What the Heck Just Happened?

Greetings my gentle readers to another week’s installment of the “be yourself, often” blog found at http://www.joelwlamoure.com. This is the point in time of the week where we are able to sit back and mindfully reflect on the moments that were and the impact that they have had in our lives.

This is our first blog posting of the past six weeks. Those of you who follow our radio show “prescribing spiritual hope” on WULC out of Carrabelle, Florida on the Spreaker network will also have observed we have been off the air for the past two months.http://www.spreaker.com/show/tuesday_prescribing_spiritual_hope I anticipate that not only will the blog be back to its normal weekly posting effective now, and our radio show be on the air again by mid-July at its usual time of 9 PM Eastern time and think all of our dedicated listeners and readers from around the world for staying with the network.

The past couple of months have been an exercise in journey into the deepest recesses and caverns that exist within the mind. A time within the wilderness where over the past 40 days and 40 nights opportunities have presented themselves repeatedly. Unfortunately, as we know in life, and that we as humans are not the divine architects of our own plans, most of the “opportunities” have had a negative flavor. However, the concepts associated with the phrase “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” are all well and alive.

These have been days of a death of dreams and recalibration of determining what is important. A time to realize that what one thought would be logical, in fact was illogical. There were birthdays forgotten by others, promises broken, expectations shattered, religious discrimination, hate crimes, decades of planning eradicated, disease and illness. A breach of confidence by confidents and friendly fire. Bullets that derive from close sources fired under the brave face of anonymity, send through an unwilling messenger. Sadly hypocrisy and vigilante justice is alive and well.

As such, based on what the title states, it leaves one wondering, especially a man of faith wondering why so many good people have been hurt while the sinful, wicked and evil continue to prosper in their lies and deceit, claiming to be and searching “enlightenment” themselves. I use the term in quotes as it is ego-centric enlightenment they seek, not Spiritual Enlightenment. My friends, these are days of learning the highest virtue, which is forgiveness. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do…”

Within forgiveness, which is an easy word to say but hard action to do lies the resolution of inner turmoil. Resolution of the inner turmoil is not playing it out words and harming other people. Resolution does not lie by constant complaining, self harm, belittling, telling stories repeating stories, playing victim, hatred, or any of the other tools that were initially used against us. I believe, that is why true forgiveness takes longer… Perhaps truly 40 days in the wilderness.

It is about finding again what makes one happy and appreciating that we have the “free will covenant” and do not have to be the same as those that wrong us. It is not up to the courts to make a decision of judgment or forgiveness, but the quiet Light of Divination that says so much. To be able to not focus on stuff, and focus on the Light with clarity and intensity will allow us to be the spiritual being having a human existence and truly be yourself, often.

~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure June 2013

The Stone Suitcase: Balancing the Load

Greetings my gentle readers to this week’s installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog and the second installment of “The Stone Suitcase”. That wonderful point in the week when we can mindfully reflect on what we are becoming. A time to reflect on the choices that present themselves.

This week, building on the theory of remembrance, we will look at the approach of how to carry the load of our stone suitcases. It may be a temptation to jettison the baggage, for after all, are we not designed to be free spirited and free of will and thought and actions? To do so would mean that we are constantly as a babe and recall nothing and have no animosities, etc.

But there are certain things that we have evolved across. When we are young, we lament that we wish we were older and somewhere along the line, often in the 30’s we aspire for the opposite.  Why is that? There are the suitcases that we carry that encase the race and culture and history that we are and were.

Eckhart Tolle calls the negative component “The Pain-Body”, which I agree with. These are suitcases that are often not needed, carried as a martyr and drug out for all to see when in reality, most of it is sheer baggage and worthy of jettison, much less paraded in public display. The saddest part about that pain body is that individuals may not even recognize they are carrying it, or even worse use these exceptionally one-sided stories for pity and perceived victimization.  These are experiences of degeneration. There are some pain bodies though that may be useful to remember in the sense where the human entity itself is at some degree of risk, to allow us preventing it from happening again.

On the converse is what I would call the “Healing-Body” and these are aspects and suitcases that we have picked up through learnings across the days and years (and in fact ages!) that allow tips and tools to help and learn and heal. This may be similar to developing and advancing neuroplasticity and in fact healing along the line that we see in a younger individual. Their skin is good and their mind absorbs all of the learnings. This is a time of generation of positives and learnings. We develop language, skills, mediation, play and social interaction. All of these latter skills are becoming sadly more archaic with all the advents of Internet addiction and social media addiction, such as I wrote of the beginning of this year in the Canadian Journal of CME.

