The Gratitude Rock in my Home

I love doing these gratitude posts because when I sit down and think about the things I am grateful for, I always come away feeling lighter, happier and more content.  I also end up learning a little more about myself.

We all know the gloom and doom being touted on TV and in the newspapers these days.   Even if we are directly affected by it, the question we should ask ourselves is:  “Will we subscribe to the negative hoopla or take time out to focus on what we still have going for us?”

It’s a choice.  I’m choosing not to allow it to affect my inner spirit.  No matter what happens, I am optimistic about my future.  I believe that on a cellular level  – therefore that will become my experience.

I can only wonder what will show up in the life of a person who is constantly entertaining thoughts like “we’re heading for another depression.”   The more you focus on something, be it positive or negative, the more it’ll manifest on some level in that person’s life.   Thoughts have been proven to manifest in reality – they’re that powerful.

So even in the midst of an economic crisis, I’m choosing to be grateful.  Even if you experience a loss of a job or a client, there’s always someone worst off than you are – always.  I’ve lost a few jobs in my lifetime and yet I survived, didn’t I?  I managed to make it through just fine (looking back, that is).

I’m certainly not suggesting that you bury your head in the sand and pretend nothing is happening.   I am merely introducing to you the idea that joining the chorus of “gloom and doom” will do nothing but add more negative energy.

Why not change your perception and see things in a different light?   We may not be able to control potential layoffs or a reduction in demand for our products and services, but we can at least change our focus and remain open to the possibilities.  Why worry about things we have no control over like an impending lay off or a reduction in demand for our products and services?

Let me share with you a couple of things I’m grateful for this week:

Speaking Engagement in Las Vegas

Click Above Image to See Brochure

For those of you who have been with me for some time, you will recall I made aviation history back in February 2006 when I became the world’s first deaf instrument rated pilot.

Click here to read my aviation bio and here for one of the newspaper articles about the historical event (there’s Part II here, if you want to read the rest it).

An organization called the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) was offering flight training scholarships at the time so I applied.  To my surprise, I was eventually selected as the winner of the $2500 Dan L. Meisinger Memorial Scholarship.

About three months later, I made aviation history.  That was in 1996.  Then one day I got an email from NATA asking if I’d be willing to help them raise money for future scholarship recipients by headlining a keynote speech at one of their biggest aviation expos in Las Vegas next month (March 2009).  How could I say no?

I’m grateful I have an opportunity to uplift and inspire whoever will be in the audience on the day I speak.   For the first time in my professional speaking career, I will be using PowerPoint.   I believe it will catapult my speaking to the next level.   Over the last ten years, I’ve come to realize audiences are starving for some kind of visual reference during a presentation and now that I finally have a laptop, I’m going to take advantage of it and see where it goes.   The keynote will be about my aviation journey from turning “the impossible dream” to the possible.   I’ll be talking about all the things that happened along the way to the day I became instrumented rated.   It will be my first major “multimedia presentation” complete with photos and videos.

Despite the Economic Gloom and Doom

Despite America’s economy, I have found plenty of things to be grateful for:

• a warm home
• a reliable car with great gas mileage
• fruits and vegetables that continue to nourish and detox my body
• friends and family who love and care about me (this includes personal friends as well as blogger friends from around the world)
• excellent health – I’ve finally managed to maintain my body’s optimal weight since September 08
• energy to maintain a healthy workout schedule at the gym, which means I get to run and lift weights at least 3 to 5 times a week.  In particular, it’s the cardiovascular workouts that keeps me trim.  I used to hate running but now I love it.  Go figure!
• a chance to go to London last November (2008) at the drop of a hat where I had a great time and made many new friends
• a chance to go back to school for a masters and eventually a PhD degree in metaphysics or divinity (I’m currently searching different universities and will begin the process of applying for the Fall of 08 or Spring 10).
• opportunities to collaborate with other speakers on creating national and international inspirational speaking programs.  They are being formed as we speak.  One of my contacts is a prominent network anchor who is about to retire.  He is in the midst of building a publishing and speaking empire of which I will be involved with.  None of us are allowing the current economic crisis to permeate our thinking.   Yes, we all know and acknowledge it’s there but we also intuitively know that there are golden opportunities to be found even amidst an economic downturn.

Dad Rushed To the Hospital But Out of Danger

Dad working on wiring for generator at brother's house last summer (2008)

Last week I received a scary email from my brother who proceeded to inform me that my otherwise healthy and fit-as-a-horse father was rushed to the hospital with severe abdominal pains, the likes of which he had never before experienced.  It was so painful that an ambulance took him to the emergency room.

Needless to say, this had the Hopson siblings on pins and needles for several hours, especially since none of us live in the town where my parents have a home.  We had to literally wait by the phone or in my case, keep checking emails for updates.

A few days after he was admitted to the emergency room (he was there until 4 am!), he was finally released but the doctors still don’t know what happened.  They are performing tests throughout this week but at least he’s home resting.

I’m grateful he came through and that he is on the way back to recovery but it was a moment that truly shook me.

Reading Page Turners

I know this may appear to be a rather unusual thing to be grateful for but I love reading.  If you were to take a look at my bookcase, you’d see a bunch of inspirational, motivational and spiritual books.   Nestled among those books are a handful of mystery and thriller novels.

I can’t always be reading serious motivational and spiritual stuff all the time.  I mean, you gotta have fun with a murder mystery or a thriller every once in a while, right?    So here’s the thing.  There are a lot of novels out there that are just not that good.  It amazes me how some badly written books somehow find their way to the nation’s bookshelves but hey, that’s life.

When I come across a fantastic novel that I cannot stop reading, I’m in heaven.  Every time I read a book like that, it gets me all riled up, making it very hard to put it down.  It gives me an opportunity to escape into a world of fantasy where there’s a hero and a villain.

Page turning novels are a real treat and I’m grateful to have found a new series of thrillers written by none other than a former high school acquaintance who is now an international best selling author.  His name is Joseph Finder.  We were in the same class at Shaker High School (Latham, NY) and graduated in 1978.

I remember him to be a geek of sorts with large glasses and curly hair who always hung around other smart kids.  Many of his friends were also from the theater group.  He was a highly intelligent chap who was always seen walking in the hallways with a ton of books.

One day I discovered he was listed among the high school graduates on Facebook.   Since I recognized his name, I added him as a friend upon which he did the same.  (I guess he remembered me too).

At the time, I had NO inkling that he was a famous bestselling fiction novelist (goes to show you just how often I buy mystery thrillers).  Out of curiosity, I went to his website and spent hours reading up on him.    Man, let me tell you, he has quite a fascinating story to tell.

He eventually ended up teaching writing at Harvard.  After eight years of doing that, he decided one day that he was going to have a crack at writing a novel.

Well, we all know how challenging it is to get published, yet he did it.  Not only did persist through countless rejections but once he landed an agent, he went on to publish 8 novels, a handful of which ended up on the NYT bestselling list with one of them being made into a major motion picture!    He even had a cameo appearance in the film.    WOW!  Who knew?

Needless to say, I got curious and decided to buy one of his books to see if I liked his writing style.  I happen to be very picky about what I like.  Either I like your book or I don’t.  So I went over to Borders and bought “Killer Instinct.”

The moment I opened the book and turned the first page, I was HOOKED.  And now I’m eager to collect the rest of them because I know every single one of them will be page turners.  I don’t know about you, but I LOVE curling up on the couch and immerse myself in a good book!

I’m grateful I discovered an author who I once “knew” in high school who went on to become a celebrated novelist.  What’s amazing is that Joseph had no formal training in writing.    He even created a new genre in the world of fiction.  Up until he began to write, no one wrote a corporate thriller.  It is a niche he was fortunate to capitalize on.

Check out his website and be sure to read all the interviews he’s given – he has quite an inspiring story to tell!

Food for Thought:  What are you grateful for this week?  Have you been worrying about things you have no control over like impending layoffs or clients cutting back?  Or have you been shifting your awareness to a place where you’re focused on the good things going on in your life?   No matter how “insignificant” they may seem?  Tell us about them!  You saw how I was grateful for something as small as a thriller!  What about you?

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The Gratitude Rock in my Home

I know this gratitude article is a bit late as I usually post this on a Friday or Saturday but better late than never so here goes.

One day I received an email from Jennifer Mannion, a woman from upstate New York with whom I somehow connected on the Internet.  I’m not sure how we found each other but we were divinely led to discover that we each have similar interests including, but not limited to, spirituality, natural healing methods (like Reiki and “The Reconnection”) plus other things.

She was alerting me of an interview she did with James Sinclair, the director of a new documentary movie that was just released called “What If?”   At this time, it’s not yet captioned for the deaf/hard of hearing population but I was told by the director himself that it will become reality in the very near future.    The movie is similar to “The Secret” but goes much, much deeper in the attempt to answer questions like:

• What if the laws of physics don’t apply when you’re truly living in the moment?
• What if we are not victims of our genes? (i.e. baldness or heart disease that “runs in the family”)
• What if the greatest powers of the universe is within you?
• What if it’s possible to sustain ourselves on energy sources other than food?
• What if aging is only a program we learned that can be changed?

WOW!  Every single cell, nerve, tissue and organ in my body was tingling with excitement when I saw those questions.   I immediately went to Jennifer’s site and read the interview.  Boy, little did I know how much I would enjoy it!  (Note:  Links to the two-part interview are provided at the bottom).

Throughout the entire time I’ve been blogging since April 2006, I’ve repeatedly shared with you powerful ways God has gotten my attention.   When James was a kid, his mother had given him a book called “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” (by Joseph Murphy, PhD).  When I saw that, I knew it was a message from God to get my hands on it because I felt it.   I literally rushed to the bookstore and got myself a copy.

To say I’ve finally “gotten it” would be a major understatement.  The book contains similar information found in a host of other books but somehow this particular author’s work clicked with me this time.   Have you ever had a certain piece of information revealed to you over and over again from different sources but one day you hear it from a total stranger or read a certain book where all of a sudden, a light bulb went off and everything clicked?  Well, that’s what happened with “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind.”

Here’s the weird thing…..without even knowing it, I had been using the power of my subconscious mind over the years, especially after college graduation in the early 80′s!  All those visualizations about becoming a pilot, winning sales trips around the world as a stockbroker, becoming the world’s first deaf instrument rated pilot and becoming a national motivational speaker have all been the product of my subconscious mind!

I once wrote how, as a teenager, I used to drive my mother’s car down the middle of the highway out in the country, pretending I was a pilot taking off and landing.  I did that for a long time.  One day, I got so emotionally caught up because it felt real that I had to pull off to the side and compose myself.  I was crying a river of tears because it felt so good.  I somehow knew I would one day become a licensed pilot (such testimony of faith!) even though everyone told me otherwise.   If the Internet had existed back then, I would have known that deaf pilots had been taking to the skies since the late 40′s!

