I had the unique opportunity and blessing to experience the beauty and wonder of Colorado, the Rocky Mountains, Denver, Boulder and the generosity, hospitality and light of several very special new friends (Sven - the amazing Visionary Juggler, Jay_Namaste, Matt Renschler, Nicole F., Dustin DiPerna, Ali - Poetry.Just.Words, It was also quite special to share time, space & live being with Ken Wilber, Roger Walsh, Sally Kempton, Sophia Diaz, Genpo Roshi, Saniel & Linda Bonder, Brother David, Diane Hamilton, James Fowler, Vidyuddeva,.... As a result I created a fusion of some of the incredible images inspired by the Colorado Rockies and some spirited poetry in the form of visual haiku. Enjoy the blend of words, images, thoughts, feelings and energy!
Take Joy & Inspiration as you do/are!

P.S. The creative experiment continues with a Blurb photo book "Colorado Inspirations" & Animoto video clip experiment more to come...

Isn't it amazing, inspiring and One-derful when things, events and ideas fuse so synchronistically? The latest is the 'buzz' that a new unification theory of everything is sending waves of astonishment in the worlds of physics, mathematics, astronomy, as well as religion, spirituality and art, for it is another proof of the simplicity, beauty and wisdom of it all.

What I am referring to is the recent announcement that "Garrett Lisi, 39, who has a doctorate but no university affiliation and spends most of the year surfing in Hawaii, has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which has received rave reviews from scientists.

Although the work of 39 year old Garrett Lisi still has a way to go to convince the establishment, let alone match the achievements of Albert Einstein, the two do have one thing in common: Einstein also began his great adventure in theoretical physics while outside the mainstream scientific establishment, working as a patent officer, though failed to achieve the Holy Grail, an overarching explanation to unite all the particles and forces of the cosmos.

The new theory reported in New Scientist has been laid out in an online paper entitled "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything" by Lisi. Lisi's inspiration lies in the most elegant and intricate shape known to mathematics, called E8 - a complex, eight-dimensional mathematical pattern with 248 points first found in 1887, but only fully understood by mathematicians this year after workings, that, if written out in tiny print, would cover an area the size of Manhattan.

E8 encapsulates the symmetries of a geometric object that is 57-dimensional and is itself is 248-dimensional. Lisi says "I think our universe is this beautiful shape."

What makes E8 so exciting is that Nature also seems to have embedded it at the heart of many bits of physics. One interpretation of why we have such a quirky list of fundamental particles is because they all result from different facets of the strange symmetries of E8.

Lisi has high hopes that his new theory could provide what he says is a "radical new explanation" for the three decade old Standard Model, which weaves together three of the four fundamental forces of nature: the electromagnetic force; the strong force, which binds quarks together in atomic nuclei; and the weak force, which controls radioactive decay.

The reason for the excitement is that Lisi's model also takes account of gravity, a force that has only successfully been included by a rival and highly fashionable idea called string theory, one that proposes particles are made up of minute strings, which is highly complex and elegant but has lacked predictions by which to do experiments to see if it works.

The crucial test of Lisi's work will come only when he has made testable predictions. Lisi is now calculating the masses that the 20 new particles should have, in the hope that they may be spotted when the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) starts up.

You can read the entire story published by Telegraph.co.uk

Fascinating, yes? And so beautiful this Unverse Mandala E8 is...

It is one of those days where beliefs fall apart. Where the external not only does not align with the internal, but completely contradicts and/or negates it. When questions about impermanence, conditionality, equanimity and even basic meaning come to new rugged scrutiny. When confusion takes centerfold and brings doubts and fears as companions. When inner light and love are watching silently behind the curtains the post-rehearsal and unfolding of another drama.

Good timing and opportunity for deeper inquiry and confirmation of the illusiory nature of all That, but still the emotional storm is quite intense and even the body feels the gusty words and torrential blows of the mind form/s. The very nature of the hurricane of closest relationship is examined and seen anew. The outer boundaries disappear as the inner walls fall. The bare naked soul vulnerable more than ever, finds new 'out-appearance' in the middle of tears, understanding and forgiveness. The 'near enemies' ready to act leave the stage and wonder at the silent inner ovation. ***

The only one that felt lost amid all this story, suddenly realizes a simple truth that brought back the calm & the sanity. So simple yet experienced as an epiphany: "Home is where WE are". And so it is.


