The "Impossible Journeys" Archive

The Heart Way

2003-10-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

Screenwriting instructor and author of How to write your movie in 21 days, Viki King, says you need to write the first draft of your script from your heart, and rewrite the second draft with your head. (Incidentally, in the movie Finding Forrester, William, played by Sean Connery, gave Jamul the exact same advice.) When you engage a blank page with your head, all sorts of mental debris obstructs your flow. Self-doubt, judgment and other insecurities inevitably surface when you try to think your way through a story or idea. Work of sheer brilliance in any medium is never conceived of in the head. Inspiration is rooted in the heart, through your Divine dance. The mind helps communicate the message of the heart, which sometimes takes years, even decades, leading many of the world’s greatest artists and mystics to insanity.

How does one harness the power of the heart, something he does not understand? Although we may not be able to explain how to write, speak, listen, act, sing or draw from the heart, intuitively we know when it transpires. When operating from the heart, time dissolves into a sea of nothingness, blockades crumble to dust, and resistance is unrooted. As if joyfully skipping from cloud to cloud in a robe of clarity and eloquence, unknown forces craft the work others call “genius.” And what happens after a work of utter brilliance is formed? The mind, or more specifically, the ego steps in to take credit. “What an amazing job I have done?” “This is my best work!”

If we view the heart as being a direct link to God (or perhaps more accurately, that the heart is God), the source of this extraordinary gift becomes lucid. Interestingly, artistic geniuses throughout time have rarely taken credit for their work, always acknowledging that the piece flowed from a higher source—through them, rather than from them. (See the Impossible Journey titled "Inspired Writing" for further explanation.)

Passionate people operate from the heart when doing their chosen work. Dispassionate people wonder why the world isn’t fair to them and why they aren’t lucky. Operating from the head obstructs the gateway to Divine creation because the ego centers around I, whereas the heart’s focal point is the greater good of eternal love.

But how does one transcend the ego and return to the path of love? Keep reminding yourself: “It’s not about you.” Catch the ego taking credit for what the heart wants to share. There’s no ego in a warm, loving embrace or in a deep gaze with a genuine smile. Dogs seem to be blessed without an ego, which may explain why they can comfortably gaze at you for long periods of time and continually send you unconditional love.

Folks, the heart is THE way. Search each day for ways to let go of your mind and embrace the love planted deep in your soul. Only then will you uncover true peace. Only then will life’s meaning shine forth to illuminate the path of your blissful adventure.

With love and happy journeys to all of you!
Scott Jeffrey

A Penny for your 50,000 Thoughts

2003-09-18T11:20:00.000-05:00

According to psychologists, we each have approximately 50,000 thoughts per day. (If this sounds inconceivable, close your eyes and try counting all the random thoughts that float through your consciousness in 60 seconds.) Like the Indy 500, most thoughts race through our minds, zoom across a range of awareness, and make occasional pit stops in our mental psyche.

Pondering this staggering number, it’s amazing we’re able to communicate coherently (usually) or accomplish any task (sometimes). The array of thoughts zipping through our head isn’t necessarily the problem; generally speaking, we function fine. The greater challenge lies in the quality of these thoughts: Out of the 50,000 thoughts you had yesterday, how many are different from the 50,000 you are having today?

We have the tendency of locking ourselves into patterns of thinking reinforced by beliefs, behaviors, and habits. Although each moment is unique—a whole universe within itself—by default, we unknowingly engage analogous thoughts over and over. Precision focused with positive intention, these thoughts can be powerful allies as you fashion your legacy. Alas, too often we contemplate inharmonious work environments, replay nonsensical arguments, and simmer in ongoing family and/or financial crises.

The qualitative sum of your thoughts defines your experience. Your level of happiness, passion, freedom, energy, and faith is a byproduct of those racing, aimless thoughts flashing through your psyche. Gravity tends to pull us toward the lowest common denominator. If we remain unaware of our thought patterns, we end up like the vast majority of people who do not attain their desired level of bliss.

Obviously, the “power of positive thinking” is not a new concept. We know. We get it: What we focus on becomes our reality. But with 50,000 chaotic, whirling thoughts to attempt to manage, even our best efforts will likely fall short. So why not try something different? Perhaps even more useful in our mental navigation efforts is the ability to step back from our cerebral zooming, observing the racecars rather than driving in them. A person exhibiting such mindful mastery might live in the high mountains of the Himalayas, in secluded monasteries, or some other isolated, sacred environment with limited outside distraction. Through endless hours of meditation, these highly conscious beings learn to detach from inherent mind chatter and achieve a state of idyllic calm, love and interconnectedness.

What about the rest of us not living in temples on mountaintops? Can we learn to let our thoughts zip by without trying to grab hold? Certainly. And as is the case so often in life, the solutions are simple:

Sit on a bench and stare aimlessly at the sky.
Lie in bed with your eyes closed and focus on a single breath.
Sit by a window and listen to the summer rain chiming against a parked car.
Let go of all your inhibitions and swing a golf club.
Walk calmly on a hiking trail leading to an unknown destination.
Hum a tune to a song you haven’t heard in years (or hum an unsung song floating around in your head.)

Find a sacred space within yourself and uncover a land of ultimate peace (at least, momentarily) beyond worry, depression and anger. Deep in the dark corners of your conscious mind await hidden treasures of love and tranquility. Once you unlock the chest, a pool of newfound energy and ideas springs forth.

So what are you thinking about?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Who’s your Wendy Allen?

2003-09-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

With every great hero comes a great villain. The bigger the villain, the bigger the hero called forth to face it. In fact, the villain’s role is to challenge the hero to grow or perish.

At times, your villain can be your internal dialogue, an illness, lethargy, limited thinking, disempowering beliefs, dream-stompers, a disability, a co-worker, a boss, a bully, a competing company, a spouse, a sibling, a telemarketer, or a woman named Wendy Allen…

Verizon gave me a rare gift when I moved last year—an easy to remember phone number. In the weeks following the move, telemarketers had a difficult time reaching me, but one day, as if a kink had been released in the telemarketing hose, an onslaught of incessant calls gushed in at the rate of four or five per day.

Suppressing my frustrations and anger (usually), I started chatting with the telemarketers and found they were all calling for a Wendy Allen who either owed money, signed up for a subscription or opted-in to a specific sales list. At first I figured that Wendy Allen was the prior owner of my phone number and assumed the calls would diminish. A couple of sales agencies told me she had provided my number within the last seven days. At that moment I realized Wendy Allen was using MY phone number as her phony number!

One year later I still have the same phone number, and I occasionally get inconvenient telemarketing calls. But my reaction is different now: Instead of getting irritated, frustrated or angry, I smirk and wittily engage the human being on the other end of the phone. I briefly tell him or her the story of how they were given a phony number and how I appear to be intertwined in a deceitful plot. He or she laughs and apologizes. The event ends there.

Sometimes we can maneuver around unwanted situations, carving out favorable results. Frequently, however, events will be outside our control and the only thing we can manage will be our reaction. How you react to frustrating, untimely circumstances greatly determines the direction your Journey will take.