Several years later, my dream of becoming a pilot came true because I had three things going for me:

1. I visualized the end result (i.e. flying the airplane)
2. I believed it would happen (kept the faith)
3. I kept my mind open to the possibilities (i.e. allowed my intuition, hunches and ideas to lead the way)

But I know there’s more.  There’s a way to burrow in deeper.   This book teaches you several ways of gaining access to the elusive subconscious mind, one of which includes getting yourself in a drowsy state at which point you impress upon it a certain image of whatever you want to manifest.   For instance, say you wanted to get a new car of a specific model and make.  Once you’ve achieved the drowsy state of mind, you then bring up the image of yourself driving that particular car and believe it will come to pass.    You do this several times until it finally manifests.   It’s not your job to worry about the “how” and “when.”

As you can see, I’ve become an arduous student of the subconscious mind.   I really want to learn how to open the trapdoor to that “cellar” and gain access to infinite intelligence.   Access to where all the answers to my questions are waiting to be found.   Access to where the greatest powers of the universe can be harnessed.    Access to where God can be found.   Access to where I could reverse what was thought to be a genetic thing like balding.

Oh yes, what if?

The conscious mind is like the first floor of your house.  It’s full of noise, clutter, negative thoughts and distractions, making it difficult to enter the subconscious mind.   But when you become drowsy, your conscious mind is effectively “neutralized” and the trapdoor swings open easily and effortlessly.

The subconscious mind will manifest whatever request you make of it as long as you place your confidence in its ability to do so.   When I was visualizing myself as a pilot, I had no idea how I would do it but I trusted I would be led there and I was.    I followed whatever hunches, intuitions, impulses, urges and ideas that came up.

Meanwhile, my job was to keep the dream alive by doing what was within my power like driving down the middle of the highway and visiting the local airport practically every weekend.  If you take a look at the photo to your left, you’ll see that it looks like a runway!  (Photo credit:  Stubbyfingers).

It’s important to realize that timing is up to God, not you.    As long as your belief remains strong, it will eventually manifest in the outer world in some form, shape or way.

“The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” provides stellar examples of just how important beliefs play a powerful role in the eventual manifestation of our desires.

On page 56 begins a story of a man who was the author’s relative with tuberculosis.   The man’s son decided that he would help his father heal.   He approached the father and proceeded to tell him that he had met a monk with strange powers.

The monk, according to the son, went to a celebrated healing shrine in Europe and came back with a small fragment of the True Cross set in a ring dating back to the Middle Ages.   The son said he purchased the ring from the Monk for $500.   When the ring was shown to the father, he practically snatched it from the son, clasped the ring close to his chest, silently prayed and then went to sleep.

Can you guess what happened?

The next morning the father was miraculously healed!    Clinical tests showed negative results.   What’s fascinating about this story is that the monk was made up.  But because the father’s belief in the ring was so strong, the subconscious mind obeyed by bringing about the healing simply because he believed in his heart that it would heal him.

You and I know that it wasn’t the splinter of wood on the ring that healed the father.  It was his imagination that was aroused to such a degree that together with his confident expectancy, he was healed through the power of the subconscious mind.

I am so grateful I was led to this book because it has reawakened my desires for an even better life.   I want to begin conducting experiments, learning by trial and error, different ways of tapping into this powerful part of my mind.    Whereas before I unconsciously tapped into the “cellar,” I now want to consciously and purposefully tap into this fabulous reservoir and see what happens.    I’m so excited!

In fact, the experiments have already begun.  I’ve been mediating a lot lately and am learning how to place myself in that drowsy state of mind (either in the late afternoons or right before I go to bed).  The problem so far is that I get so drowsy that I end up falling asleep before I have a chance to make a specific request for the subconscious mind!  I guess it takes practice.  Hehehehe.

Needless to say, I highly recommend this book.  I also suggest you check out Part I and Part II of the interview Jennifer Mannion did with James Sinclair, the “What If” director.

To summarize, I’m grateful to be led to both the “What If” movie and “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” book.  In addition, I’m thankful Jennifer told me about her interview with the movie’s director because that might lead to other things that have not yet manifested like an interview with him at Adversity University plus other things.  Stay tuned!

I’m grateful that while the “What If” movie is not yet closed captioned, it will be.  When that happens, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Last but not least, I’m grateful to have a warm home, a car that works in the middle of winter and my health.

Food for thought:  Aren’t you grateful that you have the power to reach inside your subconscious mind and literally alter your future exactly the way you want it to look like?

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The Gratitude Rock in my Home

Well, here we are again, at the end of the week.  Is it me or did you notice it too?   Time is flying faster and faster.   Is this some sort of phenomena or what?   Hmmmm…..

Gratitude is a state of mind.  It’s like natural medicine for the body, mind and spirit.  It’s ESPECIALLY good for times like these with the economy and everything else in dire straits.

My neighbor just told me she got laid off and has to go in for a third operation for breast cancer!  And she has no money nor does she have insurance now that she’s out of a job.  What’s more, she’s 70 years old!  Without a job, she has no idea what she’s going to do.   Won’t you all pray for her?  Just a few words of good wishes for “Joanne.”   Send her your loving thoughts and energy.  She has no idea I’m asking my community at Adversity University to do this so this will be “our secret.”   Thanks!

Based on my experience, gratitude keeps you going in the face of sheer obstacles, regardless of what they  may be.   More often than not, it will lift you out of the doldrums and bless you with renewed enthusiasm, faith and focus.   It is a smart and cost effective way to retrain your mind.  If do it long enough, it takes over whatever you’ve been brainwashed to think is “normal” like complaining, blaming, being negative or acting ungrateful.

Try the following experiment next time you go out to a restaurant.  Pretend you’re a CIA agent eavesdropping on the conversation in the booth next to you.  I’ll bet you’ll hear someone “awfulizing” their day or passing negative judgments about other people.   To them, that’s the normal way of being.

Is it?

Not to me.  It’s a waste of time and energy.  What about you?

Maintaining an attitude of gratitude is a universal law that I’ve come to love and respect over the years.  I don’t know about you but for 59 weeks, I’ve sat down and thought of all the good things in my life that I was (and continue to be) grateful for, especially the ones that are taken for granted.   This practice has helped me enormously because the rewards I got in return were priceless including, but not limited to:  inner peace, unexpected speaking engagements, like-minded friends, miracles, good health, etc.

You see, when you make a habit of expressing gratitude, you’re actively re-framing your mind and gradually chipping away the negative voices that tend to rear their ugly heads from time to time.   That leads the way for more of the same (and more) good things to manifest in your life as I’ve already demonstrated.

Here are some gratitude items for you to chew on this week:

SHHHHH! The Biggest Secret to Success is…….

“Ask Not How Much Money You can Make But How You Can Help Others Prosper FIRST!”

As you know, I’ve been on a sabbatical of sorts so far this year, reading, reflecting and re-evaluating my life purpose.

Among many of the things that have emerged was the stark realization how many of us, myself included, tend to respond to opportunities with “How much money will I make?” or “What’s in it for me?” (Image Credit:  lorenodom)

Whoa!  That’s backward thinking!

True abundance is the result of helping other people get what they want first (love, peace, prosperity, acceptance, etc) to get what you want (the same exact things!).

If you really think about it, we all want the same things, don’t we?  So why don’t you and I take up a different way of thinking starting right now and say to ourselves, “What can I do to help you?”  Then see what comes your way.

I am very grateful that a friend of mine, Rebecca Duggan (who happens to be a fellow pilot), introduced me to an online business whose time has come because the first thing I saw was how their business model perfectly matched my newly re-framed attitude of helping others prosper.

Check it out!!

1. Go to my online business.
2. Scroll down to the bottom where you see my photo with Obstacle Illusions, LLC beneath it (that’s my company name)
3. Click on the photo and then go to the top right corner to “Overviews”
4. Click on the line that says “Click Here to View the Overview”  (Note:  Ignore the line above it that says “The overview has moved”).  Watch the video.
5. After you’re done with the video, scroll down the page until you see “How It Works” – that’s an online PowerPoint presentation.

After you’re done with the video and Powerpoint, go ahead and get some “hands on experience” by going back to my site.   You’ll see a drop down menu where it says “Retailers (A-Z).”  Do you recognize some of the stores?  Have you shopped through them online before?

I am inviting you to become part of my “A-List” team where you’d be sharing this opportunity with others exactly the way I’ve done with you today – online (or via email).  You could do this with your laptop – anywhere, anytime.    The company has done all the work for you.   It’s all a matter of making connections with people and helping them succeed!

Let’s do it together!

How I Managed to Stay on a Mostly Raw Food Lifestyle

Vita-Mix Blender

Granted, this winter has by far been the most challenging time for to stay on the raw food diet because I no longer cook.    That means I no longer eat “warm foods.”

For many of you, that would be a seemingly impossible task to let your pots and pans collect dust the way I have.  But if there’s anything I’ve learned with this journey, it’s all a mindset.

Once you make a firm decision to tackle a new way of eating, your deeply ingrained habits can and will change, even disappear – like how my cigar smoking and coffee drinking habits faded away.  They were two of my most favorite things in the world!  If you had told me that I’d give these two up, I would have called you crazy!  But it did happen.  Amazing!

Here’s how I’ve managed to sustain this lifestyle even during the coldest of winter months:

1.  Bought a Vitamix – this was a signal to my subconscious mind that I was deadly serious about my new lifestyle.  Reminder:  If you buy a Vitamix through me, you automatically get FREE SHIPPING ($25 value).

2.  Because I made a FIRM decision to start and didn’t worry about the ton of information floating out there with different people spouting forth different opinions about raw foods, I was able to enjoy the art of experimentation.  Now more than ever, I listen to my intuition because that’s what this journey has taught me to do.

3.  I also bought a good handful of raw food books that resonated with me.   The first book I ever got was “The Raw Food Detox Diet.”   Over time, I added more to my bookshelf .  There are a ton of books out there, many of which say the same things but there are also differing opinions as well.    Do your research and then get whatever feels right to you.

4.  Here’s a sample of what I eat during the day:

• Morning: A green smoothie (mixture of green leafy vegetables, orange, apple, frozen strawberries and a banana).  I’m having fun mixing different ingredients by listening to my intuition.  I’ve made some surprising discoveries in this way.
• Mid-morning: A cup of Khashi granola cereal (not 100 percent raw but that’s okay!)
• Lunch: A simple cucumber sandwich (or rollup) consisting of cucumbers, garlic/herb spices, slices of apples, feta cheese and onions.  ABSOLUTELY, OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS!
• Mid-afternoon: A banana, apple, orange or a Lara Bar (it varies)
• Dinner: Usually a big bowl of spinach salad loaded with a ton of vegetables, apples, raisins, raw cheese, garlic, etc.  AWESOME!