*** The Near enemies refers to this excerpt from the Tricycle Daily Dharma below:

Near Enemies
The near enemies are qualities that arise in the mind and masquerade as genuine spiritual realization, when in fact they are only an imitation, serving to separate us from true feeling rather than connecting us to it . . .

The near enemy of loving-kindness is attachment. At first, attachment may feel like love, but as it grows it becomes more clearly the opposite, characterized by clinging, controlling and fear.

The near enemy of compassion is pity, and this also separates us. Pity feels sorry for that poor person over here, as if he were somehow different from us . . .

The near enemy of sympathetic joy (the joy in the happiness of others) is comparison, which looks to see if we have more of, the same as, or less than another . . .

The near enemy of equanimity is indifference. True equanimity is balance in the midst of experience, whereas indifference is withdrawal and not caring, based on fear.

If we do not recognize and understand the near enemies, they will deaden our spiritual practice. The compartments they make cannot shield us for long from the pain and unpredictability of life, but they will surely stifle the joy and open connectedness of true relationships.

--Jack Kornfield, in A Path with Heart, from Everyday Mind

Alex Chua  opened an interesting discussion in his blog and the Joy SOULutions pod about integrity, harmony and happiness. Here's my take on it and feel free to add yours in the comments here on in the pod or blog.

Integrity, harmony and happiness are intimately related and interconnected and not competitive or exclusive.

Since integrity is often defined as being true to who one is and in harmony with Self and others and that all leads to happiness, it is easy to see how they all flow from and to each other in a constant dance with and through and as life. And it comes down to being truthful in and out, with inner and outer harmony and balance, authentically, holly and deeply. 

I also want to add several other quotes that I find insightful:

”Harmony exists in difference no less than in likeness, if only the same key note govern both parts.”
~  Margaret Fuller

”Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
~ Gandhi

“Be really whole and all things will come to you.”
~ Lao-Tzu

There is SO much to be thankful for each moment and day. For you, for us, for ALL of us and for ALL this, here and now. My gratitude is overflowing as I share another special gift of Oneness with you. Thank you from deep within! May you be blessed as you are!

This One-derful gift is coming thanks to Jeremiah who allowed us to enjoy this unique and beautiful song and message from Cheryl Hutton who channeled it from her Higher Being.

TO BE ONE

May Peace Prevail on Earth... I’m calling you ... are you listening?

I am Buddha, and I’m calling you,
Hi it’s Jesus, am I getting through?,
I am Allah, and I’m calling you,
To BE One.

We’re not separate, we’re reaching through the sky,
To get connected, if we all try,
We’re not separate, we’re reaching through the sky,
To BE One.

What are dreams and hopes, if you just can’t cope
Or wings and prayers, if you never dare,
I need you here and now, in this mystery
To BE free.

We’re not separate, we’re reaching through the sky,
To get connected, if we all try,
We’re not separate, we’re reaching through the sky,
To BE One.

What are dreams and hopes, if you just can’t cope,
Or wings and prayers if you never dare,
I need you here and now, in this mystery,
To BE free. To BE free.

I am Kwan Yin, and I’m calling you,
Hi it’s Durga, am I getting through?,
I am Goddess, and I’m asking you,
To BE One.

I am Yahweh, and I’m calling you,
Hi it’s Krishna, am I getting through?,
I’m the ALL IS, I’m reminding you,
You are ME.

We’re not separate, we’re reaching through the sky,
To get connected, if we all try,
No, we’re not separate, we’re reaching through the sky,
To BE One.

What are dreams and hopes, if you just can’t cope,
Or wings and prayers, if you never dare,
I need you here and now, in this mystery,
To BE free...To BE One...To BE free...To BE One...

Yes, we’re all One, and only LOVE is real.

Copyright Cheryl Hutton, Edward Majkut, 2007.

All Rights Reserved. SOCAN.