So… what to keep and what to jettison? Along and balanced with the suitcases are friends and advisers, mentors and healers, teachers and fellow students, family and loved ones that can help you sort through the positives and negatives. These wise sages DO have some wonderful positive stone suitcases that they have acquired over the years and in the spirit of education, which is a two way format of delivering information I believe, are able to help you help you. That being that they impart their wisdom and enable the carrier of the suitcases to open their minds beyond the tangible horizons they thought was possible. That may include Eastern medicines, Reiki, spirituality, different cultures, religions, languages, thoughts and ideas.

THIS is why we lament to be older when we are young. For that chance and responsibility and the learnings that the elders carry. The elders have imparted these to us and we ideally will advance these objectives through education and social discourse through a positive, mentoring modeling.

Fruits of synergy... construction vs. deconstruction

Fruits of synergy... construction vs. deconstruction

"And on the seventh day, He rested". Genesis 1

This week an amazing opportunity arose to compare those two different items, technology vs spirit and religion. Putting faith in religion, family and spirituality compared to that of technology and the subsequent impacts from both. I was going to call them opposites but since they may result in similar outcomes like creating certain ideas (if handled correctly) but also can be totally different, lets call them fruits of synergy and advancing outcomes. And indeed there are fruits of both of these items, if mutual co-operation can be brokered. The fruits of co-operation are a more harmonious, open minded and able to listen society.

 It appeals to the ethics and bioethics and belief structure vs a utilitarian approach where the human and family, despite all statements may be rather hypocritical once the veneer has been shaved off the particle covered chipboard. Competition (even when one party is not looking for competition, but making a sttement of beliefs) are what I would propose are often negative in nature. Need for superego and ego, wars, theft, crime and revving up society to the point where we need more now and engines blow. Sad isnt it as there is much that we can learn through the positive fruits of each other? Basical human kindness and tolerance is too often overshadowed by a malicious word, action or something that impacts and collecting of power and stuff.

I would actually conjecture and state that the opposite is true and that by a collaborative, communal and co-operative approach that all parties can learn and advance. This is an era of construction vs destruction.
So my gentle reader, what are we looking at if we were to consider these two items in balance and where are we at right now in a First world country as we know them? Certainly it filters down even more, but let us speak of the first world, where as I have alluded to before that we are Model T Fords in a Ferrari society? Lets keep this high level, ok? We are no doubt in a competitive state. There are some in a co-operative mode and we each have pieces of the 2 poles and each of us are at a different percentage of the balance. However, I believe there is also a social balance as well, and tipped well into the bananas world of competition, probably at least 80%. Everything has to be all about me (call me princess). I need the best car, house, clothes, food and need to shine and glow and stop. Basically, my ego needs an image and the Emperor is walking around in the buff because someone sold him a line. Why can this culture and society Just Stop This. Who does not receive if I am getting? Do I win the battle and lose the war? Who has to collect the coffee, make the clothes and the rare elements for the electronics, cars etc?

That compares different classes in the world and different countries. Thats easier for most people as they dont see, ergo they dont exist. Whatever, sucks to be them. See ya, dont write mentality.
BUT, what of the competition in a smaller microcosm like a town, city or workplace? Cultures and religions and families vs corporations and workplaces? Who gets hurt? I won so who cares is the concepts and constructs. Well someone does and I can assure you from the work that I do that people hurt so bad it can kill them, flare up sickness or dampen some beautiful spirits. Sad state of affairs. Want to be right and controlling, be a micro-manager. Thats competition, class attitude and destructive on so many levels. Thats not valuing others or respect.  Doesnt have to be at work but this also translates to family, home and social interactions.

To co-operate is to appreciate and respect the contributions and gifts of others. To give them a say and chance in as balanced of a forum as you are able. To active versus passively listen. To take only what you need and pass the plate along. To be open and receptive and wanting to manifest using what you have so as to actively thrive.That you can express yourself, be open versus absorbing the toxicities having a desire goal and endpoint in mind that is a summation of mainly the small gifts and miracles hat exist in the day to day moments and actively offer to share them not just with yourself, but with others and those ideas are respected. To play nicely in the sandbox and be a kid and laugh. All these are in part recipes for better mental health which I might go into more in depth in later weeks. Suffice to say.. To give openly, expecting nothing in return but to thrive.

