I'm moving through some changes...

I thought I'd take a moment to tell you how my Five-Month Reinvention Program is going. For those who don't know what this is, I decided back on August 1st that I wanted to change myself to be happier and healthier. In order to do this, I identified five areas of my life that needed changing and they are:
Physical: Lose at least 10 pounds
Mental: Quiet the monkey mind and the negative thoughts that have ruled my life
Emotional: By silencing the Ego and it's negativity, I strive to be a happier person
Spiritual: I want a closer connection to the Divinity that some choose to call God
Environmental: I will stop taking on the emotional energy of the people around me. It's very easy for me to sync my emotional state with the people around me, so if they're down or negative, I become that way.

So how am I doing, 15 days into the program? Forgetting about the weight loss for a moment, I'm doing really well. The most important thing I'm doing for now is just being aware of the thoughts that come up and where they're coming from. When I find myself getting angry, I ask where the anger is coming from, what event/memory it's attached to. The truth is, 99% of the time, it's attached to Ego and has no basis in my reality. When I find myself getting negative about writing or something else that's important to me, I ask where this comes from and almost always, it's the false beliefs I have held as truth.

Following the feelings back to the original thought helps me to see where an emotion comes from and that in truth, I can realign my thinking or let go of those old thoughts that don't serve me any longer. I can let go of drama I've clung to and stop passing judgment on myself.

I can only live in the now; there is no past, but a collection of memories with emotions attached. It is interesting that the emotions are attached to the thoughts/memories of the event and not the event itself. In other words, the event itself is no longer what I remember, but the thoughts that were created from that event.

I have started listening to Buddhist teachings and have found peace in what I learn. I'm taking small steps in this journey, but that serves me the best. Practicing compassion, tolerance, patience, love, and peace toward myself and those around me, understanding that they are living their stories as well, and (most, not all) are trying to wake up, has really helped me find peace in my day. I have my moments, but they are just moments and they pass.

Right now, I am content and this moment is all I can ask for.


Peace,
Gary . . .

Summer in the City

Last Thursday night was an awesome evening. It was a convergence of wonderful events I hadn't planned to have in one night, but you know how life works.

I heard about the Summer of Riesling from somewhere online and wanted to take part in the Riesling Crawl, an event that spanned a month and 12 bars offering various Rieslings. I couldn't make all the bars, as I wasn't planning any trips to Brooklyn (sorry, Brooklynites). However, that still left a bunch of bars in the City, but I wasn't planning any trips there either.

Then I read about a Buddhist event happening at the Symphony Space. It was a welcoming of Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, the 17-year-old reincarnation of the great Tibetan spiritual teacher Kyabye Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the Pema Tse Nyingtik Longevity Empowerment Ceremony. Got all that?

I remembered that Linda A. had just attended a Buddhist event so I asked her if she'd like to come along. She said sure, as long as I didn't mind her intruding on my crawl. How silly! The more the merrier! Slowly, the plan formed until it went something like this: Bar uptown, Buddhist event, Bar uptown, home.

I took the train from Port Authority to 79th St., where I spent an hour sitting in Central Park enjoying the beautiful weather. I love the subway; it is so cool and easy (once you get it) and I love Central Park, as well.

At the Tangled Vine, Linda and I had a 1992 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spatlese. Oh. My. God. Okay, so it was $22 a glass (available from Snooth.com for $37.99 a bottle (I may have to order one)), but it was amazingly refreshing and absolutely delicious.

Then it was off to the Longevity Empowerment Ceremony. I had no idea what to expect and there were moments when I felt completely out of place. Many (it seemed like all) of the people there were familiar with the Tibetan prayers and joined in, while I sat there taking it all in. After it was over, Linda brought up a very good point: I may not have known what was going on, but I was in that energy, absorbing the good vibes.

A side note here. Since the ceremony, my neck hasn't bothered me in the mornings and Friday I was buzzing from those good vibes.

Then Linda and I trained it down to Bar Boulud where we had another fantastic Riesling (this one more mineral than fruit flavored) and to-die-for desserts. Poached Blueberry Tart with a Watermelon Glaze and Watermelon Sherbert. It was fascinating how the sweet dessert changed the taste of the wine.

We agreed that next year we'd get a big crowd together and hit a few more bars. Any takers?

So a HUGE thank you to Linda A. for accompanying me and making Thursday evening a lot of fun.

Some times you don't know what you're experiencing or what you're getting from the experience until the next day and you feel it inside you and it makes you feel alive.


Peace,
Gary . . .