Don’t try to eliminate Villains—they are a sign of a thriving adventure. Our Wendy Allens serve the vital purpose of preparing us for another stage of our Journey. Villains like Wendy Allen continue to show up in our lives until we master a particular lesson. Although the villain may still persist, her power over us will be weakened. Once we learn to throw water over the Wicked Witch of the West, she will never bother us again. However, more insidious villains lurk around the corner.

Instead of trying to rid yourself of villains, be open to attracting bigger problems into your life. Remember, the size of the hero is in direct proportion to the size of the villain. Once you become proficient at conquering smaller villains, larger ones will appear. As you evolve in your hero role, you will achieve the wherewithal to overcome the treachery of even the most mammoth monsters.

Will you cower in the face of upset? Or will you laugh and enter the demon’s lair? In a way, this choice defines everything.

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

P.S. And Wendy, if somehow you’re reading this, I’d still appreciate it if you stopped giving out my phone number. Thanks!

Love as Your Default

2003-08-20T11:17:00.000-05:00

Since writing the Impossible Journey "How can he love so much?," I’ve been haunted by this concept of choosing love, especially when Yoda (my puppy, for the new folks) knocks over a glass on my leather trunk, chews on a wooden shelf, or commits some other puppy-like mischief. In the heat of the moment, my instincts seem to deploy an attack, where Yoda’s expression says, “Oops … sorry … okay, let’s play.”

Sure, love is a choice, but I wish it was the emotional default. Life would be immeasurably more enjoyable if gravity pulled us toward love instead of toward the wicked emotions to which humans often cling. With love as the default, arguments dissolve before they begin, petty bickering ceases to exist, and mankind experiences a level of joy and freedom beyond comprehension.

Anger, spite, dishonesty, and animosity are all imprisoning emotions that hinder our pursuit of happiness. And in the end, isn’t happiness what we really want? Despite this intellectual understanding, most of us frequently avoid surrendering to love. Why is it so hard to choose love, especially in moments of great upset?

The ego feeds off negative emotions. We engage in deceitful acts because the ego rewards us with the illusion of power and superiority. The seeds of these debilitating emotions seem rooted within us, but we control whether or not these seeds are nourished. When negative thought-harvesting goes unimpeded, weakening emotions grow like weeds.

According to many of the Great Traditions, the most direct pathway to God is through the heart. While most other paths can be taught, the Way through the heart cannot be communicated. Yet we experience glimpses of heartfelt love all the time: A mother cradling her newborn baby, two old friends reuniting after a long time apart, and yes, a dog wagging his tail.

Every time we yell, bicker, or fight, we unknowingly choose a path other than love. And when we engage this precipitous action, we detract from our experience—in that moment (and usually many subsequent moments), happiness eludes us. In choosing to attack, we cast away the love and joy we so desperately seek. When one loves unconditionally, there’s no filter and no decisions to make regarding when to love … you just love. Is this degree of Divine love only to be assigned to saints like Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi? As mere mortals, can we not also elevate to this level of perpetual bliss?

Establishing love as your automatic trigger emotion will transform your Journey. Consciously and genuinely choose love for seven days and observe what happens to your level of joy. The challenge for most of us is that we are so conditioned to move away from love that choosing love isn’t so easy, but with Yoda as our guide, I say we go for it!

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Take an R-Day

2003-07-25T11:15:00.000-05:00

When was the last time you scheduled a day just for you? How often do you honor yourself by doing what truly gives you bliss?

I dare say most of us do a pretty lousy job in this arena. We put off personal celebration, telling ourselves that we’ll take some time off when “we’re done.” The challenge is that we’re never done: emails continue to flow, phones continue to ring, and there’s a never-ending demand to complete a task and move on to the next. And the celebration is postponed indefinitely, or so it seems…

But celebrating is critical for personal fulfillment, which is why Rejuvenation Days, or R-Days, are so important. An R-Day is a day or block of time (R-Time) consciously set aside for nurturing your body, mind and spirit. These brief periods of joyful, spiritual nourishment transform your life perspective.

On our Impossible Journeys, we often overextend ourselves, depleting our physical and mental reserves, eventually leading to varying levels of burn out. R-Time miraculously cultivates greater levels of energy and enjoyment for even the most mundane undertakings.

Taking R-Days will unleash your passions by reconnecting with a remote part of yourself—an area buried by years of responsibilities and self-sacrifices. Even if you are intensely enthusiastic about what you do professionally, scheduled time away from work only adds to your drive. Sometimes the best way to stay on track is to periodically diverge from the trail.

We limit R-Time by telling ourselves that we haven’t earned it and/or are not worthy. Yet rejoicing in special moments at scheduled and arbitrary points during the day can give us a higher degree of self-worth. Taking R-Time is a decision to play, void of any work- or home-related concerns. In this sacred space, magical healing occurs through recovery and renewal. What could daily celebrations add to your life?

For those still chanting the mantra of “I don’t have time”—yes, you do. Sometimes demanding schedules prohibit an entire day or afternoon for energizing the soul, but you can always take an R-Hour. Pulling yourself away from work and engaging in an hour of play can sometimes be sufficient. You can’t afford not to take R-Days. In many ways, this cherished time becomes the lifeblood of your passion. Also, there’s a working theory that says the more R-Time you take, the more productive and fulfilled you become. (Care to put this theory to the test?)

My R-Days usually lead me on a hike through the woods, a writing adventure in a café or an exploratory journey through someone else’s words. (Or playing with Yoda, of course.)

Where will your R-Days take you?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Divine Timeline

2003-07-16T11:12:00.000-05:00

Things never seem to work out as planned … at least, not how we planned them.

Even the best-laid plans get derailed. We set objectives and chart our course, but our deadlines pass with our goals frequently unmet. This usually causes desire to falter and passion to dissipate. What was once an exciting opportunity mutates into a frustrating blockade.

Much of this aggravation can be alleviated by an often overlooked, subtle yet powerful element of the attainment process. With this elusive principle we detach from outcomes, especially in reference to time. This spiritual concept contains profound wisdom shrouded in mystery: How can you be clear about what you want and effortlessly restrain yourself from wanting it immediately?

Living in a culture of immediate gratification, patience and trust are obscure virtues. High-speed Internet connections are sluggish, microwave ovens are time-consuming, and our professional aspirations crawl toward completion. But learning the gift of your divine timeline can alter your need for haste—whether you’re a mother of five or a chief executive.

Deadlines stimulate a sense of urgency, curb procrastination, and provide a tool for measuring progress. Deadlines instill focus, inspire creativity and guide decision-making. Deadlines are important.

Visualize a deadline as a straight line—with you at point A and your objective at point B. Most of us believe that this line is finite, starting where you are and ending at your deadline. In truth, the line is infinite (without beginning or end), filled with unforeseen bumps, twists and loops over the horizon. (So the line isn’t actually straight.) This ceaseless pathway is your life adventure, and a deadline is simply an arbitrary point along your obstacle-ridden Journey. This road ahead requires trust in Divine guidance because these unexpected curves and challenges are always around the bend.

Trusting in a Divine timeline requires a belief that you are being guided, having faith in God and in Divine creation. You are here to serve a purpose (even if you’re not 100% certain what that purpose is.) Operating on faith, you can eradicate worry from your life. If you know things happen in their own time, what is there to worry about? Worry is a feeble attempt to control situations, putting negative energy on something that is beyond our control.