For co-opertion is living and thriving, competition is going through the motions of life. What do you chose? And if you chose it, dont just tell me as thats useless... go out there and demonstrate it by actions! Only then can you be yourself, often.

  --- Rev Dr.  Joel Lamoure September 2012

Dream Beyond the Expectations

Greetings my gentle readers to another week’s installment of the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. That time when we are able to step back, reflect, dissect and discuss the moments that have been what we called the week that was, all under the premises of advancing our humanity, spirit and power to learn in a way that begets more positives.

Along the way we should be aiming for a shoreline and a destination that we strongly believe in based in our own Belief structure.  We know well that our Beliefs will define our thoughts, which will impact our actions, which will change in a positive or negative way the outcomes that we receive. Certainly we know that not all outcomes are deserved, desired or what we had expected at the time, but it is balancing the concepts that everything is exactly as meant to be versus the human desires that we have.

Those human desires tend to be sold as a bill of sale as the expectations that we will be able to have in life. Even more, that illusion and challenge is becoming more robust as these fallacies often set us up for a fall… a major one. Why is that? We know that we cannot take it with us yet we hoard and express and demonstrate so many of Dante’s Deadly Sins. These sins all tend to root around the general concept of the self and greed.

Greed and the golden calf and the moneychangers at the table offer us a very valuable lesson. For we know what befell these civilizations and individuals. Yet, what of the individuals that was and is hurt along the way? What about them? As the divide becomes wider and the lines of reality become fuzzier, what eventually will transpire? One may hypothesize that the expectations and the world of stuff will become a non-issue. We move into worlds of karmic outcomes at this point and ultimately the actions of the individual…not the system will define their outcomes. Relying on the societal driven outcomes I worry may lead us to a form of group hysteria, or even worse if history is to educate us well.

It means that this is the time to help advance humanity at a critical point where there is risk of divide. There are those that are headed to evil acts behind the curtain and prosper and those that are wonderful friend who give and have gifts and talents that they share without remuneration and suffer. There is no set reason in this chaos theory, which reinforces the desire to come to a common ground of the bill of sale of the machine.

To dream beyond the expectations means that how would we act at the end days? What if we were actually in the proverbial foxhole and what would you do?  This should rule our actions in the here and now, even beyond a theological discussion and ties into basic kindness, humanities and ethics. For those that are able to look to that outcome, which will happen to all of us will obtain their desired goals. What do others think of you when you are gone? What sort of life are you living? Is it rooted in ego and you or rooted in humanity? How do you feel when you look at yourself in the mirror? Are you able to see the positives, or always denigrate others?

A goal I have is to give the incredible kindness and bounty of intelligent concern, love, kindness and positivity to others and advance the curve. The best curve on a person after all, is their smile.

Really, to dream beyond expectations means are you willing to hold the ladder to help others up, pull them out of the fire or do you push them in? We have the ability rich or poor to practice basic humanity for it costs little and to save the world and live the dream.  You can be positive or negative in approach and also feeding or dousing the fire… again, you drive your outcomes beyond the expectations offered in the now. Whatever you do, will return in aces and good or bad will define and become and be yourself, often.



                        ~~~ Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure     September 2012

Announcement: Canadian UNESCO-Affiliated Bioethics Unit to the International UNESCO Chair in Bioethics

UNESCO Chair in Bioethics

Canadian UNESCO-Affiliated Bioethics Unit to the International UNESCO Chairs in Bioethics

 

August 22, 2012

In 2001 there was establishment of a UNESCO Chair designation in medical bioethics resulting from published research under Professor Carmi from 1996 and 2001. This research centered on the specific field of the provision and outcomes of medical bioethics education. Secondary to this research, a UNESCO International Chair position was created for a UNESCO Chair in Medical Bioethics. An international network was created from interested and supporting Universities across the world, with each of the 29 signatory countries being designated a UNESCO Medical Education Bioethics designated University, with a corresponding National Network and Chief/Lead for their country. In 2009, Canada became a signatory to this initiative. Western University enjoys collaboration with the other Bioethics Universities including Harvard in the United States, Tokyo Medical University in Japan and the University of Haifa in Israel to name a few.

