Spiritual Awakening: Slow Down And Enjoy The Moment
Today’s blog entry was inspired by this Simon and Garfunkel song Feeling Groovy as I began to realize how important it is to slow down and enjoy the moment. It is very importnat to be an action taker and to move forward in a positive direction with all that you, however you also must realize that there comes a time to slow down and relish the moment. Imagine finding out that you were selected to be part of a book, you write your chapter and then you wonder what is next instead of taking it in and writing in your gratitude journal that today I am grateful for the opportunity to share with others to help them excel. Many times we get so caught up in the what is next that we forget what we have done.
It is when we are relaxed and that we take time to reflect the moments that we achieved greatness that we truly can move forward. What moments of greatness have you not had a time to celebrate as you kept wondering what is next. The idea is take time to celebrate and cherish the moment before you move on the the next thing.
Spiritual Awakening: Yom Kippur The Value of Atonement
I found the following definition of Yom Kippur. I have mixed emotions about the idea paying for a ticket for the right that I already have to sitti in temple all day so what I do is I begin my fast fron sundown to sundown and commune with GOD by reading my bible outside if it is nice and realizing that I have made some tresspasses and then I look for the lessons in those tresspasses. If the weather is not nice I find a quiet place in my condo and sit and commune with GOD seeking foregiveness for my tresspasses. This year I will be attending The Yizkor Service, the mourning of the passing of your loved ones and I will be lighting a Yarzheit Candle in memory of my mother, Judith Miller. As I Prepare for the holiday I begin to understand the value of atonement or what I like to describe it as a tune-up.
This video is the inspiration behind this blog entry today. As I bit into a chocolate covered apple from Edible Arrangements I took a moment to really enjoy. I looked out the window and the sun was bright with some rain coming down the lake and the palm trees brought a smile to my face. I began to think how many times do we go through a day without dipping the apple, not in a literal sense but it a figurative sense. Taking a moment to dip the apple and being appreciative for the joys and sweetness that come into our lives daily helps to make the mind, body, soul connection. Each day we can stimulate our mind by reading, we can enhance our body through exercise, we can add joy tot he soul by assuming an attitude of gratitude. We can truly dip our apple and enjoy the sweetness of our spiritual journey.
I found this video to be very entertaining and it brought a smile to my face and made me realize that it was time to reflect and follow messages that were being sent from GOD. As we enter anew year on The Jewish Calendar remember that you can make a positive difference in your life and the lives of those around you by continuing your spiritual development. You have a chance to be an action taker and to set in motion positive events when you take time to dip your apple. When you have your awakening you will realize that there is a greater power than you that will lead you in the direction you were meant to go.
What actions are you taking to be inscribed into the book of life. One great way to dip your apple is to help others in their charitable causes. You will notice a donate button on this page and it is my hope that you will answer the calling for help and do waht you can to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. If things have not been going the way you want you can make a change by dipping your apple and finding the joys to celebrate. You have the opportunity to come alive and help others to come alive by being a beacon of hope to them. Community service is one way to give back and to lead the life that GOD has designed for you and to insure that you are inscribed into the book of life.
As we usher in The Jewish New Year let us be reminded that we have a power inside of us to help others and to make a positive impact in our lives and the lives we come on contact with.
It is when we dipour apple and take time for a quiet and peacful moment that we often find the greatest joy. It is when we go deep inside ourselves that we truly discover how great we are. In many cases it is when we put on reflective music and just allow ourselves to be that we realize how good life is. The sun shine bright, the water ripples in the lake, the palm trees sway in the wind and the messages begin to come in to appreciate what we have and to show gratitude for what has been provided. Though there will be trials and tribulations that will build our character it is important to dip your apple.
The singer in this video passed at age 38 from a massive heart attack in 1997. This shows us just how important it is to dip our apple daily. Please share how you are dipping your apple.
Spiritual Awakening: Being Yourself In The Political Correct World
On question I am asked often is JDOGG how do you stay authentic in this political correct world? I answer as challenging as it is I remain true to myself and loook at my divinity and make sure that I am doing everything to answer the calling of Source. By taking action and being and example of my anthem that service to humanity is the best work of life I find myself answering my calling making the neccessary changes nedded to come alive and be of service and value to the community. It is in the following of dreams and encouraging others to follow their dreams that I am able to cope with the emotions of the political correct world. One of the conversations I had with my mother before she passed was on a concept called fearless painting. The idea is to just paint regardless of the feelings that other may have paint because you feel the emotion and you know what you want the finished product to represent. By going with the flow from source and answering your call and being yourself you will maneuver through this political correct world.