Periodically remind yourself that things find their way. I was once fearful of this principle because I thought it might cause complacency and enervation. (As the argument goes, if things are meant to be, then why get off the couch? Which gets us into the sticky, predetermined destiny vs. free will debate. That’s for a later discussion.) Avoid this trap. It’s simply not true. When you connect with your Divine guidance, you find a renewed vigor to tackle greater personal challenges and expand your territory. You still have to do the work, but knowing that everything is divinely planned takes the pressure off. Your adventure will reach the next enchanting gateway, but you don’t need to know when.

Simply trust and do what you know to do.

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Inside a Bigger Box

2003-07-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

“Think outside the box.” The phrase has been so overused that it was recently used as a punch line in a television commercial. The concept behind the phrase seems to have merit: We normally think in certain patterns, but to be creative we need to think in diverse, chaotic patterns. True.

However, this antiquated phrase is still inaccurate. Thinking “outside the box” is literally and figuratively impossible. Here’s why:

An individual’s thought process is a magnificent blend of beliefs, rules, experiences and intuition that shape ideas and each person’s personal reality. Since each of us has unique beliefs, rules, experiences and intuitive senses, we each have a distinctive thought process, otherwise called our box. In order to think “outside” our box we need to shift one or more elements of thought. The result of this shift is a “new” concept different from how we, and perhaps others, perceive things.

But this new idea is not “outside the box.” As a result of this new pattern of thinking, your box expands, giving you a much larger telescope with which to view the world. With a larger vision, you can capitalize on numerous opportunities that did not exist in your smaller worldview. A bigger box doesn’t just affect you—it has a way of improving the lives of people you know and even those you don’t.

New ideas can enlarge your sphere of influence and transform your world. A single nugget of information combined with an existing concept can spark an empire. A seed planted from something you read in an enlightening, non-fiction book or in an elegantly written work of fiction can change all the rules. Something you notice in a magazine or see in a movie can start the launch sequence.

You may not know it when the idea invites itself into your psyche. This mystical creature may percolate in the inner tomb of your mind, dancing aimlessly for endless hours in a room of normalcy … until it’s his time to be heard. Or the idea can collide with you, sending an electrical torpedo through your nervous system and out the top of your head. You are fully aware when these thoughts strike because they have a way of keeping you up at night (whether you want them to or not.) The application of this idea may be presently unknown, but you’re certain things will never be the same again.

Either way, when this occurs your box is forever expanded. You can’t go back. And why would you? You can now handle a level of problems that was once incomprehensible. The more your box grows, the easier it is for you to tackle any challenge.

How do you expand your box? With a beginner’s mind, continually ask questions and seek out the answers. (And remember to avoid the single, most deadly phrase: I don’t know.)

The ultimate box—the universe—is expanding at the speed of light. How fast are you growing?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

How can he love so much?

2003-06-11T11:09:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me well can easily understand why I named my dog Yoda. It’s not really that I’m a Star Wars fan (which I am) or that I collect Yoda figurines (which I do), but that the symbol of this wise, mentor-archetype has always struck a deep chord with me. I know I’m not alone in my affinity and fascination with this character since new Yoda figures tend to sell out of toy stores within hours of their release.

But it seems I have greater lessons to learn from my 13-week-old yellow Labrador than from the all-powerful, 900-year-old Jedi Master…

Even though Yoda has been in my life for only five weeks (I picked him up from the breeder when he was eight weeks old), we have completely bonded. He follows me wherever I go around the house, and I can’t imagine my life without him. However, training a rambunctious little puppy is a full-time job that takes an endless supply of patience, energy, and compassion. (Surely dog owners reading this are nodding in agreement.)

House training, one of the most important life skills for a puppy to master, can be the most challenging. You praise your puppy when he does his business outside and you reprimand him when you catch him soiling your dark cherry-finished, hardwood floor. Eventually, he gets it. There really isn’t anything extraordinary about this process.

What is extraordinary, however, is how Yoda (and most puppies/dogs) react to a scolding. I scream “No!” like the Alpha wolf barks at the Beta wolf when he does something wrong and bring him outside to show him where he is meant to relieve himself. But when I put him back down I’m always amazed at his reaction. Besides hanging his head in a submissive position (acknowledging he did something wrong), he begins wagging his tail and trying to play with me. I bark and he licks. In the presence of my anger, Yoda sends love. In fact, no matter what I do, Yoda still just gives me love.

Think about this for a moment. How do we react when someone attacks, “barks,” or even simply contradicts us? Is love one of your top ten most readily available emotional responses? It hasn’t been for me either. But what if it was?

No matter how irked I become at something stupid that Yoda does, he always knows how to diffuse my anger and irritation … with the power of love. Apparently, the Force is strong with this one. (Sorry, I had to say it.) Try staying angry at a little puppy wagging his tail and attempting to lick your face (not to mention those puppy-dog eyes). It simply isn’t possible. Love defuses anger.

We all know that this is a terrific principle, but a very difficult one to live. A Course of Miracles says that in any conflict, you have two choices: to be right or to love. I had heard this many times before and had given it lip service, but I think Yoda has convinced me to integrate his way of being into my personal philosophy.

Think of a conflict you currently have in your life—big or small. How would choosing love positively impact the fate of that adventure?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Inspired Writing

2003-05-20T19:57:00.000-05:00

Writers write because they have something to say. Any other type of writing is usually uninspiring. There’s a profound reason for this.

Writing is an intimate process—a form of self-discovery that can be beautiful, divine and wonderfully rewarding. However, at the same time, writing can be unbearably painful. In fact, “fun writing” may be an oxymoron.

The more fluid and natural your writing becomes, the more apparent it is that your writing is not your own. Writing in a state of flow you begin to realize that your writing is not coming from you, but rather through you.

Let’s call this type of writing “inspired writing”—defined by words that come from the heart, not from the head: creative writing, love letter writing and automatic writing. Journalistic writing and business writing, generally speaking, would not fall under this heading.

To better understand inspired writing, imagine an extension cord stemming from your heart and plugging into your journal on the other end. An endless stream of energy now flows from your heart to your writing instrument … what happens next is only partially up to you.

For inspired writing to occur, you must momentarily transcend your ego. The ego is responsible for your desire to be right and your beliefs about how things “should be.” Creating rules and boundaries that inhibit the creative process, the ego often convinces us that we’re bad writers in order to avoid the daunting pain of rejection. If you allow yourself momentarily to let go and detach from the ego something magical can occur. Your body may begin to vibrate slightly and your thoughts may become crystal clear. You may be in awe of the words that flow from you. Or you may just need to be patient and allow yourself to sit in front of your journal and breathe, gazing calmly at a blank page. Some days this can actually be very therapeutic.

Inspired writing is an act of courage. Even if you never share your words with another soul, for most, exposing our inner world to ourselves can be just as frightening.