These networks have been tasked with determining the status of medical education deliverables in bioethics across the country, including quality, placement, sustainability and robustness within the medical curriculum.

The Canadian Network at August 22, 2012 has been awarded by the UNESCO Chair to the supervision of Dr. Joel Lamoure, a critical care pharmacist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Lamoure also serves as a scientist with Lawson Health Research Institute and surveyor with Accreditation Canada. Joel was licensed as a pharmacist in 1991 and completed his Doctorate in Divinity in 2011.

A revised cross-Canadian panel and committee will be convened to address and go the next level of questions that have been posed by the UNESCO Bioethics Chair to support the Charter.

The aim of the Network is to ensure a robust and evidence based approach to the provision of medical bioethics within the medical curriculum. In a sharing, international network format we aim to determine the level of current education, identify the needs for bioethics education and train the educators through adult based learning educational strategies.

UNESCO has noted the emergence of the need for bioethics at grass roots, educational level that is continuous, consistent and mirrored through education, practice and mentoring. Their statements surrounding the current challenges are as follows*:

“There is an emerging need for introduction of teaching medical ethics as a consequence of several social and scientific processes:    

•  Health-care consumers emphasize nowadays not only the need for health but the need for quality of life. Patients expect professionalism, effectiveness and quality, along with empathy, reliability and devotion.
    • Health-care providers are detached from traditional concepts of idealistic medicine, adopting a contractual, consumer paradigm.
    • Medical technology has created new dilemmas (e.g. procreation, euthanasia, intensive care, medical genetics, bio-technology), while at the same time causing previous ethical resolutions to become obsolete (e.g. definition of death, family composition).
    • Specialization and sub-specialization in medicine have encouraged technicality at the expense of patient-physician relationship and communication skills, thus creating a growing gap between physicians and their patients, and between medicine and society at large.
    • Growing social concern, suspicion and demand for closer inspection on medical activities is filling this gap. The demand is materialized in the form of ample litigation, increased health-related legislation and formulation of international declarations, conventions, charters etc., creating new ethical and legal frameworks and new obligations for the practicing physician.
    • Resource allocation in face of growing monetary constraints creates a substantial effect on the everyday practice of medicine.
    • The need to adhere to ethical norms in scientific research and experimentation (human cloning, pharmacology etc.) remains a constant challenge”

*UNESCO 2012 http://www.unesco-chair-bioethics.org/UI/A01.aspx

We would like to thank the previous Canadian Network members for their immense efforts to date since 2009 to bring Canada to the table in Bioethics as it relates to education and setting the stage for the next exciting stage of development. Being that education based in CANMEDS is a life long role, we look forward to creating new Canadian linkages to move the medical education bioethics across the scope, specialties and lifespan of clinicians.

 

Heroes and Heroines of the Fourth Cornerstone

Greetings my gentle readers to the “Be Yourself, Often” blog. A time when we can sit down with ourselves and our reflective thoughts and mind interfacing with matter.

Over the past 3 weeks (with the exception of the week I took off to be in Copenhagen), we have taken a look at the perfect, parfait driven live from the cornerstones and ultimate pinnacle of a pyramid. In God we trust, with the All-Seeing eye on the obverse of the American $1 bill. But this is the pyramid symbolic of personal and strength that we are reflecting up. The 4 bases of this pyramid will be the Mindfulness, Reflection, Gratitude and Altruistic giving with the pinnacle representing Prayer/Spirituality.

As we have learned, the main 2 cornerstones and anchors of the pyramid that is the person in strength and humanities is mindfulness. That is being at one and connected and in the moment, appreciating all aspects of the moment.  That we are able to mirror also says so much and that reflection on the acts and also the root causes and etiologies of the action. Gratitude is the giving of thanks for what we are able to experience… and embraces both the positive and the negative. It is very hard to give thanks for the negatives when compared to the positives, yet they are needed.

Altruism is I feel the fourth corner of the square that denotes being able to have a life with depth and breadth. This is the corner that presents the most challenge in reflection and action, as it is the hardest to capture. While on the surface, it may appear simple that a person does an act without expecting anything in return; identifying the root motivation may make altruism greyer than we expected. 

For example, if a person does something nice to another and hope to simply advance their karmic positives, it would be hard pressed to really consider that altruism, even if it was meant as giving. Sadly, the thing that comes to my mind is the blatant hypocrisy that people go to church on Sunday and then slander someone through gossip or negative actions the rest of the week. That is like giving for karmic positives.