As you can see I am not a fan of political correctness. I am all for tolerance and understanding and getting to know people and to create a world filled with greatness, however I know that I may offend some people along the way. To this I say some will, some won’t, some waiting, so what next. Recently I sent a tweet aboit my fundraising efforts with The American Cancer Society followed by a retweet of a bible verse and I lost 14 followers going from 1560 to 1546. At first I was upset and then I realized that if my passion and commitment doesn’t sit well with people do I want them following me anyway. On Facebook I have a group Get Motivated With Jonathan JDOGG Lederman that at one time had 160 members and today has 145. This is due in part to me not being afraid to speak my mind and stand by the messages that source is delivering.
Spiritual Awakening: Building MO, Keep On Keeping On
Shawn Doyle and Lauren Anderson collobarate on a great book that inspired this blog entry, MO as it explores the lives of everyday people who make the best of their situation and continue to keep on keeping on. As I interviewed Shawn on 9/3 and Lauren on 9/10 I began to realize that the key to personal development is to be grateful for what you do have and to keep on keeping on. I began to think about all those people who are disgruntled and complain about their circumstances and I feel ike bgrabbing them and saying hey wake up it is not the circumstances, the economy, or others it is you. I know I can not physically do that so I use this blog as an outlet to encourage others to build motivation in their lives and in the lives of others. I am reminded of The Zig Ziglar quote “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. ” It is in doing something motivational daily that we develop and grow.may times it is jus engaging someone you meet out in public just by saying hello. I have often stated that I use a 3 foot rule, where if someone is within 3 feet of me I will talk to them. Thank you to Lisa Douglas Past President of The Florida Jaycees for first teaching me this technique.
Spiritual Awakening: What is MO?
What is MO?
Most people think that motivation for them is out of reach. They have an average job at an average company. This book is intended to give people hope by shining the light on people who are in average regular jobs but are amazing.
In the book we offer inspiring profiles of a Service Advisor, Hot Dog vendor, Airline Gate Agent, Seafood Market Owner, Construction worker, Seamstress, Fitness Trainer, and a Taxi driver who all have the magic MO! qualities.
These were people in ordinary jobs, but despite that fact, they decided NOT to be ordinary. They performed their jobs brilliantly, exceptionally, differently and exceeded everyone’s expectations of what that job “should” be every day. More importantly everyone around them knows it, sees it and acknowledges it.
Spiritual Awakening: Knowing Your Energy and The Energy of Others
As my life takes yet another turn I realize how important it is to know the energy you are giving off and the energy of others. I began a project recently that I thought was a wonderful opportunity and after 8 days of work I was told I can’t keep you on salary I can offer you commission only. I thought for a moment and realized that at this point in my life at age 47 I seek something guaranteed so I thanked them offered to finish out the week for the agreed salary. As I left today I was given a check for my work today and told I would be called if they needed me any further. I will continue to support their effort as I believe in what they are doing. This led me to todays blog entry Knowing Your Energy and The Energy Of Others as I know I was giving 100% when I was working on the project and my energy was good knowing that I was part of something that has the potential to be great and I was getting a flat salary for 3 days worth of work, the person who brought me on board seemed to be preoccupied with other things and wasn’t bringing great energy to the table.
I found a website www.positiveenergyfoundation.org, the 3rd photo from the left is from them, and though how fitting that is what I have been doing most of my life. I have been giving of my time, my money, and my energy to those in need and as a result I have always had enough for myself. By understanding the energy I give off and the energy being given off by another person I can act accordingly to the sitiuation. For example I am super positive and see potential in all that I do so I look for other positive people who believe in themeselves and lift others up. In many occassions when the energy is not congruent it is best to walk away and leave in an amicable situation. We can dwell on the person who calls back and says have we met and when you answer no they say take me off the call list not understanding that you could be an asset to them or we can choose to focus on the call that says thank you for the information we will think about it. What energy you focus on will determine how high you soar in your personal and professional life.
When seeking to understand your energy and the energy of others it is important to have a resource like Dr. Judith Orloff to help you on your path to spiritual awakening. There are many resources available you to start working on yourself and to help you in dealing with energy, many are found simply by clicking on The Hay House Link and making an investment in yourself. As you beging to understand energy you will be able to soar as high as you desire.
I was asked JDOGG, how do you manage to stay so positive in the face of all that you have been through. The answer is that it takes more strength to frown than it does to smile and as bad as things seem there is always something positive to be found in it. In is when we make a decision to do the best we can with the tools that we have and to follow the messages that we receive that we begin to find the joy of positivity. An example I use in my recent traffic ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign I am in the process of making arrangement to go to one of the ticket fix it places and I knwo everything will work out, the best case scenerio is I end up with no points and no school worse case I get points and pay the full fine, either way I rejoice because no one was hurt and I learned the lesson to be more aware and to slow down. I am joyful that I still get to drive and that I I didn’t create an accident.
