Marc Allen

Sunim

I saw and met a wonderful teacher from South Korea named Pomnyun Sunim — people just call him Sunim, which means "monk." He's very light and funny, with a big, radiant smile. He reminds me of Eckhart.

He often engages with people in his audience. One young man said to him, "I have no passion for life." And Sunim said, "What is passion? Passion is craziness. You don't need passion." (I'm just paraphrasing this from what my wife told me.)

And the man said, "Sometimes I even think about su***de." And Sunim said, "Think about it. Su***de is very difficult. You need to plan it. You need to get a rope, or whatever. Living is so much easier. You just wake up each day, and you're alive.

"Look at the animals, the plants. They'd never think about su***de. They're happy with what is. Look how happy a squirrel is in a tree full of acorns. You'd never see that squirrel jump out of the tree and hurt himself intentionally.

"Living is easy. The only thing that makes it difficult is our own mind, our thoughts. And those can be changed. You can enjoy life as much as a squirrel enjoys life."

Sunim's page is at: https://www.facebook.com/pomnyundailyquote.

And you can go to YouTube and search for Pomnyun Sunim — he has a lot of delightful, light-filled videos. He speaks in Korean, but has an excellent English translator with him.

May you have a wonderful New Year,
and may every year keep getting better and better and better.

Be well, be in peace.

Words, words, words...

What ultimately changes our lives?

It's just words. Words that we remember. Words that affect our thinking. Words we take to our hearts.

Here are some words that have changed my life — and can change yours as well.

The great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote:

I slept, and dreamt that life was joy.
I woke, and found that life was service.
I acted, and behold! Service became joy.

And the words of Eckhart Tolle have had a lasting effect on me, especially this phrase:

To offer no resistance to life
is to be in a state of grace, ease and lightness.

And the final great teaching, the best teaching I've ever discovered, was from Ramana Maharshi, one of the greatest teachers of the last century:

The end of all wisdom
is love, love, love.

These words are all I need to guide me for the rest of my life.
What are the words that guide you?

I sit by the ocean
and gaze at the moon

We are drawn to the light,
like a moth to a flame

A tiny crescent
or a full, round beacon

The light infuses our bodies
and fulfills a desire,
a dream, a command

To become lighter
and brighter,
lighter and brighter

Until we become
the light

I just got this message from someone who'd just taken my Magical Path Online Course. It's the kind of thing that makes my day:

"Thank you for offering this course. This course is masterfully simple yet incredibly powerful.

"I have enjoyed every minute of it. I recently bought your book for myself and for my children as gifts. The Magical Path is a perfect place to learn how to transform your life."

— ginger

The book makes a great Christmas gift. And it's out not only as a paperback, but as a special limited edition signed and numbered hardcover. Here's the link:

https://www.newworldlibrary.com/Search?Keywords=the+magical+path

Usually the hardcover is $50, but we're doing a holiday special of only $25.

Enjoy!
Be well, be in peace,
Marc

www.newworldlibrary.com

I've been having some fascinating email conversations with Yacoub Gibran, author of The Arab and the Rabbi, a book that might prove to be an important contribution to the evolution of our species at this time.

In his last email, he sent me these words of Bucky Fuller — I've heard them before, but need to be reminded of their brilliance and their importance today over and over:

Here's what Yacoub wrote:

In a world marred by conflict and division, R. Buckminster Fuller's timeless wisdom echoes through the ages, resonating with those who aspire to create a brighter, more harmonious reality. "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."

One Percent (or Less) of Your Time...

There are 24 hours in a day... so 10 or 15 minutes is less than 1 percent of your time.

And those 10 or 15 minutes — or even less — are probably all you need to keep on track, and keep moving toward creating the life of your dreams.

On a typical day, I do very little of the visionary work that's necessary for creating success. I usually do a brief prayer of gratitude in the morning, thanking the Universe and the powers that be for my wife, my life, my health, my wealth, (I like things that rhyme), my family, my company, my dreams... and whatever else pops into mind at the moment. I always like to add one new thing; it can be a new flower I've never noticed, even a new leaf on a plant. Or a hummingbird shimmering in the morning light. So incredibly beautiful. We all have so much to be grateful for.

That takes me a minute or two. Then, during the day, I might spend a few minutes on a particular project in a visionary mode where I imagine where I want this project to be in a year or two. I might even make a quick, simple one-page plan. And I might glance at my list of dreams and intentions I carry with me in my pocket and also have in the top center spot of my laptop.