5.  I usually drink hot herbal tea throughout the day to keep my body warm (no more coffee!)

6.  I also take hot baths from time to time!

7.  I exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes, most of which are done on the treadmill (cardio).  That sure gets my blood warmed up!

8.  And finally, I experiment, experiment, experiment!  I don’t get caught up in too many other people’s opinions.   I’ve been having a blast watching my energy soar and stay there while watching a lot of weight slide and stay off.   On top of that, I’ve been lead to do things that I never thought I’d do.  You’ll be surprised what I have in my mind as the next thing I want to do – everyone will think I’m absolutely crazy to do it but I just might.     Can you guess what it is?  I’ll give you a hint  – it has to do with moving elsewhere.

WiFi Toshiba Laptop

Ever since I bought my first-ever laptop computer the day after Thanksgiving last year and asked a friend from church (Robert Patrick) to set up my wireless router (THANK YOU ROBERT!), I’ve been using it in other parts of my home, mostly in the living room where I have a comfortable leather couch.

I’m so grateful that I’m no longer shackled inside my office, chained to the desktop computer.   The freedom of having a wireless WiFi computer also allows me to go to coffee shops whenever I feel like it and still stay connected!

Not only that, but I can do my new online business anywhere in the world!  I can conduct transactions and introduce people to the business from inside a tea shop in the Caribbean if I wanted to!  Who would ever have thunk it? 

Grand Opening of Reiki Practice

Thanks to a new friend Alex who I met at a potluck dinner at Pure Intentions (a school of energy in the valley near my home), I now have a new flyer to advertise my Reiki healing services (see photo).  All the credit goes to him for creating it from scratch.  The only thing I provided was my photo.

Thank you Alex!   After a few minor changes, the flyer will be good to go!

When people advance in new directions with good intentions (hmmm…”good intentions”/”pure intentions” – something divine happening here????), be prepared for the universe to provide the right people, places and circumstances to assist you.   That’s exactly what’s happening with me as I pursue this new healing arts journey.

Not only did Alex help me create my first Reiki flyer (he’s a graphic designer) but a very attractive arrangement was magically worked out with a couple of massage therapists already established at Pure Intentions.

Both Sean Freeman and Sue Kime have have generously made available their beautifully decorated rooms at incredibly reasonable rates while I build my new Reiki practice.   I am so grateful to them.  Thank you Sean and Sue!

Rebekah, the delightful drummer, also from Pure Intentions, gets my heartfelt thanks for her love and support as well.

Heck, everyone there, Kathy Evans (Owner of Pure Intentions) and Cindy Eubanks, the life coach have also reached out and welcomed me into their burgeoning community.   Kathy gave me permission this morning to hang up the flyer on a bulletin board in the lobby as well as put out extra copies on a beautifully decorated shelf space (also in the lobby).   I couldn’t have asked for a more loving reception!  Thanks Kathy and Cindy.

If you’re from the area, there are many things going on at Pure Intentions including a raw food/vegetarian monthly potluck dinner, yogi, drumming, life coaching and massage therapy (and now Reiki!)    Check out their calendar – I hope to see you there one day!

Here’s a picture of one of the rooms I’ll be using:

To those at Pure Intentions who have so generously reached out to me at this new juncture of my life, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU!

If you are in the Akron/Cleveland area and you’d like to experience the Reiki healing touch, please send me an message via the contact form above or call 866-541-8152 for an appointment.

We can get you in on most days as long as I am in town and clear it with Sean or Sue.

Food for thought:  Are you experiencing difficult times right now?  I hope not but if you are, I’m with you in spirit.  Write down what good things you have going on right now and focus on them for a bit.  Need help?

Okay, how about this – can you hear, see, smell, talk or walk?   If you’re missing one of these, think of the other abilities you do have.  Are you in good health?  Well, there’s one for you.  If you’re not, are you being taken care of?   You can do it!

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It’s been a rather interesting beginning of the year.  When I say that, I’m actually trying to say it’s been a “strange” start for me.  What about you?

After coming off a great 2008 in every area of my life (physical, mental, professional, spiritual, etc), I was expecting to dive into 2009 with great anticipation and excitement but it has not turned out that way, much to my surprise.

While I’ve been “stuck” before, it’s somehow different this time.  It’s almost as if an internal shift is taking place and I’m being prepared for something mysterious.  These days, I find myself spending a lot of time alone, reading, reflecting and meditating.

Just the other day I took a long, invigorating walk in freezing temperatures to mingle with nature.  I found myself extra aware of my surroundings and took special notice of the trees, the hills, the rocks and the path I was treading on.   An hour and a half later, I was back to my car, fully refreshed.

A mental note to myself:  Do this more often!

Here are a couple things I’m grateful for during this strange time of my life:

A Warm Home to Sit and Reflect

I’m thankful I have a home where I can sit still and not feel like I have to be out running like a headless chicken.  My entire home is a sanctuary of sorts where I can get close to God and find out what really matters to my inner spirit.  Things of spiritual nature are taking on increasing significance for me these days and I’m grateful I have a warm, nurturing place for all that to manifest.

Since I no longer smoke cigars (thanks to the new raw food journey), the after-affects of cigar smoke has all but vanished.  It’s been replaced by pleasant smelling candlelight fragrance and incense.   My neighbors are peaceful and there’s no drama around here.   What more could I ask for?

It feels as if I am undergoing a new awareness shift this year.  I am being drawn to all kinds of interesting places on the Internet, picking up exciting information along the way, some of which I’ve discarded and others I’ve adopted as part of my new belief system.   The materials that resonate with my soul has led me to draw new and profound conclusions about the meaning and purpose of my life.  Never a dull moment!

For those of you who are open minded, you might want to head over to Akemi Gaine’s site where she wrote an article called Soul Shifting and the Light Ascension of Maybe 2012.   I am still contemplating her very interesting and thought provoking (perhaps radical) theories about why some people like myself are feeling stuck at this time.  If nothing else, they make for great reading, giving us tantalizing food for thought.

No Urge to Write a List of Goals

It seems so unlike me not to want to write a big list of goals for the  year.  But I just don’t feel the urge to do something that’s expected of everyone!

That’s just it.

I am becoming a rebel and no longer want to conform!  Hahaha.

Seriously though, writing goals seems to be a frivolous exercise because you’re always living in the future, striving to reach the final destination and not paying much attention to the journey along the way.  Now, that  doesn’t mean I don’t or won’t have a vision but to write down a bunch of goals?

What for?

A fellow speaker, Stephen Shapiro, wrote a book called Goal-Free Living – I highly recommend you check it out.  Inside there is a very interesting “Goalaholic Quiz.”  You just might be a goalaholic!  (I was found to be one of them – hell yes, that’s right – in fact, I have sitting on the shelf of my bookcase a 5 to 10 year goal plan.  I am not kidding!)

From inside the book jacket, Stephen says “we are taught from a young age that in order to achieve great success, we must set and achieve our goals.  However, in doing so, we become focused on where we are going rather than enjoying where we are right now.”

My thoughts exactly!

Lately, I have this intense desire to live in the present more than ever and just go with the flow.  I want to enjoy every moment of my life and if that means doing things at the drop of a hat like I did with the London trip last year, then by golly, I’m going to do more of that this year!

I’m like “Wow, what’s going on here?”

Raw Food Journey Continues

Even with the very cold weather these days, I’m grateful I continue to maintain a substantially raw food lifestyle.  I no longer cook and so I rarely have “warm meals” these days.   The only thing I have that’s warm are several cups of herbal tea throughout the day.

While I use my Vitamix blender for mostly green smoothies, I could make raw soup but haven’t taken the time to learn how to make one.  Today I went shopping and for the first time since going raw in September 2008, I bought a can of Campbell Tomato Soup because I was desperate for some hot soup!  Har, har, har.

Remember, I’m not 100 percent raw and I will never be.  So it’s okay for me to have the occasional “cooked” meal.  Cool?

Despite the challenges, I continue to stay motivated to not only eat mostly fruits and vegetables but also workout several times a week.  It’s very gratifying to see my flat stomach every time I look down while tightening my belt.  I also love it when the bathroom scale tells me that I’ve been maintaining my ideal weight, somewhere between 151 to 154 lbs (depending on the day I guess) versus 178 lbs a year ago!

Not Worried

This is a big one.   Despite the economy and the uncertainty of what lays ahead, I am not worried at all.   Doreen Virtue, bestselling spiritual author, reminds us that God’s creativity, wisdom and love for us is boundless.

She’s right.   Looking back, I have always been provided for.  Everything that I ever needed always came to me at the right time.  I never lacked for anything (even though I might not have felt that way at the time!).

Because my prayers have been answered in surprising, miraculous and unexpected ways, I feel no sense of fear that would normally have shackled me into paralysis whenever I was in this “stuck” mode.    Nope, not this time.

In other words, I know I will be fine, no matter what happens this year.   How cool is it to actually feel this way!?

Feel Like I’m Being Prepared For Something Beyond My Wildest Dreams

This one may sound contradictory but for some strange, inexplicable reason, I sense that this year is just going to blow doors open in ways never before anticipated.  I just feel it!   (Photo Source Here)

And I’m ready – whatever it is!

Relationship with God and My Guardian Angels

My relationship with God and the guardian angels has been getting stronger and stronger with each passing day.  I sense more ideas will flow from the divine faster than ever, giving me plenty of ideas and opportunities to pursue in 2009 and beyond.  Everything I do will benefit mankind in large and small ways.  I will be looking for opportunities to provide value and then deliver.

What roles will I be playing this year?   I have NO idea!  That’s the fun part about this whole thing.    It’s all mysterious, yet exact.  Nothing happens by accident.  Everything will fall in its rightful place at the right time.

I just need to remain still and let God.

Okay, I told you it would be a short gratitude post.  May God bless all of you with freedom, happiness and inner peace going forward.  Thank you for being a part of this community.    We are in for some interesting times!

Don’t forget we have Part II of my interview with Michael Stallard, the former Wall Street executive who quit to follow his dreams of helping people make heart to heart connections in the workplace.   He’s the real deal of a lightworker and I encourage you to hang around for when it airs on Wednesday of this week.

Until then, enjoy!

Food for thought:  And what about you – what’s happening to you as we go forward into the new year?

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Grateful Stephen Keeping Warm

“Be content with what you have-rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” LaoTzu

I was on Twitter this morning, going through other people’s tweets when I saw the above quote from Dhrumil, founder of “We Like It Raw.”  I immediately knew it would fit with this week’s long awaited gratitude post.

It’s amazing – I have so much to be grateful for but I had been putting off writing this simply because I wasn’t inspired to but all of a sudden my whole body, mind and spirit became re-invigorated and here we are!  I knew this would happen and I’m glad I gave myself a chance to ease in the new year without feeling the need to rush back to the keyboard.  I got a much deserved break and I thank all of you for being patient.