Indeed, I believe a more accurate depiction of altruism comes clearer when we look at actions across time. Why indeed must we expect something in return? For we know that that creates resentments and negatives often, which is on that slippery slope, swirling down the drain.

To get a real feel of altruism, I believe we need to look at examples where there is unconditional love and giving, with an intelligent concern for others and the ego-rat has stopped nibbling away at the base psyche. The examples I come up with are nature in its habitat, where everything is as it should be and the falling leaves begat life for the tree and that unending cycle. Such a perfect ecosystem, repeated over and over again at a macro and micro level.

A mothers’ love would b a close second and very much intertwined with the Mother that is Mother Nature that we have defined above. Even in times of challenge, when mankind is at their worst you hear real altruism. I know a wonderful person who was a young girl in Stalingrad in 1942. When the bombs were falling in the siege of Stalingrad, with the enemy at the gates, the mother by the grandmother covered the child. This is to me one of the most touching reflections of altruistic giving, and can be seen in the Madonna of Stalingrad, painted by a German Officer at Christmas 1942. I have seen and heard both sides of this picture, and they are humbling.

Down the linear (or circular) conceptualization of altruism is the unerring love and giving of pets and animals. Those that have been loved or abused yet are still dedicated and full of true love and giving. Despite the fact that we think we are superior, we as humans can learn a lot from animals. Any hero who has rescued a pet knows that.

And that leaves the concept of a hero. Those people with nothing to gain, lots to lose but stand on their belief systems and integrity.  We see them identified across the centuries and we know some of them from time to time if we are lucky to cross their paths. They speak with conviction and belief and want to advance what others can learn and do, even when there is no remuneration, rewards, gifts, accolades or titles. In my experience, they often have or are facing major health crises and yet always want to look after and give a positive word or thought or learning or just by being is an inspiration. Like the boundless love of an pet, the protective embrace of a mother or the seamless perfection of Nature, these people enter your life to be themselves. 

And if you have the courage to let them do what they do and listen and learn with the openness of a child with peace, patience, silence, humility and serenity… then their touch will I believe, impart a window of their magic to you. And know that maybe you too can be a hero to someone someday.

Can you imagine and then to see and know and resonate and feel that you can be yourself, often