I have always maintained a positive attitude knowing that the power to find the joy of positivity lies within me. I cand be upset by things that happen and the people involved or I can choose to face it in a positive manner and smile and move forward in a positive direction of my goals. We all have the power to be action takers and adopt an anthem of positivity. We become award winners when we are awake to our calling by choosing to come alive and make the changes that are needed to build a community and follow our dreams. It is when we are aware of our emotions and the effect they have on the situation that we can come to grips with our feelings and find the people to fellowship with that will help to get us in the flow. It is when we begin to finish what we started and move forward that we experience the joy of positivity.
I look around and I see many heroes and angels that walk amongst us.They may not take the form that we visualize, however they are amongst us and working in a positive way for us. It is when we can see that everyone has sometype of angelic quality that we can relate better to everyone we meet and thus create positive interactions and shift to positive energy. I have seen the angels in actions recently as they provided me with the opportunity to be a contributor to the book Sources of Wisdom Book 2, when I said yes without knowing where I would find the $115 and then I mentioned oit to someone and they wrote a check for $115 saying I believe in you. I am so grateful for this person and the angels that spoke through her. I then began to realize that there are those watching over us and pointing us in the proper direction. I began to read the facebook posts by Doreen Virtue, Mariane Williamson, Guy Finley,Depak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Michael Bernard Beckwith, and many others and I began to see the messages that were being delivered and each one seemed to be directed or related to me.
This post was inspired by Up With People as I just saw a trailer for the documentary Smile Until It Hurts, which chronicled the Up With people group or as many have described them a movement. The are many people who support what Up With People stands for while others are still questioning their motives. I find what Up With People does to be spiritually moving in shifting the consciousness of those who attend theor shows and understand the value of a smile, a kind word, and respect. Imagine if we all took the stance that I will not judge you and I will get to know you as I continue on my spiritual path. It is when we begin to implement the ideas of peace, love, and happiness that we begin to see both personal and spiritual growth. I had the privilige to work with the cast when they came to Coral Springs, FL. in the late 90’s and I was moved by those I worked with as they were from different cultures had varyibg beliefs but were able to take action to put their differences aside and realize that together working in harmony for a higher good that a positive impact could be and was made that week. They did many community service projects and helped to mark Martin Luthe King Jr. Day with a special performance at The Citi Centre(now known as The Coral Sprongs Center For The Arts). Their message was one of hope and you could see the dedication of the performaners and the staff to deliver a message but also to allow that message being spoken through actions.
When you visit The Up With People Website this is the history you will find.
Up with People was founded by J. Blanton Belk in 1965 as a positive voice for young people during a turbulent period in the United States. Its historic path officially began in 1968 when it was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) international, educational non-profit entity.
Over the years, Up with People has become known as a tremendous force in international relations, education, and entertainment. The statistics speak for themselves and we are proud of the impact we have made – and continue to make today.
More than 21,000 young men and women from more than 102 countries have come together to travel in 180 casts to deliver a common message of hope and goodwill to people around the world, and pursue their own global education and personal growth goals through service, music and travel.
Up with People has visited more than 4,000 communities in 42 countries;
Over 3 million hours of community service have been performed by Up with People students;
500,000 host families around the world have welcomed Up with People students into their homes;
An estimated 22 million people worldwide have been directly impacted by Up with People.
There is something very spiritual for me about being in a press box and being the public address announcer for a football game. It is like the universe telling me this is your calling to bring joy to others through the use of your God given gift of an announcer voice. From the moment I walk into a stadium until the time I leave I feel a sense of joy come over my body and a feeling of gratitude in my mind, and my soul is nourished with the knowledge that my efforts are making others happy. As I left the field today (8/25/12) as the Lauderhill Broncos Games were cancelled due to tropical storm Issac I looked to the heavens and asked God for guidance and he guided me right to A Starbucks and sent the message to write this blog. As I began to write the blog all that I needed started to appear in front of me through searches and I realized that the cancellation of The Lauderhill Broncos games was a blessing as God had other plans for me today.
Riley Nelson may not be a be a big name star but to those he served in Barcelona on a mission trip he is a hero. Riley Nelson is now a senior at BYU and I know I will be following him this season.
I choose BYU because of their honor code and the fact that many of their players do a mission trip of 2 years. I applaud any player that makes the commitment that BYU asks them to make as they are spreading their beliefs and helping others to come to a spiritual path by seeking salvation in the lord. BYU’s mission statement is “To assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life. That assistance should provide a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued.” While it is strongly encouraged that nineteen year-old Mormon men and 21 year old women serve a mission, it is not mandatory.
When seeking to understand your energy and the energy of others it is important to have a resource like Dr. Judith Orloff to help you on your path to spiritual awakening. There are many resources available you to start working on yourself and to help you in dealing with energy, many are found simply by clicking on The Hay House Link and making an investment in yourself. As you beging to understand energy you will be able to soar as high as you desire. 