Here are some of the things I am deeply grateful for as we go into the new year:

Christmas with Family and Friends

Festival of Christmas Lights

I am blessed to have close family and friends who are happy to see me during the holidays.  I know I’ll always have a place to go, no matter what.   For Christmas, I drove to Virginia and spent an entire week at my brother’s house.

We all have heard of the saying how time seems to be flying by faster as we get older.  Well, I believe there’s a scientific reason behind that.  I’m not quite sure of the details but the 6 hour drive from Ohio to Virginia and back literally felt like 15 minutes.    I was there for one week, arriving on a Monday and before all of us knew it, it was Saturday.

Unbelievable!

Stephen and Nita at a Natural Food Deli Restaurant

Among some of the things I did was to enjoy quality time with my Mom and Dad (Mom and I went for a nice leisurely stroll in the woods behind the house), I had lunch with Nita at a natural food deli/restaurant, met Sharmaine Hobbs for the very first time and drove through a fabulous outdoor lights festival.

You all “met” Sharmaine Hobbs last year when I did an interview with her.   Nita was someone who I met at a speaking engagement in Washington DC a few years ago and we ended up becoming good friends.  Along the way, Nita became a faithful subscriber, sometimes acting as a virtual assistant, alerting me whenever the server for this blog went down.

All of us had a great time.

Sharmaine Hobbs and Stephen

I even ate Tiramisu!  Now, this might not seem like a big deal to you so a little explaining is in order here.  First of all, Nita, the ever-so faithful subscriber, said in jest one day that she was sick and tired of seeing the gratitude posts start off with the same ole picture of a Tiramisu even though I never ate one before.

Well as luck would have it, my brother and his wife bought one with ice cream in it (instead of the usual cream, per Nita).  Lo and behold, I had my first Tiramisu!  Now I can say I’ve had a sampling of it – hehehe.

If you’re new here and you don’t know what the heck is so funny, go to  Flicker and you’ll see.  Notice what it says on the plate.

My first-ever Tiramisu!

While the holidays are very stressful for a lot of people, we had the most un-stressful time ever.   My family agreed to just buy gifts for the girls and not each other.   That saved us a lot of hassle plus we genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.

Now, that’s something I don’t take for granted!

Speaking Gigs in 2008

Last year was my best year ever in terms of paid speaking engagements.   The funny thing is I’m not an aggressive marketer at all.  I don’t make cold calls and neither do I send out a flurry of unsolicited emails about my speaking services.

Ever since my speaking website was revamped a two years ago or so, clients have magically appeared along the way, finding me on the Internet.  I’m grateful I invested the money to have my speaking website revamped so that clients like Frito-Lay, Penn State University, Risk Management Institute and others could find me online and fly me out to places like Las Vegas, Texas, Florida and Michigan, to name a few.

Risk Mgmt Institute, Las Vegas

I even spoke to the British Police in London when I went over there at the drop of the hat to visit friends last November (2008)!   That gig was an unexpected bonus.  If you don’t take a risk (like dropping what you’re doing and doing something totally out of character), you won’t get to see what could have been.  You never know!

I’m actually going back to Las Vegas in March to speak to a large aviation organization in March 2009.  It’s for the National Air Transportation Association to help them with a major fundraising effort for their aviation scholarship fund.    It was because of a scholarship I won from them in late 2005 that the cost of becoming the world’s first deaf instrument rated pilot was partially defrayed.  They asked if I would headline as a keynote speaker at one of their biggest events of the year to “give back.”   How could I say anything but “YES!”

You can see a video they put together to promote this mega-event right here.

Frito-Lay Corporation, Dallas, Texas

I’m grateful that not only have speaking clients magically gravitated towards me but that I have a chance to give back as a speaker in a meaningful way.

Raw Food Journey That Began in Sept 2008

The decision to adopt a raw food lifestyle changed my life in ways I never would have imagined.   Not only did I shed significant weight but I went on a quest for spiritual cleansing, got closer to God and sharpened my intuition.   My mind became clearer.  I was sleeping better and enjoyed more energy.  On top of that, I found myself being led to spiritual events, places and people.  I also began taking wild risks like dropping everything at the drop of a hat and flying to London for a week.

Leading a raw food lifestyle through the bitter cold winter months has been an interesting challenge because ever since I began eating fruits and vegetables, I basically stopped cooking.   I gave up cigars and coffee, two of my most favorite things in the world.   To my surprise, giving them up was easy and effortless.   Not once have I wanted to go back to either of them – amazing!

I’m grateful that despite the frigid temperatures outside, I continue to venture outside and visit the gym several times a week.  As a result of my commitment to better health, my weight went from 178 to an average of 152 lbs.   Based on past experience, winters are always the hardest times to maintain a healthy regiment of physical fitness and diet but I continue to stick with it.

Thank you God!

Congratulations to Jessica Cox – The World’s First Armless Pilot

Being grateful also means being happy and thankful for other people’s successes.  My mentor, Howard Putnam, former CEO of Southwest Airlines, alerted me to Jessica’s eye-popping achievement.  She became the first ARMLESS pilot in the world, flying with her feet.  Imagine that!

I met her at a National Speakers Association convention in Orlando back in 2006.  She’s the nicest, most humble person you’d ever meet.   Watching her on video do the things we all take for granted made me realize that we have no right to complain.

Take a look at her video and try telling me you aren’t impressed:

God bless you Jessica for inspiring the rest of us with the things you can do.  If you can put contact lenses in, fly an airplane and go for a black belt in Karate, the rest of us have a lot to think about!

What an inspiration you are – thanks!

Certified Reki Practitioner

Reki Practitioner Certificate

Some of the most amazing things have happened since transforming my life with the raw food diet have included me being led on a path of healing, health and wellness.  While I’ve heard of Reki before, I never really paid much attention to it.  I believed it was for those who were “chosen.”

I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Through a series of events that took place just before I left for the holidays, I was led to an opportunity to take a class with a Master Reki teacher from Canton, OH.

My friend Linda Clifton from CrossRoads (where I got my first-ever colonic followed by a couple of amazing footbaths and sessions in the infrared sauna) told me about it.     I knew I wanted to do something in the healing arts because I had considered taking a course with Dr. Eric Pearl, author of “The Reconnection.”   But his seminar wasn’t until March 2009.  So when this came up, I jumped at the chance.

What is Reki exactly?

In short, it’s a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing.   It is administered by the laying of the hands on the person and allowing universal life force to flow through the practitioner to the patient.

If you’re curious to learn more about it, click here.

Transformation on the Planet

What is most gratifying is that we are witnessing the planet undergo major changes for the better.  There’s been a huge shakeout, as you have already seen, in the world of finance and high power.  This is necessary to transform the planet into a place where the playing field is more level than it was before.  (Photo credit:  loswl)

Have you noticed more and more people are rising up to the light, following their inner path to provide kindness, higher consciousness, love and compassion as well as become environmentally conscious?  This is not an accident.  This is why I have hope, optimism and faith going forward, not to mention enormous gratitude.

I believe Obama is an evolved soul and that it was his destiny to be elected president so that he can help close the gap that currently exists in this power structured world.  I knew from the start he would be elected.  In fact, I couldn’t help but have visions of him taking the oath of president on the steps of Capital Hill.  He has a sense of light, compassion and understanding that no other politician has ever demonstrated before in my opinion.  The fallout in the financial markets are part of the leveling taking place as we move toward the light.  This greatly comforts me despite the challenging times our country is experiencing.

We all have a piece of God in ourselves.  We are also all one.  Like the wave and the ocean are one.  I believe those who are cognizant of this will survive going forward while the dark forces will continue to fall by the wayside.

Many of you in this Adversity University community are lightworkers.  I am too – that’s why you were attracted to this blog.  Whether or not you realize it, you are aiming to make a difference in your own way.  That’s why you are still here with me.   I am grateful that I have a platform and an audience to share my views about the power of gratitude, the power of making a difference and the power of seeing life from a different perspective, to name a few.

In short, I am grateful Mother Earth continues to evolve towards the light and heal from horrific man-made wounds and that we are heading for a kinder, more compassionate world.

Confessions of a Mystic

I have one final thing I’m grateful for.  Thanks to Liara Covert from Dreambuilders, Australia (who you may have noticed is the # 1 comment champ this month), I stumbled onto an online book called “Confessions of a Mystic.”

From the moment I read the first story, I was immediately hooked.  If you’re into miracles, signs from the angels (like feathers floating down to the pavement) and things of that nature, I think you’ll enjoy this online book very much.

I just added it to my blogroll today, thanks to Liara.

Take a moment to check out Confessions of a Mystic.

Food for thought:  What are you grateful for this weekend?

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Well, that’s a good start, isn’t it?    You see, there’s always something to be grateful for if you just look closely.

Here – let me give you a gratitude quote I found online by someone named John Henry Jowett:

“Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic”

Let’s take a look at what happened this week that led to constant renewal of gratitude for me:

“Slumdog Millionaire” Movie Preview Screening

Have any of you seen the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”?  It’s an Indian movie now making the rounds at select movie theaters around the country.  I was fortunate to get a free ticket (you can get one too if you go to the movie’s website and look for “special screenings” on the right).   Even though it wasn’t captioned, I “got it” just by watching the story unfold for over an hour.    Certain parts were subtitled because some foreign dialect was spoken.

In one word:  AWESOME!

I left the movie theater uplifted and inspired because it reminded me of one very important spiritual principle and that is there is a greater unseen force at work in all of our lives, pulling together a string of people, places and opportunities, all of which are designed to help us move toward our destiny.  These are things that we cannot possibly orchestrate on our own.    I’ve written about this many times here because I’ve seen ample evidence of it in my own life.   I bet if you really think about it, you have experienced it as well.

The movie is basically a love story between one young, handsome Indian man and one very beautiful girl both of whom shared a part of their challenging childhood together.   I won’t spoil it by telling you the details but suffice to say, I loved it and I think you will too.  It’s already been nominated for several Globe awards.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the lead actor won an Oscar after the Golden Globes – he was that good!

I’m grateful Dhrumil from We Like it Raw recommended it.   Because I have a truckload of respect for him (he’s an honorable man with integrity and respect for others), I checked it out and was glad I followed through on his recommendation.

And so now it’s my turn to pass on that recommendation to YOU!

Angels in the Parking Lot

After the movie was over, I was heading toward my car when I noticed a security guard helping a man jump start his and I thought to myself, “What a good Samaritan!”  Little did I know I would be needing their help.

I turned to look in the direction of my car and to my horror, the headlights were still on!   I couldn’t believe I had forgotten to turn them off and it wasn’t the first time either.    Quickly picking up my pace, I made a beeline for the car, shutting off the lights and tried to start it, hoping the engine would crank over.

It didn’t.

Interestingly enough, while all of this was happening, I felt an eerie sense of calm.   My heart was not fluttering nor did I feel any sense of panic.  I just did what came to mind and took immediate action in rapid succession like flipping the trunk open, retrieving the portable cable jumpers (see photo below) and tried again.