Unless writing is part of your profession, conduct your writing Journey with a journal. Computers make editing and refining your writing much easier, but can also create a mechanistic environment that leads to linear, non-creative thinking. A beautiful leather bound journal adds a hint of a simpler time and connects you with the great spirits of the past. Can’t you imagine legendary authors like Hemingway, Thoreau, and Blake capturing their inner-most thoughts in a hardbound, moleskin journal sitting in solitude beneath a towering oak tree with the late afternoon sun peering down on them?

Your journal can be your private, sacred space. Later on, you may wish to share these words with others, or you may not. That’s not important. In sharing your work, you put yourself out there for the entire world to see—exposed and naked. You will be judged; behind every corner there’s another critic, but don’t write for them. Write for those that want to enter your world, and see things in a new light. When these fellow travelers read your thoughts they will be immersed in your field of consciousness.

Take fifteen minutes at some point today and allow yourself to share a few intimate words with yourself. Unleash the creative beauty inside yourself. (And this goes double for those of you who don’t think you can write.)

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

The Wisdom of Tiger Woods

2003-04-10T19:55:00.000-05:00

In the film The Legend of Bagger Vance, the mystical golf caddy Bagger Vance coaches young golfer Rannulph Junuh to help find his one true authentic swing. Bagger explains that we are each born with our own authentic swing and that it’s up to us to find it. But like most of us, Rannulph has years of life experiences and emotional baggage that hinders him from connecting with his swing.

I think it’s fair to say that twenty-seven-year-old golf champion Tiger Woods has metaphorically and figuratively found his authentic swing. Through an alchemical transformation, Tiger takes hundreds of minute technical details and magically melds them into a fluid, seemingly effortless motion. Tiger’s poetry of the links echoes the brilliance of a Mozart concerto or a Monet impression.

In performance terminology, Woods demonstrates “unconscious competence” on the golf course. Unconscious competence occurs when one excels at a given activity without needing conscious awareness of his actions. This doesn’t mean Tiger is unconscious when he swings his seven iron—his intense focus simply projects beyond the details.

When you enter a state of unconscious competence, you connect with your natural, rhythmic flow. Your thoughts resonate with your body. Your movements become flawless. Your words become poetic. Your level of consciousness transcends to a degree of enlightened clarity. In that moment, you embody your authenticity.

Alas, our authentic self is often out to lunch, buried beneath an infinite number of momentary distractions. Disharmonic breathing combines with inconsistent actions; dissonant thoughts combine with disempowering language. The resulting performance? Usually less than stellar.

To connect with your authentic swing, discover what you love to do and do it often. Focus on ways to become better at it and make it a daily discipline. Continue to practice. And then…let go. Trust yourself, and your swing will find you.

Note that “finding your authentic swing” presupposes that the swing is within you. Too often, we look outside ourselves for the answers. Books, tapes, videos, seminars and teachers may provide us with a deeper understanding, but none of these modalities will uncover our true self. This, my friends, is an internal Journey.

We have all the resources we need right now, if not for the stumbling blocks we unknowingly create within us. Observe your thoughts, monitor your beliefs and watch your actions—all three provide you with clues for unleashing your true self. Galileo Galilei said, “We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.”

Where in your life can you unmask your authenticity—and find your true self?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

The Way of Bruce Lee

2003-02-27T18:19:00.000-05:00

By age nineteen, Bruce Lee had developed his own unique fighting style embodying elements of multiple forms of martial arts, boxing, and weaponry. Like an endless, roaring river hurdling over a rigid rock face, Lee’s Jeet Kune Do philosophy was free flowing in nature. As Lee described: Water poured into a glass becomes the glass. Water poured into a pitcher becomes the pitcher. Be formless like water.

Where most disciplines consisted of a series of techniques including specific stances, punches, kicks, blocks and combination moves, Lee’s approach didn’t commit to one particular method of action. Instead, he stayed open to the mysteries of each moment and pulled from a vast arsenal of styles as needed.

As one of the world’s greatest martial artists, Bruce Lee’s power stemmed from his ability to instantaneously access an endless stream of movements and ideas—a skill which kept him undefeated through a crowd of film-choreographed and real-life battles. Lee said, “Jeet Kune Do utilizes all ways and is bound by none and, likewise, uses any techniques or means which serve its end.”

Lee’s philosophy gives us a framework for understanding the “impossibility myth.” Something is only labeled “impossible” because the predominant form in society does not permit its existence. Humans have a strong tendency to favor the world of form. We adopt specific rules in what we believe, how we interact, how we think, and even what we eat. These forms establish structure and provide the illusion of stability in an otherwise turbulent environment. But does this structure always support us?

A few daring souls seek to break from the known world of form. As if through an inner calling, they allow themselves to see things differently, act on intuition, advance with certainty, and laugh where others remain silent. These are the visionaries, pioneers, explorers, inventors, adventurers, innovators and true leaders. This formless spirit lies within each of us.

By staying curious, open and flexible, you can break away from limiting thought patterns and enter the realm of infinite potentiality. The universe of potentiality is like a vast ocean, yet most of us seem content to only swim near the shore. There’s nothing wrong with swimming near the shore, but if you seek nothing else, you miss out on great lands of individual discovery. Explore uncharted regions of personal knowledge and understanding, and experience greater levels of joy and peace.

If bound by nothing, what adventure will you embark on right now?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Is This Your Defining Moment?

2003-01-28T18:18:00.000-05:00

In the original Star Wars, Luke Skywalker agreed to join Obi-Wan Kenobi on his quest to save the Princess. In The Matrix, Neo chose to take Morpheus’ red pill and uncover the truth about the Matrix. In Pretty Woman, Edward decided he had to be with Vivian...

Our heroes were forced to make a critical decision: Charge forward on the adventure and commit to the unexpected, or retreat back to the ordinary.

Defining moments determine how you invest your greatest friend or foe -- time. Fall prey to time and watch it swallow you like quicksand. Master time and extract every juicy morsel Father Time provides.

The true adventure is tumultuous and uncertain. The unpaved, unmarked, dirt-covered trail illuminates the path of your evolution. The paved, well-traveled road marks prior conquest recorded in history. Whenever you recoil from the rocky trail, you forgo a defining moment. In that instant, time tames you.

Defining moments pervade all life arenas: Do you conduct one more client call or flee home? Do you book a weekend getaway with your significant other or conjure an excuse? Do you script a loving note to a friend or flip through a magazine? Do you dive into a thought-provoking book or flop on the couch with the remote control? Do you engage in a quick morning jog or hit ‘snooze’?

Moments of decision shape your lifestyle, and ultimately, your destiny. Each moment is a building block helping to either enhance or destroy your palatial future.

Your adventure will be glorious if the option to escape back to status quo is eliminated. Heed the words of mythology expert Joseph Campbell, “The BIG question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty ‘yes’ to your adventure.”

Explore the unknowns that lie ahead on your mysterious trail. Be grateful for the power of decision and the ability to tackle any challenge. And if you momentarily lack the courage to continue along your Journey, hold your course out of sheer curiosity to see what life has in store for you.

The doorways to adventure stand open and waiting...

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

The Director’s Chair

2003-01-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

Do you know you are playing a part in a real movie?

