations on all you have accomplished! I am excited to see things just continue to evolve and manifest for you!
Much love, xo
Jenny
6:14 pm on August 25th, 2010 9
Stephen,
Its good to have you back!! Wishing you a lot of success on your book. You gave me some kinds words at a very bad time in my life and they were very very important to me. Ironically, I started writing again during that difficult time and will have my own book On Mission: Living and Working your Mission in Challenging Times ready for printing late this fall. Super good luck on yours!!
Wayne
11:03 pm on August 25th, 2010 10
Wayne! I’m so delighted to hear from you. I’m grateful to know that whatever it is I said turned out to be exactly what you needed when you were going through some challenges. Thank you for telling me that. It feels great to be back Wayne! I just checked out your site and liked the article about your aunt. I felt immediately that your aunt was a kindred spirit. She’s watching over you now with incredible white light that seems to follow you every where you go. She will help you with your book. Congrats on the book. Isn’t it exciting to be a first-time author? Whoo hoo. Thanks for leaving a comment.
5:08 pm on August 26th, 2010 11
Stephen, so glad to see your blog, too! Interesting to hear some of your story…and am so happy for you about your upcoming book. I visited a friend who meditates across the street from MUM (Mother Divine?) a few years ago and loved the area and so many of the concepts. Blessings to you and thanks for visiting my blog. Happy that you’re friends with Susan.
5:38 pm on August 26th, 2010 12
Kathy – Isn’t the Internet wonderful tool for people of like-thoughts connect in the way we have via our blogs, Facebook and so forth? I’m happy I’m friends with Susan too. The upcoming book is a pretty exciting thing because for one thing it’s been on the backburner for decades until I felt this powerful urge from nature to give birth to it this year. And so I am doing just that. Do you know what it’s about? If you are interested, there’s a tab on the top right corner of my blog inviting people to subscribe to a free newsletter that will give them sneak previews of things happening with the book like the cover design, sample chapters, etc. Would you like to be on that list? If so, signup is easy. When yo go to that tab and click it, you’ll see a blue box on the left side of the page pop up. That’s for the newsletter. And below that box is more information like table of contents, etc. Hope you join me!
8:14 pm on August 27th, 2010 13
Thank you, Stephen! I signed up!
11:00 pm on August 31st, 2010 14
Welcome back! Congrats that your vocational pursuit and your book are DONE AND DONE! You deserve the very best!!!!
Sharmaine
2:00 pm on September 3rd, 2010 15
I’m a new reader, but welcome back! I’ll look forward to your posts.