Nothing.

Unfortunately the juice in the jumper unit was too weak to revive the car battery.   The reason why was a no brainer – I had neglected to charge it up at home.

Leaving the hood wide open, I quickly traversed my way across the dimly lit parking lot to where I had last seen the security guard helping the unidentified man.    They were just finishing up when I arrived.

“Hi, could you help me jump start my car too?” I said hopefully.

The security guard responded, “Do you have a pair of jumper cables in your car?”

“No,” I replied.

At that moment, the unidentified man handed over his.   “Here,” he said kindly.

Gratefully, I took the cables and went back to the car with the security guard’s car following closely behind me.

Within seconds the trusty little Honda came back to life.

Do you believe angels are watching over us?  I do.  They were there that night and I’m very grateful for it.  I made it home without incident.    You can bet your bottom butt that I not only made sure the car lights were turned off but I also took the jumper unit inside my home and got it charged up!

Another day, another lesson.

By the way, I know a higher force was at work that night because who knows?   I might not have thought of asking the security guard to jump start my car.   It was almost as if the unidentified man did all the thinking for me.    Interesting theory, hmmmmmm?

Ah, the mysteries of divine intervention.   Whether or not we believe in it, it’s always working on our behalf.

Rebirth of Entrepreneurial Spirit

A couple weeks ago I hinted that one of the benefits of changing my food consumption was the re-emergence of my inner entrepreneurial spirit.   This blog, up until now, has never had a hint of commercialism except when I had the old blogging platform (blogger.com) with Google Ads in it.

Vita-Mix Blender 5200 in my kitchen

As we move forward into 2009, you will begin to see hints of entrepreneurship flourishing and I hope you will support me in my endeavors.

In fact, it’s already starting.   If you take a look at the top of the page, you’ll see a tab where it says “Vitamix – Free Shipping!”   I am proud to be a new affiliate for Vitamix because I’ve very much enjoyed having one myself (see photo).   If you order a unit through me, you’ll get free shipping.

I also announced last week that I just started an online business, an idea whose time has come.   I’m very excited about it.    A handful of you have responded to my call for inquiries about what I was up to and I’ve replied back to all of them.

Since it won’t be until 2009 when I give out more details, you are still welcome to send me private inquiries for more information.

I’m very grateful for the re-emergence of my entrepreneurial desires because now more than ever, I am coming to the realization that I have been subconsciously holding myself back.   Thanks to the raw food journey, I’m very clear about what I am meant to do with my life and that’s to simultaneously make a difference and enjoy an increase in abundance.

What about you?

And the Winner Is……

Nita and her dog Coral

Earlier this week, I asked you to identify what you thought was my 2nd biggest passion (besides raw foods) that’s emerged for me this year.   Your responses ranged from my dream of publishing a book to speaking all over the world, among other things.

But only one person got it right.

It was Nita, a long-time subscriber, fan and friend of Adversity University.  She said “your new online business.”

THAT’S RIGHT NITA!

Congratulations!    Do you want to take another guess at where her prize will come from?

But of course!

What will it be?   A doggie treat for Coral?    A gift certificate for her favorite restaurant?

Stay tuned folks!

I’m grateful that people like you and Nita continue to be active members of Adversity University, responding to my questions and taking active part in various discussions.    It’s what makes this place so vibrant and fun, fun, fun.     Thank you!

Family Visit for Christmas

My nieces - two of the cutest identical twins who will see lots and lots of presents this year!

In a few short weeks, I will be heading to VA to visit my brother and his family for the holidays.   I was there earlier this summer and had a great time.

My Mom and Dad will also be there.   Both in their 70′s, they are carrying on rather well with their physical well being.

All of us have decided this year just to concentrate on giving the kids gifts.    There’s nothing more joyful than watching two innocent little girls rip through their presents like there was no tomorrow!   Can’t wait!

Not only will I be blessed to be with part of my family (my other two sisters and their families are too far away to join us), but I will also be hanging out with Nita (see above) who happens to live in the DC area.

A few days later, I will be meeting up with Sharmaine Hobbs for the first time ever.  You all remember her from the fantastic “Stephen Hopson Interview with Sharmaine Hobbs” back in August.    A good group of you instantly bonded with her.    I can’t wait to meet you Sharmaine!

I’m grateful that not only do I have a place to go to for Christmas but will also be meeting up with a couple of really cool people who have been part of Adversity University for a long time.

7 Principles of Mindful Wealth

These principles were obtained out of a free e-book, the link of which is embedded in the image on your left.   I am supremely grateful that I came across these principles because they have been life changing for me.   See if they make sense to you:

Principle 1:  Most people limit their wealth by choice (either consciously or subconsciously).  (Believe it or not, that was me!)

Principle 2:  Money is not evil.  They way money is EARNED and SPENT is good or evil, depending on the ethics applied to it (which is why I will not become affiliates with companies I don’t believe in or promote their products/services).

Principle 3:  Money shall be accumulated (earned) in service of protecting sustainable life (it shall also be earned ethically, honestly and without deception).

Principle 4:  Money shall be redistributed (spent) in service of protecting sustainable life.

Principle 5:  Wealth shall not be hoarded.

Principle 6:  Poverty is not pious.  You do not gain bonus karma points for living in poverty.

Principle 7:  Natural living advocates have a moral obligation to mindfully attract and redistribute vast amounts of wealth, in alignment with their core beliefs, and with full honesty in their methods (that means being upfront about your affiliate relationships or whether you stand to make money off a recommendation).

These 7 principles are everywhere in my house – on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator, on the inside part of the front door and in my bedroom.  Every morning while brushing my teeth, my eyes inevitably turn to look at this sheet, reinforcing my new belief system that we have a natural God-given right to abundance.

Mike Adams is the creator of these brilliant principles.  He is also the editor of the incredibly popular and powerful Natural News newsletter.    His newsletters are unbiased, full of eye-opening information and very useful, especially for those of you who are health conscious.    Check it out!

Mr. Adams, I know you don’t know me from Mr. Joe Blow but I am GRATEFUL to YOU for making this very powerful e-book available to the masses.    It transformed my life in incredible ways.    Thanks!!

Food for thought:  Has any of these 7 principles sunk deeply in your spirit?    Do you recognize areas where you might be holding yourself back?    Check it out – you might be surprised to find out the truth!

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Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the beauty of winter around here.   In fact, I happen to live in the Valley where I’m surrounded by miles and miles of woods and state parks.   It’s one reason I continue to stay here.

Just because Thanksgiving came and went doesn’t mean we can’t continue to find things we’re grateful for.  If I’ve learned anything from writing 55 weekly gratitude posts, it’s the value of maintaining an attitude of gratitude even when times are tough.  Like right now.  Seems that America is falling apart, right?

But are you falling apart?

Maybe you’re worried about your pension because the company you once worked for might not survive if they don’t get bailed out by the government.    Maybe your finances are tight.  All of that stuff is probably swirling around in your head.    Stop and ask yourself if any of these things are within your control.

I’m willing to bet that the answer for many of the things you might be worried about is no.  But what you can control is your outlook.     Why not look at what’s working in your life and focus on them instead?   For some of you, that might be all you think you have.    Maybe you’re just hanging by the thread.   If you are, I’ve been there but I certainly hope not!

All of us are affected in some way by the current state of economy but not all of us deal with it the same way.  So how about writing down a list of things you’re grateful for and thanking God for your blessings, no matter how small they might be?

Here are mine:

3 Day Juice Feast/Fast a Success

Remember I wrote earlier this week about my 3 day juicing experiment?  It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.  (Photo:  Margot)

For the last 3 months, I have been drinking mostly green smoothies in the mornings followed by a variety of different plant-based dishes including but not limited to spinach salads, “Hoppy Loaves” (romaine lettuce with avocados sprinkled with cherry tomatoes), raw spaghetti (zucchini made into noodles with green sauce) and others.

After a few weeks of reading up on the benefits of juicing, I went on a 3 day juice fast where I had nothing by freshly made juice every 3 or 4 hours.   Let me tell you, that really took discipline!  But it was fun  – I wanted to see if I could do it.

And I did!

I was surprised how much easier it was than I thought it would be.   Surprisingly, I had super high energy throughout the entire time and never felt so clean inside.   Working out was no problem at all.  I didn’t even need to take my “cat nap” in the afternoons.   I kept going all day until it was time for bed and the moment my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light and slept like a baby.   Incredible.

My weight dropped from 152.0 to 148.5, the LOWEST EVER in 20 years.   Thursday was the first day I broke the fast and went back to solids but unfortunately I rushed back into it too quickly.   I ended up emitting so much gas it was embarrassing!     My energy wasn’t up to par at the gym.   Even the green smoothie I had that morning didn’t seem to help much.   I should have paid attention to recommendations on how to break a juice fast in “The Complete Book of Juicing” but I was so eager to eat again that I went overboard.

Lesson learned.

It’s now Saturday and I’m fine.   As expected, my weight went back up to its normal level (153.0) (151.0 on Sunday).  That’s the interesting thing about the body.  It knows what your “normal weight” should be and it will operate on its own.  In other words, there’s really no need to push your body to a certain weight level because it will find its “natural position” all by itself.

And now that I’m back to solids, everything seems to be back to pre-juicing energy levels.   It seems my body has readjusted nicely (no more gas!).    I’m very grateful I had an opportunity to see what it was like to go on a short juice fast.    I now know that I will do this again, perhaps for 5 days instead of 3, probably sometime during January 2009.

Later on in the new year I might even do a 92 day juice feast like Philip McCluskey and Angela Stokes did.   Once I make my decision, there’s no going back!   I’ll bet you can’t wait to see if I end up doing it, huh?    If you’re not a subscriber, you might want to sign up so you won’t miss it!

Launching a New Business

Part of this very interesting raw food journey is that not only have I taken my life to the next level by living with zest and a sense of adventure (like going to London last month at the drop of the hat), but after lying dormant for YEARS, my entrepreneurial spirit has finally been revived.

Even though that took me by surprise, I wasn’t really surprised because I had been reading that something like that might happen along way.   Many new raw foodists go through a metamorphosis of sorts.  They completely change the way they carry on their lives, the way they perceive and take risks and uncover hidden talents along the way.    It’s like being reborn.   You’re on a wonderful, exhilarating journey self discovery, clearing out old debris and allowing the real you to emerge.    That’s what detoxing your body with healthy food will do for you.  In fact, it’s made me leaner, cleaner and more alert than ever!   There’s more of me coming into the light that you don’t yet know about.   Hold on to your seats boys and girls!

Thanks to people like Corinne Edwards, Sharmaine Hobbs, Christine O’Kelly and others, my mind has been constantly been on the lookout for multiple streams of income.    Over the years, I’ve been exposed to several different business models but none of them appealed to me for a variety of different reasons.   But I’m very excited to tell you that I finally found something that resonates within the deepest core of my inner being!