It’s true. Your reality -- how you perceive the world -- is a series of events and circumstances that make up a living, breathing movie experience. Your internal filters determine the quality of this movie: your five senses, your intuition, your rules about what things mean, and the emotions you attach to those meanings. Combined, these distinctive filters define your life experience.

So, guess who sits in the Director’s Chair? You do! Do you want to live a heart-wrenching, Lifetime channel drama? Or, do you prefer a romantic, action/adventure?

Since you are the Director, and so fully in charge, there are no boundaries to designing your life movie. No budget. No critics. No pressure of generating box office ticket sales. Your experience is constrained only by your imagination of how extraordinary life can be.

The challenge comes when you are NOT consciously sitting in the Chair. You allow your movie to become a compilation of external events without any direction or purpose. Without “film consciousness,” you may create ongoing dramas, heart-breaking after-school specials, or even terrifying horror movies.

With film awareness, you can manifest an unrivaled adventure, a thrilling expedition and/or a romantic quest. If you haven’t already done so, start writing and developing a magical story. Be aware of your multi-faceted production and design an award-winning life. The following directorial components will assist you in this process:

Define your leading role. Every adventure needs a dynamic hero: Be the hero of your own story. Construct a powerful personal identity by deciding who you are right now and who you are committed to becoming.

Write your script. As you would in developing a screenplay, tell your story from start to finish. Highlight where the story begins and determine how it turns out. As Director, you control the level of excitement, fun, love, passion and adventure in your own life movie.

Select your cast of characters. Empowering support roles can lift the lead role to new heights, while unsupportive characters can literally destroy the hero. Who is in your cast right now? Do they help you grow? Constantly challenge you? Share both victories and setbacks? Or did you unconsciously select a cast that hinders your ability to design the life you desire?

Choose a theme song. Every hero needs a theme song. Find an emotionally powerful song to become a part of who you are. Just thinking about this song should transport you to a higher place. (Or get outrageous and create an entire soundtrack!)

Now it’s time to reclaim your seat in the Director’s Chair and orchestrate a masterful adventure. And ... Action!

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

The Magic of the Purple Crayon

2002-12-10T18:17:00.000-05:00

I may have forgotten to mention something: our Impossible Journey begins with a crayon. That’s right, a crayon. But not just any crayon, this extraordinary symbol of creation is PURPLE!

Are you familiar with the story of “Harold and the Purple Crayon” by Crockett Johnson? This classic children’s book illustrates a young boy’s imaginative adventure fashioned with a purple crayon. If Harold wants to hike through the woods, he draws a tree; if he gets hungry, he draws a picnic.

Harold’s adventure personifies our fabulous Journeys through a world of impossibilities. The Purple Crayon symbolizes boundless opportunity and reminds us that we truly can create what we desire in our lives.

Conscious of it or not, we’re constantly creating the world around us – for better or worse. We create through our everyday thought process, our continual line of questions, and our habitual and spontaneous actions. We all have a Purple Crayon, but only a select few choose what to draw. Most of us neglect our innate ability to create, build, and transform our world.

How do you tap into the power of your Purple Crayon? You start by reconnecting with the Crayon within you. Then ... begin to draw like a kid. A kid doesn’t walk around with preconceived notions about how things are. A kid explores, stays curious, tries new things, and embraces each moment with joy, excitement, and wonder. A kid doesn’t worry about how the drawing will look when he’s finished. A kid can take his Crayon in hand and draw whatever his heart desires.

Unfortunately, this is usually not true for adults. An adult usually hasn’t picked up his Crayon in years, often decades. He has forgotten that his Crayon is the gateway to manifesting his dreams. He no longer spends much time thinking about what to draw and consequently, he rarely attempts to design anything spectacular anymore. As a result, the world suffers. Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist after growing up.”

But here’s wonderful news: your Purple Crayon is still there. Dormant for a while perhaps, your infinitely creative faculties are waiting patiently to come out and playfully craft once again. Sometimes you need only acknowledge its presence to open your artistic floodgates. Your Crayon’s power increases with use -- the more you draw, the greater your influence for designing the extraordinary. Clarify what you want, pick up your Purple Crayon and draw the unthinkable.

And please remember, this is YOUR LIFE we’re talking about. Draw outside the lines!

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

The Adventures of Richard Branson

2002-11-26T18:16:00.000-05:00

Richard Branson personifies the image of Playful Defiance better than most. Playful Defiance is the ability to go against the norm and have fun in the process -- a vital skill for all of us on the Journey. Branson is the visionary behind the Virgin Empire consisting of the Virgin Megastores, Virgin Atlantic Airways and more than 150 other companies. His estimated net worth hovers around four billion dollars and the Virgin brand is ranked the third most recognized brand in England.

This wildly successful businessman is not your typical CEO. Often called the P.T. Barnum of British business, he’s famous for his outrageous publicity stunts, like putting on a wedding gown to help launch Virgin Brides or driving a World War II tank through Times Square and firing on Coca Cola to launch the challenge against Virgin Cola. When he’s not developing another Virgin business, he’s attempting to be the first person to fly around the world in a hot-air balloon.

An interviewer once asked Branson, “How do you keep reinventing yourself? Don’t you get tired?” He responded, “Sometimes, yes. I like to throw myself wholeheartedly into life. Now I find myself in this fantastic position -- I could do almost anything I could possibly want to do, and I just don’t want to waste that position by disappearing off to a desert island and putting my feet up. There is so much more to learn and to achieve, and so much more fun to have, and so I choose to continue to set myself new challenges, to set our staff new challenges, new goals to overcome. And as we get comfortable, I want to make sure that we shake ourselves up and don’t let ourselves get too comfortable -- that we keep questioning what we’re doing, keep questioning what other people are doing, keep questioning what big companies are doing, seeing whether we can turn them on their heads, and pay the bills at the same time.”

Branson takes on companies like British Airways and Coca Cola, and he often wins. This man thrives on fashioning the inconceivable. Does he fail? You’d better believe it. But he laughs at himself and moves on to his next challenge. His wild energy and showmanship have made him a celebrity who projects a larger-than-life image. People love him because he defies life’s impossibilities, adds value consistently and has fun along the way. He’s a fantastic example that proves you can manifest whatever you want in life.

When Branson was asked to define himself, he brilliantly replied, “Well, I’ve always loved the play “Peter Pan,” and I’ve never wanted to grow up. I’m a bit of a maverick. I love people, I love challenge, I love taking on the establishment, I love turning things upside down and having fun while doing it. I love motivating people, I love to achieve the impossible. I don’t want to waste a minute of my life.”

Where in your life can you turn things upside down and have fun doing it? Demand outrageous levels of joy in your life and pursue the unimaginable.

Happy holidays to you and as always ... Happy Journeys!

Scott Jeffrey

The Art of Playful Defiance

2002-11-07T18:13:00.000-05:00

No matter what your field of endeavor, master the art of Playful Defiance and reap the benefits. Playful Defiance is the ability to go against the status quo and have fun in the process. The Journey requires you to propel yourself from the norm and rise to a place of infinite joy and possibility.