And that's about it. That's all it takes. Far less than 15 minutes, usually.

Creating the life of your dreams has very little to do with the amount of time you invest in the vision, and everything to do with the simple little steps you take every day or so.

The creative geniuses at GlideWing Online Workshops — Bob and Marina Felix — are once again offering my Magical Path Course. It's a master class in creating clear intention and magically manifesting what you want in life with grace, ease, and lightness.

A lot of time and effort went into the course, and it's not cheap — but I guarantee you'll be more than happy with the results.

Check it out at: https://www.glidewing.com/ma/magical_path-home.html

May you live the life of your dreams!

GlideWing online workshops Guided Online Workshops with a Spiritual Focus

Any age you are, there's a great value and power in it if you affirm it so.

If you are young, celebrate your powerful, miraculous body. Celebrate your creative mind. You are flexible, and absolutely original. Your future is limitless. You are a part of the guiding forces who are creating new ways of living in a new world.

If you are middle aged, you are reaching the culmination of your experience and power. You have all the tools you need to be a guiding force creating a new world.

If you are an elder, you have a vision that can only come from a lifetime of experience. You have the power to support so many others in daring to dream, in being original and creative, in reaching their fulfillment, and changing the world.

Whatever age you are, you have tremendous capabilities, talents, gifts. Keep affirming that you are finding the right ways to express these gifts, for the highest good of all.

Keep dreaming. Your future is limitless, at any age. You can keep growing and discovering and expressing your unique talents at any age.

Whatever age you are at this moment is the perfect age for you. Embrace this moment, and dream of becoming a wonderful contributor to a better world.

Dare to dream, dare to change, grow, and express yourself — and your dreams will come true.

Happy Halloween! Our dog Kiki is going out as Wonder Woman...

... But Halloween can bring out another side of people (and animals!)

Marc’s Maxims

Never trust a person who says “Trust me.”

Anyone who says they’re humble, isn’t.

Those who are guilty of fraud and deceit see fraud and deceit everywhere.

The key to happiness and fulfillment is to love and serve yourself and others.

Dare to dream your greatest imaginable dream. As James Allen said, “The dreamers are the saviors of the world.”

I just found this in an old notebook buried in my garage:

In times of tragedy, in times of death, we first must grieve, and allow ourselves to feel whatever arises. Our feelings are natural. Our feelings are okay.

Then we reach a point where we can ask ourselves: Are there any benefits in this tragedy? Are there opportunities, even gifts for us, in this painful experience?

The answer is affirmative. Every form of effective therapy and every spiritual tradition is united in this — it is wisdom that goes way, way back, at least as far as the Bhagavad Gita, written 5,000 years ago:

"Even in the knocks of life
we can find great gifts."

There comes a time to ask ourselves what are the gifts from this experience?

What are the benefits and opportunities?

There are many, once we ask that question.

Here's one: In times of tragedy, more and more people turn to spirit. They turn to prayer, to meditation, to the great spiritual teachers, to God as they see God... and they find answers.

They see we must forgive, for the sake of our own health and inner peace. We must learn how to live with one another without prejudice and violence.

We must love one another, and love our Mother Earth, and live in harmony with all of creation.

The answer is always in joining rather than separation, in love rather than hate, forgiveness rather than fear.

The answer is to live our lives guided by spirit, guided by love.

Every once in a while, I try to sum up what I've learned in over 5 decades of study of the great masters: Buddha, Jesus, the Tao de Ching, Eckhart Tolle and many, many others.

I do it for myself. If anyone else appreciates it or finds it useful, that's wonderful.

Here's what I've learned:

Our lives are extraordinary opportunities. Just the simple fact that we've been born as human beings is a miracle of chemistry and the ever-mysterious forces of life.

Every one of us has a phenomenal body and mind. And we use just a tiny percentage of our brain's incredible creative capacity. But that's enough. It's all we need to realize we are extraordinary human beings, and each one of us totally unique in the history of all creation. And we have the capacity to create a life for ourselves that is unlike any other, for we are born to evolve into something fulfilling, something extraordinary.

Eckhart Tolle wrote the secret to this most simply: "To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness."

And the greatest secret of all to a life well-lived is to love and serve yourself and others in as many ways as you possibly can.

I truly believe that is the key to a wonderful life well-lived.

I have a new assistant at New World Library. She's my Zen meditation/relaxation master.