The beautiful thing about my latest food journey is that because my mind is clearer than ever, I’ve put myself in the position of manifesting things at a faster rate than before.  I’m more alert to opportunities that are passing by.   God is placing new people in my life, gifting me with me speaking engagements and other fortuitous opportunities.  I’m so very grateful for it all.

Since I am still in the process of establishing this new business, I’m not yet ready to announce it to the world but I do want to share how it all got started.   If by the end of my story you want to know more about it, send me an email or fill out the “contact me” form above.

One day, I got an email from friend of mine who also happens to be a pilot.    She sent me a couple video links which took 7 life changing minutes of my time.   By the time I finished, I knew immediately that God was using her to reach out to me because I found something that made my spirit tingle!

Despite the inner conviction, I still wanted to pray about it and ask God for a sign.

It came a week later in the form an announcement by the editor of a very highly respected health newsletter (with over a million subscribers).   He had mentioned that this particular business model was poised to explode in the coming years and listed reasons why he thought so.   I literally fell off my chair – I had my sign!

I thank God for this fortuitous event and look forward to developing it into a full-fledged online business.  Stay tuned!

Other things I’m VERY grateful for:

1. I’m in better shape today than I was when I was in my 30′s because I made a firm decision to take care of the body I was neglecting at the beginning of this summer.

2. Despite the economy, I continue to hold my head up high and have faith that I will continue to prosper and grow my businesses.

3. A national aviation association that awarded me a $2500 scholarship for my historic instrument flight training in 2006 invited me to speak at a fund raising event in Las Vegas next year – I’m grateful to be giving back as I’m donating my speaking services for them in exchange for an all expense paid trip to the strip – this will be my second time in Las Vegas!

4. If you are a serious blogger, then you probably know about SOBCon09, a business school for bloggers in Chicago.  I’m extremely excited to inform you that I was invited by the very famous Liz Strauss to give a presentation on “Blog Accessibility” along with Karen Putz and Glenda Hyatt.

Go to SOBCon09 and check out the program – I’m scheduled to give my portion at 4 pm on Friday, the first day of the conference.    Us three will rock the place!  Whoo hoo!

5. I continue to cultivate friendships with those who understand what I am going through and support me, especially during my raw food journey.  I’m grateful to those people who have emerged into my life in ways that have been unexpected yet divinely orchestrated.    I thank God for bringing them into my life.

This means getting rid of toxic people who do not understand what you’re doing and do nothing but surround you with negative vibes.    They are usually those who complain about the economy or do not want to make changes with their lives.    I need to surround myself with people who are go-getters, people who want to succeed and actually make changes with whatever they’re not happy with – I’m talking about people who are consistently working through their challenges (no one is immune!) and have a healthy attitude about them.

Back when I first started this blog, I wrote an article called  The Importance of Surrounding Yourself with the Right People.    I was inspired to write it because I had just got done releasing certain people with whom I had been involved with for several months that had to be let go.

6. And finally, I thank YOU for being with me for so long.  Many of you have seen what I’ve done with my life and I’m proud to know that I’ve touched you as much as you’ve touched me with your comments and interest.    THANK YOU.

Food for thought:

Two things:

1)  Has anything happened to you this week that you can be grateful for?  Name one thing and tell us about it!

2)  Are you curious to know more about my new online business?  Email me for details if you want to know more about it or use the contact form above.

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Then BOOM, the Thanksgiving holiday came and went and now it’s DECEMBER!!

For those of you who are on my RSS/email subscription list, you will see two blog posts today.

The first, of course, is this “End of the Week Gratitude Theme” that was supposed to have been delivered last Friday.  The second is a short interview of myself…once again, giving you yet another opportunity to get to know me while I wait for future interview guests to get back to me with their responses.

I thought it was funny because when I didn’t write my gratitude post, one faithful subscriber wrote and asked if I was down and out without anything to be grateful for last week.   She jokingly asked if I wanted some chicken noodle soup to nurture and reassure my soul that all was well.   The thing is I have MUCH to be grateful for!   Time just flew by so quickly!

Where shall I start?

My First Semi-Raw Thanksgiving Dinner

You see, I knew embarking on a raw food journey was not going to be without challenges, especially around the holidays.  I don’t know about you but I grew up eating traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in the Hopson household.  Not very much of it was raw food, heh heh. (Photo credit:  stephgum32807)

But since I live in Ohio and my folks are in New York, I made the choice to only go home for Christmas and stay here for Thanksgiving.   With the two holidays being so close together, it’s an arrangement that’s worked out rather well for me as well as the rest of my siblings (all of whom have their own families to contend with).

Since moving here to Ohio in September 2005, I’ve gone to my church for Thanksgiving but this year I went to my friend Linda’s house.  Linda is the lady who did my first-ever colonic on me several weeks ago, remember?   Take a look at this post and look for the sub-heading “Take the Garbage Out – A Visit With the Hydrotherapist” if you haven’t read about it.

Fortunately, Linda understands my raw food journey and made a concerted effort to ensure that healthy portions on the dinner table were of raw nature not just because of me but because it’s healthy for everybody.     I had a fabulous spinach salad (that I made!), grilled asparagus, grilled red peppers (I used to hate them!!), cranberry and morsels of stuffing and turkey (just a few pieces).  I’d say this was my first substantially raw Thanksgiving and I’m very grateful to Linda for going out of her way to accommodate me.

Declining Gas Prices

The supermarket where I buy most of my food is Giant Eagle.  They have a program where the more you buy, the more of a discount you get on their gas.

Because of the 60 cent gas discount I racked up last month, I was able to fill up my car for only 99 cents a gallon!   It’s been so long since I was able to fill the tank for only……

EIGHT BUCKS!

I thank God for little things like that.

Toshiba Laptop Finally Brings Me into the 21st Century!

I know many of you will be SHOCKED when you hear this but up until now, I’ve never owned a laptop!

Yes, my fellow friends, It’s heartbreakingly true. (Is there such a word?)

I don’t know why but maybe I’ve been afraid of technology when I should have been embracing it.   I’ve watched virtually everyone in America carry their laptops on planes, buses and into various coffee shops.

My problem is that when I buy something, especially if it’s electronically-based, I want nothing but the best.

While there’s nothing wrong with that, when you select top of the line, it not only adds up (and you end up getting more than what you really need) but based on historical experience, prices almost always tumble rather drastically after only a few months on the shelves.  Look at what happened with PDA’s, desktop computers, laptops, state of the art television sets, GPS’s, etc.

As a result, I’m always waiting for the prices to drop except when they do, faster and more efficient products come out, making what you just bought virtually obsolete overnight.   It’s like a never-ending cycle.    I’ve learned the hard way – with electronics, you just have to bite the bullet and get what you want!

One day I was scouring the Internet and found a website called something like Black Friday dot com   Curious, I went online to see what was going on.  One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was staring at an ad for a Toshiba laptop with 3 GB of RAM, 250 GB hard drive with wireless WiFi capabilities for just under $600.    A brand name laptop with those features would have fetched a couple thousand dollars a few years ago!

My heart lurched.

But there was one problem.

It meant I would have to join the mass onslaught of bargain hunters at 5 am on “Black Friday.”   I’ve avoided that for as long as I can remember because I’ve never wanted to become part of the herd mentality, desperate to snatch up rock bottom bargains.   But this time I succumbed and became part of them, I’m sorry (and not sorry) to say.

The alarm on the day after Thanksgiving woke me up at 5 am.   I quickly showered, dressed and sped to Walmart.  Imagine my shock when I saw that ENTIRE parking lot was full.   I couldn’t believe it – it looked like the whole town was there at that hour (5:30 am)!    Before I got out of the car, I made a firm, prayerful resolve that I was going to be calm, collected and centered amidst the chaos that I was surely going to greet me inside that store.

As soon as I was directed to the backroom for the laptop, I joined a very long line.   I took a deep breath and waited patiently for over an hour.   Somehow the time passed quickly and I was soon within reach of the cashiers.

From where I was standing, two laptops were left standing on the counter behind them.  There were 8 people in front of me.

My mind did a quick calculation.

My heart picked up a beat.

I felt a slight change in body temperature.

And my eyes suddenly became shifty.

GOOD GOD, WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME?!?!??

If you had been observing me from above, you would have seen me biting my lower lips while I watched each and every person in front of me advance to the front.  Thank goodness they were oblivious to the two laptops because by the time I got there, I was able to buy one for myself.

Last night, I took it to a coffee shop where wireless WiFi was available and had a great time getting it set up.   I kept marveling how much I was missing by not having a laptop all these years.   Now that I finally have one, I’m going to be able to create blog posts on the fly, regardless of where I am.  No longer will I have to wait until I come home to do them.

I also see myself creating persuasive PowerPoint presentations for future speeches.     My newfound mobility will surely increase my productivity tenfold.   New ideas will come to me because I’ll be working in a different environment, giving rise to the potential of stimulating new and inspiring ideas simply because I’ll be out of my element more often (i.e. not in my home office).

Whoohoo – what freedom!  Thank you God for leading me to this laptop.

Raw Food Journey Continues to Drastically Improve My Life

Despite the cold winter in Ohio, I’ve managed to make a success of eating mostly raw foods.  I’m in my 3rd, almost 4th month with this lifestyle.   To say at the least, it’s been incredible!!!

First Aqua Chi Footbath at Crossroads Education and Wellness Center (

During that time period, I’ve slimmed down to my lowest weight ever (151.5), bought a cheap juicer (I’m actually on my second day of a juice feast – more on that in a moment), went through 1 colon cleansing, 1 detox foot bath (see photo) and 2 or 3 sittings in an infrared sauna (all of which are designed to help my body detoxify).

On top of all that, I went out and bought a tight fitting top for use at the gym.  I no longer have a gut, which continues to shock and delight me to no end.  It felt so good to slide that thing on me (the kind that runners use – see the photo below).

My raw food journey has not only substantially enhanced my health and well being, but it’s also given birth to a sense of entrepreneurial spirit that I feel has been missing.    In other words, I feel reborn – perfect timing since we are almost at the end of the year.  2009 will be a chance for me to wipe the slate clean and refocus on my God-given rights to increased prosperity.   For those of you who have been long-time subscribers, you’ll agree with me when I say I’ve never sold anything on this blog.  There are no ads, no e-books to sell, no products or services (other than my speaking business).

Taken with my Blackberry - I took my digital camera to Linda's for Thanksgiving and left it there. Photo is a bit blurry but it'll do for now. Notice I no longer have that "belly"! This is what I look like after 3 months of eating substantially raw food! (151.5 lbs)

Well, folks, that’s about to change.

Thanks to opportunities that have come my way, I am now about to embark on two or three online businesses that I believe will forever alter the course of my financial future (and yours if you choose to participate).  I’m incredibly excited about this and can’t wait to tell you about it!