--- Rev. Dr Joel Lamoure     May 2012 

Gratitude-The Third Element of the Pyramid

Greetings my very gentle readers to this week's installment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. Ah yes, a time to look at the metaphysical moments of the day and all the blessings that we have that cannot be bottled or ingested, but appreciated and loved.
Over the past 2 weeks (with the exception of the week I took off to be in Copenhagen), we have taken a look at the perfect, parfait driven live from the cornerstones and ultimate pinnacle of a pyramid. In God we Trust, with the All-Seeing eye on the obverse of the American $1 bill. But this is the pyramid symbolic of personal and strength that we are reflecting up. The 4 bases of this pyramid will be the Mindfulness, Reflection, Gratitude and Altruistic giving with the pinnacle representing Prayer/Spirituality.
As we have learned, the main cornerstone and anchor of the pyramid that is us in strength and humanities is mindfulness. That is being at one and connected and in the moment, appreciating all aspects of the moment. Its so very hard to fill ourselves with crap and fear and anxieties when all of our efforts are rooted in the flower in front of it! And of course, right beside that beautiful rooted flower is the anchor of reflection. Ah, so many sights, colours, flavours and anything that titillates and impacts on our five senses with imprint a reaction on us. That is part of reflection. Reflection is inwardly or outwardly. Sadly for many, it is often cowardly... and the glass is distorted or a true image is never obtained. It reflects a world of delusions within illusions.
If we are truly aware and feel with all of our sense what we are doing and how we are doing it and for what cause and see it to be good, then that inherently will create the third component of the triangle. That is gratitude. In and of themselves, a pyramid is comprised of the three dimensions of three triangles with a solid square at the base. This square allows the pyramid to gain height, stability and structure. Yet within the structure lies the trinity. The number 3 is mystical and often found in cultures around the world, and links into the concepts of theology.
So, to round out this triangle, we look to and appreciate gratitude. And truly what better day than today to express such, than Mothers Day? Almost seems like my agent had these steps conceptualized perfect! Have to swing them a bonus! A triangle with no third point is a plain ole line. Boring. No third dimension and flat as the Earth was 600 years ago (except to the inspired- and they were called crazy-> Ah, thats a story on the insanity of the sanity for another day). Gratitude means that we can take the moments that we have mindfully appreciated and reflected on how well they fit in the the story of a life that we are writing word by word, page by page and chapter by chapter and FEEL it with thanks.
Gratitude means that we take the good and the bad, positive and sad, yin and the yang and see it in the incredible harmony that it is. Gratitude is realizing that everything happens for a reason and appreciating that it has happened and has added to the complement that is us. We tend to apply gratitude to the tangible gifts that come in life and cover those said gifts. The more expensive, the more the gratitude. The better the date, the more likely to have (ahem) fun time at the end of it. That is the most screwed up concept of gratitude I have heard of, yet it defines our society.
Maybe, just maybe yet again the societal driven way is a perversion of what we should really do and feel and have. We already discussed honesty, integrity, being a kid and putting together things that may normally done in a "proper" concept; up can be fun, overcome dis-ease and thus disease and more. So why not gratitude as well? Im more grateful for a $100 gift than a $1 gift? Because it means more? Is that not a societal driven expectation from the men in the blue pinstripe suits? I had to work harder, lose more of life to make more money to get more gratitude? Whacked.
Lets try a gratitude of actions and appreciation instead. That we feel at ease with what happens, and even when life takes a turn you didnt expect, we are mindful of that, reflect what it will mean and do and fit in with the moment and then hive thanks. The thanks is gratitude. The best gifts in life come through kindness and actions. Maybe thats why Mothers Day is so valuable and moms mean so much and its easy to give thanks and gratitude for your mother... all that they have given, given up and sacrificed when we reflect has made us part of who we are. We know the love of a mother and even if there were bad times and days, we must remember that they are human, but they do put their babies first. I give thanks for the mom I had as she gave everything, even when there was nothing. That is love...an intelligent concern for others.
Want gratitude? Be grateful for the miracle that is you first and all the miracles that exist in the moment about you. Get over yourself and the ego driven concept of self importance and know exactly where you fit into the big blue marble. Appreciate the flowers, earth, sky, wind, fire, water and life that is in such abundance about you. Gratitude for the colours, sight, sound and ability to communicate. That you are not trapped in a mind with demons and cant see, or communicate that hell you are in. To see that (and I know a person like that, deaf/mute/ blind and suffering :( ) helps you put everything in perspective.
Why are some grateful for small wonders and that begats happiness while those in mansions with millions are in personal agony and suffer? This is perspective and perspective defines reality. Perspective is in large part gratitude.
Be at ease with the surroundings you are in and at ease my gentle friends. Appreciate and give thanks that you are a miracle, surrounded my miracles, for then you shall see and be yourself, often.

  --- Rev. Dr Joel Lamoure    May 2012   (Mothers Day)

The layered parfait of life

From: http://www.joelwlamoure.com/id43.html

Greetings my gentle readers to another week and another weekend with the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. A time when we can sit back with a common thought and thread and love and appreciate the miracles of the moments that surround us. A time to rejoice on the small moments and the interface that we share with all other living creatures on this big rolling blue marble that we call Earth.

I would like to thankl everyone who has read and shared this blog and subsequently tuned into my radio show,  "Prescribing Spiritual HOPE" found on blog talk radio as well. Each week we will look at this blog and discuss it further and how it relates to the fact that we are really simply spiritual entities who are having a human existence. Our live show is aired every Tuesday at 9pm Eastern EDT and given audience numbers, have added a repeat/re-airing of the show every Saturday night at 8pm EDT. That there are so many wonderful opportunities that exist around the corner. Spiritual HOPE takes into the context that we in order to prevent the dis-ease and diseases that permeate through our lives that our tactical approach to healing and staying well (and avoiding those darn negative karmic souvenir keychains!) must be multimodal in approach. Past radio shows may be found here. We should look at approaching our lives through a Holistic approach and that we need to have an idea what our end Outcomes are. Where are we going and what are the tools and plans and strategies that we will pursue to help make those dreams come to life? Our life is also a very Personal experience and so the P in HOPE looks at that personal journey that we all have and more importantly how it links and interfaces with everything else. And that we know we have a choice under the free will covenant which is the E, or Empowerment. We can make choices and take responsibility as we move ahead and ensure that we have the opportunity to advance our objectives.