To go to the Website www.tobeone.ca.

http://www.starchildglobal.com/Tobeone.html

"If the only prayer you ever said was 'Thank You', that would be enough."
~ Meister Eckhart

Appreciation and gratitude can be truly transformative especially when we can extend the spirit of Thanks giving into Thanks living.  The benefits reach even higher levels when we are able to go beyond counting our blessings in good times and feel gratitude deeply even in difficult and challenging periods and life stages.

Beyond Counting Blessings
Being Truly Thankful from Daily Om

Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.

It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.

We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances."

I am so very grateful for this One-derful short video "The Power of One"  and all those who have created, shared and taken it to heART.
01:42

Aside from announcing its exciting TED Prize winners for 2008 TED.com is starting a new phase of global idea sharing with its recently announced partnerships with several other very impactful conferences and sites. The quality, amount, creativity and visions in these shared videos is beyond description - you have to see and experience them to find That for yourself.

Here are the links I found that will save you the time & efforts to find the hidden jewels & enjoy these incredible ideas, minds, heARTS, spirits, visions, dimensions,...

First and foremost the List of 160+ TED Talks videos by topics, presenter, popularity,...

The following 4 are very diverse gatherings, attracting diverse audiences. Yet they all have at their core the same intention: they bring together bright minds to share ideas and ignite action. They take place in Europe, but are globally minded.

+ the DLD (Digital Life Design) conference (January, Munich, Germany)
    DLD Media archive - http://videos.dld-conference.com/

+ the LIFT Conference (February, Geneva, Switzerland)
    LIFT Videos - http://www.liftconference.com/videos/

+ the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship (March, Oxford, UK)
    The Skoll Foundation Online TV & Films - http://www.skollfoundation.org/tvfilm/  

+ the Picnic conference (September, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
    PICNIC Network Videos - http://www.picnicnetwork.org/article-18549-en.html

One highlight among the many is Brian Cox (rock star/physicist) presentation/s (2 versions on LIFT & DLD sites) - about the incredible CERN project - the LHC (Large Hadron Collider), the 8 billion particle accelerator and collider that among other things will probe into the origins of matter, mass and black holes and energy deeper than ever before done by science.

Two other versions of Brian Cox presentations from Rodrigo Schulz Blog

*** Added 12/1/07 -> Another great Conference and List of Videocasts that belongs to this is POP Tech whose moto is Powerful Ideas & Innovative Projects that are Changing the World.

Here is POP TECH's Video List, named popcasts.

Sharing all those leading mind/edge ideas is so expansive that it truly unveils an 'Universe of WE' that inspired the visual haiku above. Share your ideas, visions and inspirations as well!

Several days ago I found the Traveler IQ Challenge game and web site and shared it in the Joy SOULutions pod. What I found out after playing several times this exciting learning game is that one can create their own challenge and share it with friends and almost everyone. So I did!

It has been really a wonderful experience to research, virtually travel and synthesize all the incredible mystical places and sacred sites I discovered during the last few days. The result is the 100 Global Sacred Spiritual Sites Traveler Challenge that I invite you to take and enjoy.

It takes 2-3 minutes to play for it is set up by the system to choose 15 random sacred sites out of the 100 available and uploaded by me and asks you to find them on a global map as quickly and as accurately as possible by awarding you various points for each choice based on proximity & speed. You will probably find many sacred places you've been to already, want to visit or never heard of - so really enjoy the virtual travel & experience!

Also I invite you to share your feedback as well as any suggestions for changes and improvements for this is a creative-project-in-progress and it can only get better with your help and participation. So there - Click, Learn and Play as you enJoy finding Peace & Power in those 100 Sacred Spiritual Sites woldwide.



If you get as excited and inspired as I was/am, you can also create your own challenge on any subject, topic and/or geographic location. Try & see what happens!

The tagging rounds have been alive & active for quite a while & my part is a little overdue, but hey, better late than never.
So for you, one-derful friends who have tagged me quite a few times, here comes the moment/place of truth/joy :)

If you have been tagged with 5 things before & are tagged again - feel free to add 2 more or reveal yourself all over again in 7 NEW ways!
And