Teach me, oh teach me sweet surrender
May I learn, really learn to love it all!
There's nothing to reject,
There is beauty and wonder
In each eternal moment here and now

https://open.spotify.com/search/sweet%20surrender

Click on the link, then click on Sweet Surrender, and you'll hear the song that was sung to me in a dream

Search | Spotify Looking for something? Find artists, songs, albums, playlists, and more.

This was posted on my high school's website. It didn't say who wrote it... but, whoever they are, I really admire him or her:

When I was five years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life.

When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I did not understand the assignment. And I told them they didn't understand life.

We are now a vital force,

a great wave of visionaries, artists, teachers,

entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and leaders

who are transforming not only their own lives

but the whole world as well,

creating a world that works for all,

in an easy and relaxed, healthy and positive way,

in its own perfect time,

for the highest good of all.

So be it. So it is.

(From The Magical Path)

Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?

— Charles Bukowski

“Money is not required to buy any necessity of the soul.”

— Henry David Thoreau

“Possessions make you rich? I don’t have that type of richness. My richness is life, forever.”

— Bob Marley, legendary musician

As Askley Brilliant said: "I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent."

I really like that — but I have to agree with Suzuki Roshi, head of the San Francisco Zen Center, who said,

"You are all perfect... and you all could use a bit of improvement."

This I Believe

I believe there are far greater things in heaven and earth than we dream of in our philosophies.

I believe we are far greater beings than we dare imagine.

I agree with Einstein: “There are two ways of looking at the world: One is as if there are no miracles, the other is as if everything is a miracle. I choose the latter.”

I believe all life is a miracle.

This is all a miracle. This beautiful planet we’re on is a miraculous creation. Our lives are miracles. The fact that you are alive is a miracle. The fact that you can read these words and understand it is truly a miracle!

When you acknowledge and appreciate the miracle of your life — the miracle of what is, every moment of the day — it lightens and brightens every moment.

I believe we are here for a great purpose, no less than enlightenment and, along the way, helping everyone on this planet evolve so that we’re able to build a world of peace and prosperity for all.

I believe it is in the times of struggle when we find our greatest mental, physical, and spiritual strengths. It is in the times of turmoil when we find our spiritual path and forge the thoughts and tools necessary to bring us all to light, safety, and peace.

It is in the hardest times, the darkest times, when we find lasting inner peace.

I believe the key to enlightenment and to the evolution of our species is this:

We’re here to love and serve everyone,
including ourselves,
to help us all realize our dreams.

I believe we’re here to protect and serve our Mother Earth, so she may continue to be abundant and beautiful for thousands of generations.

I believe that war is murder, and murder is illegal, so war should be declared illegal by all nations who respect basic human rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I believe in the power of partnership and negotiation:

The solution to all our problems is found
as we learn to work in partnership together
with love and respect for each other
and for the Earth.

So be it. So it is!

(From The Magical Path)

I just saw a beautiful Monarch butterfly, and it reminded me of a poem I wrote years ago....

Why do they call it
butterfly?

We should call it
flutterby

This is worth posting on your wall:

"Work joyfully and peacefully,
knowing that right thoughts and rights efforts
will inevitably bring about right results."

— James Allen, As You Think

Don’t reject the sadness,
Don’t reject the sorrow,
Don’t reject the suffering
And the pain

Blessed are these things
For thru them we grow
Into true understanding
Of our way

Sing, that I may know you
Or dance, or draw, or write
Or tell me the story of your life
Or just sit with me at night

And I will get to know you
And see the wonder of you too
Your inner and outer beauty
The sparkling miracle that is you

Unlimiting Yourself

Life is full of paradoxes.

Here's a great one to consider for a while: We all have limitations. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually, we are limited in a great many ways.

And yet, in the essence of our being, we are unlimited.

Physically, we are limited. But in our hearts and minds — emotionally and mentally and spiritually — we are limitless. Or we could say we are limited only by ourselves, by our own limited thinking.

By daring to explore new, far more expansive possibilities, we can become far less limited, far greater, more expansive beings.

We all have our limitations, yet we have limitless possibilities. This is an exciting thing to explore, for it can lead to a far more rewarding and far more fulfilling life.

We are limited only by our limited thinking and dreaming... and we are as unlimited as our vast imaginations and dreams are, as soon as we dare to imagine and dream of the infinite possibilities ahead of us.