Where does this all go? I believe it enhances the mindfulness and richness and appreciations of the moments. There are so many challenges along the course and discourse of each and every day. Are we indeed hard wired to be miserable despite all of the incredible offerings around us? Or perhaps are we reading the signposts along the avenue of life incorrectly? Do we as individuals get so wrapped up in goals for stuff and filling our places with stuff and buying stuff and working to make money to get more stuff that we are indeed, stuffed?

I find that an interesting concept as there is a wonderful thought that goes along the lines if we are so full of ourselves, there cannot be room for anything else. That is the ego-dragon that exists within all of us I believe and it is hungry, wants more stuff and is growing. The 3 headed dragon so to speak. And that simply shearing a head off of the dragon is not going to do much in the long term for healing. In fact, the head comes back and he is one peeved off, bitter camper. Burn baby. Someone call in St. Michael the Archangel... stat!

Certainly is it hard to remove the ego from oneself and I am not saying to do that. Shylock and the Merchant of Venice and the "pound of flesh" comes to mind. And to do that without spilling a drop of blood... aint gunna happen.

So how can we move ahead and spiritually as we indeed truly are advance without being full of ourselves? If indeed we do have that overbearing, overarching desire to fill ourselves... perhaps we can look externally.  We I feel can have our cake and eat it to if we look at it with eyes of appreciation and goodwill, relishing the cake one mindful bite at a time. Same way one cannot fill a vase with sand and then expect to put in stones and golf balls, we ARE able to put in the golf balls first, then the pebbles and then the sand. Make a layered parfait out of our lives that is a mosaic of many facets and skills and gifts.

For we do have those gifts and in order to maximize their strength (use it or lose it baby!) we need to practice and continually build that muscle of spirituality. Mindfulness, reflection, gratitude, prayer and giving with altruism I feel are the 5 fingers and thumb that fit this glove that we are. They will produce an end outcome that has been driven by holistic approaches. To be mindful is key that we are one with the moment and not racing off in true illegal street racing form to get to the next stoplight. It is the wide eyed wonderment of the child and looking at things without judgement as if they were new each and every time.

Over the next 5 weeks, I will look at each of these 5 components of a parfait driven life. Mindfulness, Reflection, Gratitude, Prayer and Altruistic giving. Along the way, we will share exercises and break bread and have a wonderful collaborative and giving/ sharing experience! Feel free to email me at rev.joel@live.ca if there are any particular stories or perspectives YOU would like to share over the next 5 months.

Together, we can let us, let me let you be yourself, often.

--- Rev. Dr Joel Lamoure    April 2012 

The karmic souvenir keychain

From: http://www.joelwlamoure.com/id43.html

Greetings my gentle readers to this weeks installment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. A time when we can all curl up against the harsh winds of the moments and deluge and storms and look at the week gone past. A week of mindful meditation and appreciation of the small intricate pieces of life... and with any luck to see how they all fit together.

This week is the third and last section where we will look at avionic safety and how it relates to us. Given that we are exactly in the period of Easter and a time of death and miracles and rebirth, this seemed to fit in perfectly. This week landing the plane at our destination is where we are headed.

The most impressing plane landing was "The Miracle of the Hudson" with Capt. Sullenberg and how he had mentally conceptualized every challenge that may befall him through the course of provision of his duties. What was the worst case scenario? He had mentally planned out and rewired neuronal pathways so that what might happen could be dealt with in a small checklist. Not panic or unknowing... but a solid decision. Those are the emergency landings and mental checklists that we have spoken of for the past 2 weeks.

Now, I understand that for a variety of reasons that all interlock here together that the plane safely lands on the tarmac at the destination planned. What do we do then? Is it what we expected and are we happy? This new world is there for us to learn from. Yet, I see sadly that people have a set of demands and expectations that will render this new opportunity to be shallow. They are and become bitter and angry and unwilling or inflexible to learn or go "in country" so to speak. The dont need to even worry about getting their baggage, as they have all this extra unrecognized non-declared baggage like a monkey on their back and in their brain.
Why is that my gentle readers? Those are the sins of expectation and pride. I can absolutely guarantee that what you expect and plan for will not happen exactly as you planned in this new life and opportunity! Here so there is the free will covenant and choice.... you can do a Donald Duck and jump around squawking or thing that maybe, just maybe there is a power greater than us that restores us to sanity. Yes, I said restore us to sanity. That quiet voice in the wind that if we mindfully meditate at our destination we can often see exactly the doors that are meant for us to see. Even worse, the baggage laded squawkers scare the peace and serenity. Then their trip bites and they get nothing besides a keychain souvenir they can add to their psychic packsack and it is in the shape of a brick (and weighs the same)... ouch.