I mentioned earlier that today is my second day of a juice fast.  After reading a couple of great books (links provided below), I decided I would embark on a very short 3 day juice fast beginning yesterday.

It would take several articles to describe the benefits of juicing so I’m not going go into detail other than to tell you I managed to go through yesterday without eating any solid foods and still experienced incredible energy throughout the day.  I made myself juice every 3 to 4 hours, all of which were smacking deeeeelicious!

Technically speaking, I was not supposed to be working out (per the juice handbooks) but I went ahead and had a fabulous run at the gym doing my usual thing, running 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by some vigorous weightlifting.  I came home feeling a supernatural high.

Want the recipe?

Put the following in your juicer:

• Several sticks of celery
• 1 apple
• Handful of romaine lettuce (later on I will substitute kale, spinach, etc)
• Handful of parsley

Glass of Freshly Made Juice

While you’re juicing, soak one tablespoon of chia seeds in water for several minutes and then mix them in the glass of juice.

Chia seeds have incredible benefits – see Angela Stoke’s “The Chia ‘Cheat Sheet’ and Ten Raw Chia Recipes” to see what I’m talking about.

The key is to have fun with it.   Allow your intuition to dictate what you will end up creating.  Let your taste buds be the judge.  So far I have not made a juice (or smoothie) that I did not like (except for that one time when I tried to blend one whole lemon, which was too strong for me).

If you’re interested in learning more about juicing, I recommend you get Angela Stoke’s Juice Feaster’s Handbook as well as the The Complete Book of Juicing (believe it or not, I found the 2nd book in a Goodwill store while accompanying a friend who was shopping for clothes last weekend – while she was browsing, I made a beeline for the bookshelf and was thrilled to find this juicer’s book for only two bucks!).

By the way, for those of you who are interested in reading unbiased, independent news on natural health, nutrition and more, I also recommend you subscribe to a free newsletter at Natural News.

Their newsletters contain incredible information that the FDA and big drug companies do not want you to know about as well as useful information on superfoods, raw food diets, supplements and many other things.  I’m learning a lot through this newsletter and can’t recommend it highly enough.    I think they have a million plus subscribers.

I’m so very grateful for the continuing improvements I have been making with the raw food journey.  Thank you God for bringing it to my attention.

If I don’t stop, I’ll keep writing forever so I better end this post now and concentrate on creating another one where I’ll interview myself.    Stay tuned.

Food for thought:  Did you remember to tell everyone what you were grateful for during Thanksgiving?

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The last two posts got screwed up because of this HTML thing.  Thankfully it was spotted by Nita, an alert subscriber, who told me she couldn’t see parts of the article and the comment box – they had “mysteriously disappeared” said Nita.

After a brief investigation, I found some HTML gooblygook lurking somewhere inside the post – somehow it found its way there.   When I removed it, the whole article plus the comment box miraculously reappeared.   But when Philip’s interview first went live this past Wednesday, I hadn’t yet caught it.  The questions and answer section was completely cut off, including the comment box.    Not good.

But now that it’s been fixed, could I ask you to give a little comment love to the Philip McCluskey interview (Part I)? Philip is the inspiring young man who lost 200 lbs as a result of pursuing the raw/living food lifestyle two and a half years ago.   Thanks!

Okay dokey, now moving on with this week’s gratitude post.

I’ve noticed a peculiar pattern in my life.  Whenever I am passionate about something, I literally go crazy and raid Amazon dot com and the local brick and mortar bookstores.    In last two months, I’ve bought and read at least 5 raw food books already. I’ve also joined Give It To Me Raw, a raw food community with thousands of members, many of who’ve already reached out to me, sharing their thoughts and making me feel welcome. Check it out – - it’s free.

My life has changed so much that every time I go to the supermarket, I’m like a kid in a candy store — in the fruits and vegetables section!   My eyes take in the colorful array of produce, usually looking for something I just read about.

Found this photo of Kale at Wikipedia.org

Like for instance, kale.   Have you ever heard of it?  It’s a very dark green leafy vegetable that dwarfs other produce on the shelves.  It’s a large, dark intimidating bunch of green leafs, looking rather beastly.   For years I ignored them until now.

In fact, I’ve already used kale for my morning smoothies.   Despite its reputation for being bitter, I actually liked it.  Of course, it helps that I put in a combination one or more of the following in the blender to make it sweeter:  apples, strawberries, mango or blueberries.    All I noticed was that my green smoothies were significantly darker than when I used spinach!

By the way, it’s recommended that you use a variety of different green leafy vegetables for your green smoothies.  When I first started, spinach was used as the base ingredient but then when I learned that it was best to switch among different green leafy vegetables, I began alternating between kale, red leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce.    What fun it is to try different ingredients!   The only time I had to dump a full container into the sink was when I tried to blend two lemons with other ingredients – man, that was HORRIBLE!  LOL.

Can you tell that I’m having a hellva a good time??   I have absolutely NO idea why I’m so fascinated with raw foods but I’m supremely grateful because I’ve benefited from it enormously.  My friend Linda (the certified Colon Hydrotherapist who did my first-ever colonic cleansing a few weeks ago) told me that she thought I fell into this way of life because I was divinely led to it.    “Looks like you’re being prepared for the next stage of your life,” she said, adding, “becoming better physically, mentally and spiritually for whatever God has in store for you.”   Sure makes sense to me!

Here’s a rundown of the benefits that I’ve garnered so far from this way of eating:

• Clear, soft facial skin (it seems shiny, clean and clear, not to mention soft to the touch)
• More energy throughout the day, especially at the gym
• Lowest weight in several years (currently at 153.5 lbs – at the beginning of this summer, I was almost at 180)
• Been resting and sleeping well yet getting up earlier and earlier without feeling tired (averaging between 4:30 and 5:30 am without the alarm clock)
• Waking up fresh and energetic
• Relying more on my inner intuition leading me to take greater risks at the drop of the hat like that one day when i was out running errands and heard an inner voice tell me, “It’s time to go to London.”   Then off I went without so much thought put into it!
• Bright eyes, white, not bloodshot
• Quick healing of things like cold sores (had one on my lower lip recently and it went away sooner than normal)
• Lost of desire for toxic foods and substances
• Cleaner teeth (the stains from smoking cigars and drinking coffee are gradually fading)
• I no longer smoke cigars (been 3 weeks now!)
• I no longer drink coffee (which is something I had every single morning for several years!)
• My jeans feel comfortable on me as opposed to being too tight (I now need to tighten my belt to hold them up, which feels fantastic!)
• Buying new clothes that are smaller and snug, making me feel deliciously attractive (example would be the athletic tops that runners use to keep the upper body warm while running outside in the cold – they’re nice and snug)
• Rarely eat meat and dairy products (except for raw cheese, the occasional chicken pieces and pasteurized cheese but that’s about it)
• Discovering incredible things like the value of live enzymes found in raw foods versus meat (which contains no live enzymes and are therefore considered “dead meat”), the long term effects of consuming pasteurized/processed foods/drinks on the colon and how they have caused many illnesses and diseases.

The more I do research, the more dismayed I become at the lengths the food, drug and medical industries will go to cover up vital life-saving information for the stake of making a buck.    One day, I was visiting a friend of a friend in a nursing home when it suddenly struck me that the reason they were there was because of years of consuming the Standard American Diet (SAD) over the years!

I’m also angry to learn how many of the prescriptions given by doctors have done more harm than good.    I feel like I’ve stumbled on to the greatest health secrets that aren’t really secrets because all of it is readily available to the public!   All they have to do is make good use of Google.   But people just don’t know about it because they are distracted by misleading advertisements and subliminal messages financed by powerful drug and food companies.

Let me give you an example.  Did you know that soy milk is the biggest cause of mucus?  Yet you don’t know about that.  Why?  Because you are bombarded with misleading advertisements saying that soy milk is very good for you.    Same thing with pasteurized milk.   You get the picture.

In short, I’m grateful for the incredible amount of information I’ve been absorbing lately.  I’m also grateful for the raw food movement pioneers who have gone before us and shared their experiences in the form of books, articles, videos and so on.

Juiceman Jr. Juicer from WalMart

Every week something new happens – this week was no exception.

After much research on the value of juicing, I decided to buy my first juicer. Alas, a cheap one from Walmart to start with.   Thanks to another faithful subscriber, Patricia Singleton of Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker, I was introduced to a low end juicer called Juiceman, Jr.

Patricia told me she found this to be adequate for her juicing needs.  I talked with a juicing expert at a seminar the other night and she concurred that if I wasn’t ready to spend another $300 to $500 for a commercial juicer (remember, I bought the high end Vita-Mix blender for $500 in September), I would be fine starting out with Juiceman, Jr. and then working my way up.

Ingredients for the first-ever morning juice (carrots, spinach, parsley, several celery sticks)

Soooooo, I had my very first juice this morning!  Several celery stalks, a handful of spinach, another handful of carrots and some parsley were all put through the paces in the juicer.

Juiceman, Jr. seemed to do its job.  Even though I loved the taste, I suspect that because the juicer is on the low end of the juicing spectrum, I probably didn’t get all the nutrients that I could have gotten with something like the GreenStar but that’s okay for now.  At least it’s a good start.

I would suspect many of you would probably want to start off the same way, especially if you aren’t ready or willing to invest several hundred dollars for a juicer.  In my opinion, it’s best to start cheap and work your way up (except for the blender – I actually recommend you get the Vita-Mix right from the get-go, especially if you’re serious about making yourself healthy green smoothies in the mornings).

First Ever Morning Juice! It was deeeelicious!

After downing two glasses of homemade juice this morning, I felt great energy throughout the rest of the day.  The difference between green smoothies and juices is that I feel full after having a smoothie whereas the juice leaves me wanting more.  That’s because when you mix the ingredients in the blender, the fiber remains (making you feel full) whereas the juicing machine separates the fiber by spitting it into another container.

The Juiceman, jr. has 6 movable parts, which took about 15 or 20 minutes to clean but it was relatively easy to take apart and put back together after a couple of attempts.

For those of you who don’t work at home, you might have to either get up earlier to make your juices.   Or if you’re really in a hurry, you could always use your blender and then strain the pulp/fiber by using a nut milk bag.

I’m grateful to Angela Stokes who wrote a juice feasting handbook, A Juice Feaster’s Handbook.   You may recall that I met her and Matt Monarch when I was in London a few weeks ago.   I highly recommend the handbook because she did a great job describing the benefits of juicing.

One day I will embark on a juice feast program similiar to what she did (to help detoxify the body more) but not now.  I’m still new at this and will only make myself an occasional juice throughout the week to balance out the green smoothies.

Infrared Sauna at Crossroads Education and Wellness Center (Canton, OH)

Not only did I attempt to make my first juice but I also used the infrared sauna and had my first-ever detoxing foot bath at Crossroads this week!