Playful Defiance is a “bring it on” mentality -- a developed air of defiance and excitement that causes you to take action when others close the door to creative opportunity. This vital psychology helps breed solutions and triggers actions toward what you want. Cultivating this mindset activates a burning desire and a relentless determination when the odds are stacked against you. With Playful Defiance, you compete for the love of the adventure -- a passion for conquering the unconquerable and turning everything upside down.

Playful Defiance can be applied to any area of life:

In business, find strategies to generate staggering results, defying the standards of your industry
In relationships, discover ways to continually grow and nurture those relationships that are most important to you
In finances, cultivate the thinking process and develop the strategies for building massive financial abundance
In health, constantly set higher standards for reaching new levels of boundless energy
In lifestyle, develop ways to live your dreams by your own values

And in each area ... have fun in the process.

With Playful Defiance, you can fully embrace any “Impossible” challenge. When someone says, “It can’t be done,” hear your Call to Action. Roll up your sleeves, put a big smile on your face, and dive in.

The Impossible Journey is as much about having an exciting, fun and passionate experience as it is about getting results. People struggle with this aspect of the Journey more than anything else. We’re not taught how to be playful, and perhaps more importantly, we’re not even taught that it’s okay to act defiantly.

Adults can’t act playfully, right? Kids are supposed to be playful, while adults are supposed to be serious. It’s just not proper to act otherwise, or is it? As we get older, we’re taught to: “Behave” and “act your age.” Who dictates how your age should act? And is this behavior always conducive with achieving fulfillment in your life financially, spiritually, emotionally, socially, or physically? [For more discussion, see October 1, 2002 Impossible Journeys titled “A Rant About Growing Up”]

Perhaps it’s time to make a change: Stop acting your age and start having fun. Don’t just be playful on the weekends or once in a while; be playfully defiant in your work, in your relationships, and in everything you do.

Anyone can learn to effectively break the rules, but only a true master can laugh and play along the way.

Learn the psychology of Playful Defiance and live an extraordinary adventure!

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

The ONE Constant in the Universe

2002-10-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard the story of the great king? In his later years, he began feeling great inner turmoil and perhaps his own mortality. The king called forth a powerful wizard to fashion him a magical amulet that would empower him to deal with any situation. He desired something that would alleviate suffering and provide great wisdom and perspective. Only a few days later, the wise wizard returned to the king and presented him with a small box. The king opened the box and took out a simple gold ring. Feeling as though the wizard had played him for a fool, he examined the ring more carefully. Upon discovering and reading the inscription on the ring, the great king smiled, stood up and bowed to the wise wizard. What was inscribed on the ring? The words: “And this too shall pass.”

Whether it’s a difficult situation, an unfamiliar experience or even something blissfully happy ... it will pass. There is only ONE constant in the universe -- change. Knowing this we have two choices: We can accept and embrace change, or we can resist and fight change and face the consequences.

When we resist change, we stop our evolutionary progress. We confine our overall experience to a limited bubble, hindering our ability to learn new things. In fact, the “new” is defined by constant change; by resisting change, we miss out on all the exciting, fun, and magical experiences the “new” represents. Resisting change also inhibits our ability to become great leaders. Those that fight change are confined to lives as followers because a fundamental role of leaders is to influence positive change. Resistors of change can’t have much fun either, since one of our basic human needs is variety, something a person who fears change will inherently avoid.

And what about those who embrace change with open arms?

These people are having all the fun. They are the leaders of each generation who boldly progress forward -- blazing new frontiers, trying new things, failing often, but constantly charging ahead. Although an embracer of change may flinch initially when the “new” presents itself, he quickly acknowledges his primal fear and lunges forward. These people are constantly learning and growing; their abilities to solve problems quickly are a result of having the flexibility to alter their point of view.

A very simple, yet powerful three-step process can help you embrace positive change. This little strategy can transform your business practices and every other area of your life:

1) Try lots of stuff.
2) Keep what works.
3) Discard the rest.

Stay open to change and be prepared to embrace the “new” when it’s appropriate. With resilient power, you will begin to chart your course through the great abyss of unknown exploration. What an incredibly fun life adventure!

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Exploring Life’s Meaning

2002-10-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

What does it mean to be grown up? For most people it means you’re less fun because you act more serious -- something to do with that “responsibility” stuff. You lose a part of yourself that makes life a glorious gift: Your sense of fun and adventure. Scarily, most grown-ups have no clue what they’re missing. They’re lost. They can’t remember how much fun life can be. You can’t blame them either.

Look at the social conditioning all around us. For example, we go from elementary school to junior high school, junior high school to high school, high school to college, and college to get a job and begin our career. We build our career to start a family, start a family to raise our kids, raise our kids so maybe they can continue our legacy and essentially begin the whole cycle all over again. Sounds a little monotonous, doesn’t it? The impact of this potentially life-draining, unconscious pattern on our overall quality of life should be our major concern.

Our culture has become completely obsessed with doing things just for the sake of doing them, with no greater purpose in mind. Most of us are floating through space and time with no true meaning. Perhaps we all need to pause, take a step back, look around, and survey what’s going on here. Myself included.

When was the last time you hung out in the presence of a baby? For me it was a few weeks ago. Little Sandy is about eighteen months old. With all the toys and constant stimuli Sandy had from the family throughout the day, he still spent the majority of his time staring up and pointing to the slow, spinning ceiling fan. With a room packed with endless toys and engaging, playful interaction, the fan enchanted Sandy. It wasn’t simply awe of the mysterious moving device; it was joy, passion, excitement and fun -- all the juices of life.

We go out of our way to try to “be successful” so we can have all those things that little Sandy gets by looking up at a fan. Hold on, perhaps I’m mistaken. Perhaps we no longer want those things. As adults, maybe we seek power, prestige and acknowledgement. Maybe we leave joy, passion, excitement and fun to the younger generations because adults don’t need that stuff. Maybe that’s what we tell ourselves.

I’ve been on that path of boring adulthood for some time. In fact, I’m writing this because I want to bring it all back -- the fun, passion, excitement -- and embrace a juicy new vision of life.

Your duty is to make the most of every precious moment. That’s your adventure: A magnificent quest to live each moment, as a joyous, glorious gift to be treasured for that moment alone -- for that is all you need.

Let your new Journey begin right now!

Scott Jeffrey

The Gusting Winds of Silence

2002-09-18T17:10:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday was undoubtedly an unusual day in Manhattan. The energy in the city was unique: People seemed less intense, more polite and possibly more peaceful. New Yorkers gathered throughout the city to color, paint, sing, pray and write messages of peace. I found myself gravitating farther south as I wandered the streets, floating through Union Square, Washington Square, Soho, Tribeca, and finally arriving at the financial district, or more specifically, Ground Zero.

In the past twelve months I never traveled down to the site -- I just couldn’t go. On this one-year anniversary, however, I couldn’t imagine not going. The waves of crying and heartache, the imagery of the “new” Wall Street area and the visions of destruction from last year were constantly interrupted by a peculiar force of nature. Never, in all my years living in New York City have I experienced a wind of such gusting magnitude. Twenty-five miles per hour. Thirty miles per hour. Thirty-five miles per hour. The power of the wind struck me wherever I went, but as I neared Ground Zero the wind’s velocity dramatically increased. Big tin garbage cans tumbled down Broadway. The air was filled with clouds of dirt and gravel from neighboring construction sites and from the great big plot of land that was once home to the fourth tallest structure on the planet. I literally had to put my full body weight and muscular tension into each step I took. It felt as if I were about to get swept off the ground like a delicate feather entering a wind tunnel.