Such a rich opportunity is afforded to us at our destination... in fact far far greater than any of us can even begin to conceptualize. But it depends on the flight and the attitude we have that drives our altitude and range.

So if its not exactly what you plan it to be or conceptualized, feel free to squawk and jump and burn energy and buy that extra karmic keychain. I'll be in the cabana and when you are ready...feel free to join so you can be yourself, often.

--- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure     April 2012

Caterpillars and Miracles at the Perceived End

From: http://www.joelwlamoure.com/id43.html

Greetings my gentle readers to this week's installment of the "Be Yourself, Often" blog. Ahhh. the time in the week that we can step back and know that we have survived the past 7 days and take some meditative, motivational and reflective time to discourse on the week. To step back and realize and with fearlessness that we may be able with strength and fortitude to move the little boat that we call our lives across the sea to the next port.

And what if we have, or come to, or have foisted upon us the realization that what we thought was the next port of call was really a potential disaster all wrapped up in reefs and that simply the sail-by that we were planning on to get a good view was NOT for us? That somewhere along the way what we thought to be the opportunity was actually a false hope?

Ah my friends and here is where some of the discussions of the past few weeks comes into play. A wise person stated and asked the question of what actually dies and did the caterpillar think BEFORE it came a butterfly? Was it imbued with this sense of dread and disaster that these were the end of its days? That there was no more and that it was sequestered away into a cocoon? Or perhaps all along it realized that it full full of butterfly elements and longing and yearning for the end of the first stage and knowing where it would go next? More likely...it just was and at one with the moment and then the miracle of evolution of its life progressed.

And this is the reflection that I take away from the question. Inherently, being humans, we are fraught with the ego centric concept and how to reflect things and what does it mean to us. That actually though is far preferable my friend to the converse where one thinks that they are knowing of all, yet ignorant beyond themselves. We call those people un-enlightened and maybe even arrogant jerks if they try to ram their crap down YOUR throat as opposed of a rational discourse. I digress.... back to the miracles at the perceived end. Simply being at one and content with the moment with an idea of the way you want to head is wonderful. The key is to be at one with the moment and be light of heart, removed from some of the societal dictates and constraints of the day and be able and free enough to express the carefree side that we have. It may be public or in private and what you do, think, say, dress or feel... but there should be some kid-like (read:non-ego centric, full of wonderment and miracles) in the days and weeks.

And then as we are able to progress down the slope of life in that approach, we can realize and have the insight with gentle guidance that what we thought was the end (be it a position, change in location, relationship status) is only the beginning. And if we have REAL fortitude and some gentle friends and a bit of a vivid and open memory and imagination.... we may come to the realization gentle readers that we have all of those abilities to be a butterfly within us. And even more that sometimes the situations that occur that have cocooned us may have actually allowed us to embark on the next journey.

Sure as the evolution occurs for the caterpillar to butterfly.... the butterfly is still subject to the elements and the wind and the seasons and the risks of life. It is not immune. But it has allowed itself to evolve! And if that isnt a sweet place to be vs dying as a caterpillar and not having that chance, I dont know what is.

Incredible feelings to realize as one has been cocooned without even knowing it that the butterfly was evolving and growing. An incredible miracle and thought that can be realised in each of us when we step away from the concepts of the ego-dog and the coulda, shoulda, woulda and BMW concepts, embracing the kid-like (and God-like) rose coloured glasses that we all have (some are broken, but one can still use part of the lens... I believe we have fragments of those glasses- every one of us). And to look through those lenses again in mind and in action will allow us to achieve flight in our Faith and resurrection..... and then one can touch the Heavens, the stars and hold the moon between your fingers and thumb. That we can look and feel with wonderment and embrace the resurrection, which is really tapping into the evolving gift we have nestled within us.

And ironically, to touch that is to touch the Heavens by embracing the kidlike nature in yourself and to be yourself, often.

--- Rev. Dr. Joel Lamoure   March 2012