10 Principles of Spiritual Optimism

I've just finished reading Why Is God Laughing? by Deepak Chopra, who's certainly one of the more prolific as well as diversely talented authors on the planet today. This book is written as a parable, with The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism as a sequel/summary. Here's the essence:

1. The healthiest response to life is laughter. (Antidotes fear and sorrow)
2. There is always a reason to be grateful. (Antidotes victimization)
3. You belong to the scheme of the Universe. There's nothing to be afraid of. You are safe. (Antidotes insecurity)
4. Your soul cherishes every aspect of your life. (Antidotes feeling undervalued)
5. There is a plan. And your soul knows what it is. (Antidotes meaninglessness)
6. Ecstasy is the energy of Spirit. When life flows, ecstasy is natural. (Antidotes inertia)
7. There is a creative solution to every problem. Every responsibility holds the promise of abundance. (Antidotes failure)
8. Obstacles are opportunities in disguise. (Antidotes inflexibility)
9. Evolution leads the way through desire. (Antidotes hypocrisy)
10. Freedom is letting go. (Antidotes attachment)

Why Is God Laughing? dovetails beautifully with my July newsletter: Recess and Reassess, which I wrote prior to reading it. See how synchronicity keeps us always in flow?

Blessings and laughter to you ~ as Mike Myers says in the Foreword: "Comedy is a candle."

Innate Intelligence: The Eyes of the Mind

Back when it was still known as "Laughter of the Heart", I trained in a breakthrough method of public speaking conceived by Lee Glickstein. Speaking Circles made a huge impact in my life, because, like improvisational comedy, which I'd discovered years earlier, it was a safe space in which to allow your essence to emerge: distinct from other forms of speaker training, the Speaking Circles model wasn't about criticism, but confirmation. We were encouraged afterwards to share how each of our impromptu talks felt, and then to receive brief, positive feedback from the class members. Criticism of any kind (especially self criticism, which many of us were all too willing to offer) was verboten.

The result? People with PhDs would get on stage and simply dissolve in tears, because being implicitly accepted just for showing up is such a rare and needed experience.

Now, Lee has extended this form of fearless self expression that he calls "Relational Presence" to a population one might not expect could benefit from speaker training: people with developmental disabilities. Yet as Lee discusses in this moving article, teaching people how to connect through breathing and eye contact crosses all perceived boundaries; it's a bridge to everywhere. It provides a platform for anyone's innate intelligence to shine through, in all its loving glory.

Truly, it seems, the eyes have it.