Was it just a coincidence that the winds were in a fury on this particular day? (By the way, the air was perfectly still on the 10th and the 12th.) I suppose it could have been, but it certainly didn’t feel that way. Risking what you might think about what I’m about to say -- I feel certain there was a Presence in that wind. It felt as if thousands of voices joined together to say, “Hey, we are still here. We are with you. We are okay.” Perhaps this is why I cried. Perhaps I cried out of joy and love for all the souls that were watching over the tens of thousands of people that came to pay tribute on this one-year anniversary.

You may not believe what I’m proposing. And perhaps you’re right in doing so. But what if this intuitive feeling is true and the gusting winds of silence was a message to us that those lost souls aren’t lost at all? What if all our lost loved ones are still with us right now?

You are here right now to create magnificent beauty in your own special way -- true beauty is found in the love of all life. May you create an abundance of joy, love and compassion to help heal and evolve our planet.

Love & Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

What now?

2002-09-11T17:10:00.000-05:00

I’ve noticed a subtle build up of awkward tension increasing as we moved closer and closer to today. We don’t know what to do -- especially in New York City. Should we go out? Should we stay home? Should we go pray? Should we just cry? The discomfort lies in not knowing what is the “proper” or the “right” thing to think or do.

A sage once said, “When you don’t know what to do, do what you know to do.” I know we need to love. I know we need to focus on peace. I know we need to grow.

If you feel like going to dinner with your friends tonight, go. And be grateful for having these people in your life. If you want to spend time with your spouse and/or family tonight, go for it. And embrace the love you share for one another. If you want to go pray at a religious service tonight, please do it. And connect with your Creator. If you want to cry tonight, cry. And feel for all the voices that were silenced on that one tragic day.

The meaning of any event is dictated solely by the meaning we give the event. 9/11 can be a day of startling devastation that shows us that no one is safe and that life is disposable. Plenty of people have chosen this meaning to represent this day. However, 9/11 can also be a day of REAWAKENING -- a day where we consciously hold life’s precious morsels of truth in our hands and vow never again to let go. It can be a day that marks a new beginning where each moment is sacred and where life is about love and peaceful coexistence. What is 9/11 going to mean to you?

Today, we need to take a step back, be nice to people, consciously breathe, love deeply, think inspiringly, live boldly, and stay present right now in this very moment. It’s a day to focus on the service of others; to give unselfishly; to share your love; to connect deeply with those around you. Your seemingly small actions have the power to transform the world today and here on out.

The magical lyrics of John Lennon’s “Imagine” seem like an appropriate way to end today’s message:

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No Hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Love and Happy Journeys to all of you!

Scott Jeffrey

Enlightenment & A Frozen Hot Chocolate

2002-09-03T17:09:00.000-05:00

I live near a place called Serendipity, a restaurant famous for their sundaes and desserts. Serendipity has been a popular establishment with teenagers and tourists since its opening in the 1950s. Since the movie “Serendipity” with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale came out last fall, the place has had a staggering one- to two-hour wait every night of the week.

And what is Serendipity most known for? Frozen hot chocolates. I learned a long time ago that one couldn’t fully understand the delicious and mammoth blend of twelve-chocolates dessert without experiencing it. Think about it: A frozen hot chocolate. It’s like one of those “koans” developed by the Zen Buddhists to produce changes in our perceptions and understanding. A koan is a puzzle that cannot be simply answered because it is paradoxical. For example, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” A frozen hot chocolate is a paradox within itself.

Let’s demystify the term “enlightenment” for practical usage. To be enlightened is to be wise. Wisdom comes through understanding. Understanding comes through experience. Experience is a byproduct of action. The experience of having a frozen hot chocolate for the first time is similar for everyone. Following your first spoonful, a spark fires across your brain and the accompanying facial expression is one of “Ah, I get it.” Yes! A moment of enlightenment.

Having a frozen hot chocolate isn’t necessarily an experience we all must have (though they are darn good), but what are some experiences that are “Musts” for you within this lifetime?

For me, I have yet to travel to New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, Thailand and India, to discover the true beauties of poetry, to find the woman of my dreams, to hike the Appalachian Trail, to thoroughly understand the implications of quantum theory, and to become fluent in another language. Also, I have yet to sky dive or hang glide, to master a form of martial arts, to free-climb in Yosemite, to ski the Alps, to stare into my child’s eyes, to write a bestselling novel, to become a proficient speed reader, to fully trust my intuition, to achieve the physique I envision for myself, and to live in the present moment. (To name a few.)

Again, what are some of the experiences that you Must Have in this lifetime? (List at least twenty.) Which experiences are you committed to having within the next six months? (List at least three.)

Remember, you don’t need to travel to distant lands or partake in an extreme sport to fully experience life: Magical life experiences await you in this very moment. Take a fully conscious, slow deep breath. Smile for no apparent reason. Sing when no one’s listening. Dance when no one’s watching. Learn to find the beauty in everyone you meet. Love yourself unconditionally right now.

Life is a series of moments -- we choose the quality of these moments. Be aware of all the richness interwoven through your life experience and embrace an exciting adventure.

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Are you ready for a waltz….with your destiny?

2002-08-13T17:08:00.000-05:00

Creating is a funny thing. It doesn’t happen through brute force. When you try to force the creation process, you usually move backwards. Yet, you can’t remain passive either. You must learn to dance with the creation process. Listen to the music and trust in your heart that you will find a way.

Above all else, you must learn to be patient. This will be the most difficult task for many of those on the Impossible Journey because we tend to want immediate gratification. We demand results now -- and may skip steps to get “there” quicker. Fortunately, and I do say fortunately, the dance wasn’t designed that way. If it were, there would be far too many people creating even greater challenges than we currently face in today’s society.

Think of the process involved in building a house. Does one simply take a hammer and some wood and start pounding away? I suppose you could; however, the quality of that creation would not be worth marveling at. There are many steps in this dance, from surveying the land, designing the architecture, and researching the many options of supplies with which to build. And then perhaps, you’re ready to build. (And I’m sure I have still skipped a few major steps.)

The creation process is an elegant dance with no true beginning or end. The beauty and magic of life is in the dance itself -- unbridled and always changing. When we learn to embrace each moment of the dance as if it was our first, we open up to an incredible new world. Only then do we possess the power to create what we want and have a whole lot of fun in the process. Gary Zukav, in his pivotal book about quantum mechanics, “The Dancing Wu Li Masters,” had this to say about the dance: “This is another characteristic of a Master. Whatever he does, he does with the enthusiasm of doing it for the first time. This is the source of his unlimited energy. Every lesson that he teaches (or learns) is a first lesson. Every dance that he dances, he dances for the first time. It is always new, personal and alive.”

Uninhibited, passionate and playful, we dance onward, reveling in each step, each note, and each fluid movement. Our dance partners are faith and intuition; our dance floor is Planet Earth, and the dance itself is our own true creation.