Both are additional ways to help my body become cleaner.  For more information about them, please visit the Crossroads website to learn about what the infrared sauna and an Aqua-Chia foot bath can do for you.    It’s fascinating stuff!

In closing, I’m incredibly grateful for the vitality I feel these days.   The right people, places and circumstances appear to be manifesting in my life faster than ever before.    My energy vibration also seems to be rising further and further, putting me more in touch with my inner spirit.

Could these be the reasons why I was divinely led to this way of life?

Hmmmmm……..

Food for Thought:   Have you ever tried changing your life in dramatic ways to the point where you can’t help but be grateful?  If so, share them with us in the comment section!  You never know, you might be helping someone who’s experiencing whatever you went through!

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This is a plate served at the famous Gratitude Cafe in SF

GOOOOOOOOD morning folks – at least it’s morning here – 4:52 am!

I got up at 4 am which has become the norm for me this week starting with 3 am the day after I returned from London followed by 4 am and 5 am the two mornings after that.

What’s going on?

I’ve read in several raw food books that the cleaner you become inside, the less sleep you need.   Could this be what’s happening?   Or am I still getting over jet lag?

More on that later.

So here I am wide awake, pecking away at the keyboard with incredible energy and clarity, the likes of which I’ve never before experienced, especially this early!

This is how I found out Obama won the election while in London!

As you know, I like to end my week with a gratitude post where I share things I’m grateful for.   I’m going to make this week’s post a little different today.

When I wrote  How Making an Irrational, Last Minute Decision Can Change Your Life (which was about my trip to London), I tried to add a ton of photos from the trip but it messed everything up horribly.  I ended up working on that piece for over 12 hours, uploading, deleting and then transferring photos from WordPress to Facebook!

But because some of you are not members of Facebook and therefore not able to access the other photos, I’m going to put a few more of them throughout this post even if they have nothing to do with what I’m writing about.    Thankfully, due to a new feature with WordPress, you’ll see captions beneath them explaining what you’re looking at.   How’s that?

So, let’s have at it.

What am I grateful for?

Raw Food Journey Continues to Produce Fascinating Stuff

Need Less Sleep

OH NO, deaf guy caught faking it by the press! Mooohahahaha!

As I mentioned above, I have been getting up earlier this past week.   At first I attributed it to the 5 hour time difference but it’s now Saturday.  That’s a full 4 days after returning from London -  don’t you think that by now I’d be settled in?   I think that’s plenty of time to readjust to the 5 hour time difference, don’t you?

I’ve been reading in numerous raw food books that one of the things that tends to happen to a person when he/she becomes cleaner on a cellular level, that there is less and less need to sleep.    Hmmm….interesting.

I got up at 4 am this morning, 5 am yesterday, 4 am the day before and 3 am the day after returning from London.   Not only was I able to climb out of bed with incredible energy but I also seem to feel a sense of clarity too.   It remains to be seen if this pattern will continue but I find it utterly fascinating!

Before I left for London, I was getting up around 7, sometimes 6.  But 3, 4 or 5 am????

Stay tuned!

Been Two Weeks Since I Smoked A Cigar!

WHAT!?!?!? The famous what???????? Who would have thunk that for the name of a pub in London?

You all know how transparent I’ve been while on this raw food journey.  In one of my posts from a couple months ago, I admitted that while I was getting cleaner inside, I was still enjoying my daily cigar smoke.  I even posted a picture of me smoking one night behind my brother’s house in Virginia.

Well, I’m shocked to tell you this because I am a huge cigar lover.  For 10 years I had been smoking at least one cigar a day.  But it’s been TWO WEEKS since I last had one.   And believe it or not, I’ve not had the desire to light up since returning from London.

Will this last?  That remains to be seen.  One thing I’ve noticed about this raw food journey is that the things that were not good for me seem to be falling by the wayside, not because I’ve forced myself to give them up (in other words “deprive myself”) but because they seem to be falling away naturally.

Like what’s been happening with less intake of meat, particularly chicken, my favorite cooked meat.  I was a huge chicken lover – I practically had chicken several times a week but it’s been a while since I’ve had a hearty portion of it.  I haven’t stopped eating them entirely since I sometimes have it in my salads when eating out but not once have I opened the frozen chicken bag inside the freezer!

Trying to sort out British currency and figuring out what was what!

Basically what I’m trying to say is that somehow all the things I once craved (coffee is another example – I’ve actually not had a cup in at least 1 month) have become less and less attractive.

It’s AMAZING!  I have not felt deprived nor have I forced myself to give up anything.  They just seem to drop away naturally.  That’s another thing to be grateful for.

Will the cigar habit be completely eliminated?  We shall see but having gone two weeks without lighting up is definitely a good sign!

By the way, I wouldn’t be surprised if the fact that I haven’t had a cigar has changed my taste buds, which leads me to the next subject……..

Drinking Water From the Supermarket Now Tastes Funny!

Taking the train from Brighton to Highbury, UK by myself. By the 4th day, I was comfortable enough to get around on my own.

Of course, when I got back from my trip, I had to go grocery shopping.    Among several fruits and vegetables I bought, I also got a gallon of spring water.   For quite some time, I had been buying spring and/or distilled water from the supermarket because at least in theory they are cleaner and safer than tap water.  Right?

Well, imagine my shock when I had my first glass of water the morning after I got back.   It tasted like…..

PLASTIC!!

I was like,  WHAT THE HECK?!?  No, let me be blunt here – WTF!!!!!!

YUCK!

A couple of things are happening here.

Number one, my taste buds are changing because I haven’t had a cigar in two weeks.  I also think it has to do with the fact that my whole body has been changing on a deeper, cellular level.

Did you know that you have to pay to use public bathrooms in England?

You all know that I started eating raw in September 2008.  That’s what, two months now?  (Counting on my fingers….September, October…..).  Yeah, two months, almost 3.

During that time, I’ve also been doing a heck of a lot of research and one thing that keeps popping out is how the raw foodist tends to become more sensitive overall.   The senses become heightened in ways never before experienced and I’m just starting to see that.

My other senses are also becoming more acute like my sense of smell.  I still can’t read long distance without my glasses so I’m not sure about that but still…..

What do I drink now?  LOL.

Stay tuned!

People Are Telling Me That I Look Different

Remember this? This was at the beginning of my Raw Food Journey in September 2008. Now compare this to other photos you see here. See the difference?

The other night I was at my church’s board meeting as I’m Vice Chair of its foundation.  When I arrived, the few people that were there seemed to look at me in a way they never did before.  Intuitively I knew they were looking at me in wonderment but not quite understanding what they were looking at.  You know what I mean??

Have you ever had someone look at you in a funny way because they see something different about you but can’t quite put their finger on it?

After it was over and I was on my way home, I got a message on my Blackberry.  It was from the interpreter who was at the meeting (the foundation hired an interpreter to help me understand what’s happening at board meetings).

In her message she said not once but twice that I glowed!

Apparently this is another common feature among raw foodists.  You recall a snippet of a report Steve Pavlina wrote about his experience at the Raw Food Festival in Sedona, AZ earlier this year.   He said that even people who were 20 years older than him seemed exude a certain amount of sensuality and chemistry that he found intoxicating to the point where it was like everyone had this inner radiance that was coming out.    In other words – they were glowing.   Every single raw food book I’ve read also said the same thing.

Famous Harrods shopping center

And now it seems to be happening to me.    Even I noticed it in the London photos.   Here, take a look at a photo I took back in September in my bathroom and compare it with the others you see here.    Do you see a difference?

It’s amazing, and I’m very grateful for it.   Thank you God for leading me down this incredible journey!

Update:  While taking a shower this morning and seeing the dry brush hanging in there, it occurred to me that dry brushing my body from top to bottom might also be contributing to the “glow factor.”   When dry brushing yourself, you’re getting rid of dead body cells that don’t always wash off when you take a shower.   That and the recent colonic I did at Crossroads.  Interesting, isn’t it?   Every little bit helps!

Miracles Seem to be Sprouting Everywhere

View from on top of the London Eye (see www.londoneye.com for more information). Notice light from the heavens pouring through the clouds!

The best example I can think of this is what happened on my recent overseas trip.    I made a last minute, seemingly irrational decision to drop everything and go to London for a whole week without much thought or planning put into it.

Not only did I find a very reasonable airfare but everything fell into place the moment I made the decision to go until I got back.  I felt GREAT throughout entire the week I was there and made  awesome new friends, many of whom I will not only stay in touch with but also travel with and perhaps conduct business with some of them.

In fact, this trip did bring me some business opportunities the details of which I cannot reveal just yet.  I’m stoked!

On top of all that, my desire to travel the world has been reawakened, thanks to a man I met there who is a teacher for the deaf who somehow manages to travel the world on a meager salary.  If he can do it, why can’t I?  Why can’t you?

That’s just one example.  There are other miracles that appear to be manifesting as we speak.

As I like to say, stay tuned!

Some of You Are Also Embarking on the Raw Food Journey

Outdoor antique market somewhere outside Central London

It delights and humbles me to know that some of you have taken up the raw food journey alongside with me.  Some of you have increased your intake of fruits and vegetables.  A couple of friends from London are getting themselves the UK version of the  Vita-Mix blender.   You have taken my suggestions and bought books like The Raw Food Detox Diet and others.

WOW!

I am grateful to know that my own journey has inspired you to reach new heights with your own life.   Whether or not you decide to experiment with raw foods, I’ve been receiving feedback on how my blog posts have encouraged you to step up to the plate and face whatever fears or issues you maybe having.  That really makes my day!

It’s humbling to know that whatever I’m doing is actually making a difference in your life, regardless of what I write about.  I’m thankful to know this.  I’m also excited to see the level of participation grow here at Adversity University.  You guys ROCK!

Front view from the top level of a bus.

Life has become very much more exciting since I went raw in September.  Before we go, let me just make it clear that I am not 100 percent raw and don’t think I will be.    I would say that I am about 80 percent raw with the rest being the occasional snippets of cooked and processed foods like chicken and peanut butter pretzels (I LOVE THEM!), to name a few.

My raw food intake in London was approximately 50-50.   You will find that when you travel, unless you’re 100 percent committed to eating nothing but raw food, you will slide up and down the percentage scale.  The key is not to beat yourself up over it.

All I can say is do the best you can with what you’re presented with and everything will be fine.  Remember, this is a lifelong journey, not an overnight crash diet.  You’re gradually changing your relationship with food, enhancing your life, becoming more aware/selective about what goes in your body and taking your health to the next level.    All of this takes time.   So if I may say so myself, I say, CHILL!

If you want to see more photos, you’ll definitely have to go to Facebook to see them.  You have to be a member and be “friends” with me on there in order to access my photo albums (London Trip 2008).

With that said, have a fabulous weekend – you deserve it.

Food for thought:  How has the attitude of gratitude helped change your life?

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