Are you ready to dance?

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Clarity Through Chaos

2002-07-30T17:08:00.000-05:00

Few experiences rival moments of inspiration -- where clouded in a state of confusion and uncertainty, a moment of awe-inspiring clarity emerges. In a flash a divine light shines directly on your head with an “ahhhhhhhhhhh” chanting sound echoing through the room. You’ve got it. The answer. The solution. A brilliant idea that changes everything. Then, before you can say “Impossible Journeys,” the moment vanishes. Back to everyday living.

Unfortunately, epiphanies, or moments of pristine clarity, discovery or illumination, don’t come around often. In fact, sometimes it feels like the planets all have to be aligned and gravity must reverse itself in order to find a single moment of true clarity.

Chaos theory maintains that life, in its intricate detail, is essentially chaotic and without order. When we back away from details we find patterns. Meaning: Beneath our random behaviors and actions exists a treasure chest of patterns for producing specific results -- a few of which might yield an epiphany.

As a writer I find myself thirsting for epiphanies. I use to sit at my computer late into the night, waiting in anticipation for that big breakthrough idea or prolonged state of “flow,” allowing me to produce something unique, something brilliant, something meaningful. Patience, it turns out, was never one of my strongest attributes.

Here are a few simple yet powerful strategies to help you “manufacture” an epiphany:

First, create a state of discovery. Think about a time when you had a moment of clarity and curiosity. Where were you? What were you doing? How were you breathing? What was on your mind? Duplicate the physical and mental state of a past inspirational moment -- find your pattern. If you have trouble doing this, think about when you’re generally most creative and then answer the above questions. (Examples: late at night, early mornings, in the shower, driving in the car)

Second, play epiphany-provoking music. What music moves you to think creatively, to explore and to dream? Some of my favorites include Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D, the overture to the Robin Hood soundtrack (John Williams), Great Governing Dynamics from “A Beautiful Mind” soundtrack (James Horner), and Pure Shores from “The Beach” soundtrack (All Saints).

Third, give into the moment. Breathe. Let go of all your worries, concerns, inhibitions, and problems -- at least temporarily. Trust in something bigger than yourself. You can conjure up a brilliant idea. You will find the answer. But first you must wipe your mental slate clean of all the tumultuous chaos that weaves its way through your daily life.

We tend to make life more complicated then it need be. Many of us live in a state of confusion and uncertainty derived from our fears of success and failure. Arguably, sparks of inspirations are made possible because of the flavor and texture of life’s chaotic nature. Epiphanies flow freely, when we learn to let go, find our patterns and embrace the Simple.

Find clarity through chaos and discover electrifying epiphanies along your adventure.

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Give Rattlesnakes the Right of Way

2002-07-17T17:07:00.000-05:00

I recently decided to go on an adventure of my own. In reading the online trail guide to Minnewaska State Park Preserve in the Hudson Valley (New York), I actually read a bulletin that said: “Watch for Snakes. Minnewaska has a population of snakes of many varieties including Rattlers. If you encounter a snake, give it the right of way.”

While walking on one of the magnificent and diverse trails around Lake Minnewaska, I found myself repeatedly thinking about that profound warning. “If you encounter a snake, give it the right of way.” Without having read that bulletin, would someone actually have pondered jumping in front of a poisonous Rattlesnake? Or worse yet, perhaps they might have considered stepping on the snake, just to see what might happen.

As ridiculous as this sounds, most people provoke poisonous snakes everyday in the form of slivering negative thoughts that make their way into the conscious mind. When we construct a negative thought, or borrow one from an outside source like the media or another person, we are presented with an important choice: Do we suffocate that negative thought energy rendering it powerless? Or do we feed it and help it grow?

Many of us are conditioned to feed negative thoughts on a daily basis. We think about something unpleasant that we don’t want to happen or that did happen, and we replay the memory/thought over and over again. And each time we replay this bad “movie,” we relive it in our minds and throughout our entire bodies. For example, did you ever worry about being unable to cover your rent? Or perhaps you had a really horrible meal in a “fine” restaurant and felt THEY should pay YOU to eat there? Or maybe someone said something you felt was inconsiderate, inappropriate, or downright rude? Ever find yourself mentally rehashing the event later on that day or even several days later?

We step on Rattlers all the time. And each time we do, we detract positive energy away from our life experience.

Through positive Intention, or what we choose to put our thoughtful energy toward, we shape and mold our environment and our destiny. Developing Intention is very often a subconscious process, mostly because we are fundamentally unaware of this greatly untapped force in the human spirit. Those who learn to consciously align their Intention with their desires are rewarded with avalanches of prosperity and life fulfillment.

You don’t need to completely eliminate negative thinking -- sometimes it serves a useful purpose in preparation and protection. Just don’t allow those thoughts to grow or to take control of your overall mindset. Keep your mind so full of positive Intention that poisonous thoughts simply have no place to grow. By consciously directing your Intention your ideas will begin to evolve and develop, dramatically increasing the quality of life for yourself and those around you.

Beware of Rattlers -- and give them the right of way. Direct your thoughts through positive Intention and create a truly remarkable adventure.

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey

Killing Creativity

2002-06-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

There is a phrase in the English language so deadly it contains a force powerful enough to swiftly eradicate all constructive thinking instantaneously. This phrase is so treacherous that it kills new ideas before they have an opportunity to give birth.

This life-draining phrase is: “I don’t know.”

The real danger lies in the subtleness of this phrase. We tend to say it subconsciously, not realizing the full impact on our decision-making ability.

“I don’t know” shuts down your brain’s creative and intuitive thinking process. Internally driven questions where you do not require outside information to answer, like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or even “What do you want for dinner?” must never be followed by “I don’t know.”

Saying “I don’t know” is like throwing flame-tipped darts at a priceless Picasso painting -- nothing good can come from this act, and in the end, something brilliant is lost forever. When you respond, “I don’t know,” you send a message to your brain that says, “Don’t even bother spending time and exerting energy trying to come up with an answer -- it can’t be done.” And the idea generation process ends there.

The fact is, you do know. The answer is within you. You possess the internal references and experiences to decide what it is you want -- to decide what is “right” for you. Without a sense of clarity and “knowing,” you can’t fully embrace your adventure -- you can’t point the way.

Why do we frequently turn off our brains? The answer is simple: Thinking is hard. Most people don’t like to think unless it’s absolutely critical. Thomas Edison, a person who rarely chose to kill a creative thought, but who was aware of other people’s tendency to do so said, “There is no expedient to which a man will not go to avoid the real labor of thinking.”

The good news is we can condition ourselves to eradicate the “I don’t know” syndrome to greatly enhance our thought development process. Next time someone asks you an internally driven question, and you feel the “I don’t know” creeping up, say to yourself, “Hmmm, what if I did know the answer?” When you make this ‘question reversal’ in a playful frame of mind, you delve into the unknown abyss of uncertainty to pull out a creative thought -- an answer that may surprise you.

Adopt the belief that you really do know the answer. When you do, you’ll find yourself saying that devious little phrase much less frequently.

Be conscious of this concept over the next few days, using the question reversal strategy as often as you can. I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Happy Journeys!
Scott Jeffrey