Here we are in the fifth month of the year 2000. Five months ago we were ringing in a New Year, positive and optimistic about the future. Then why all around is there a sense of bewilderment about this year?

Many of us have our life savings in one way or another tied up in the stock market. The past few months the market doesn’t seem to know which way to go. The promise and optimism of the technology revolution has started to look, at least stockwise, a little shaky. It’s interesting that since the United States Justice Department has put forth its proposal to break up Microsoft, the stock market as a whole is dead in the water. The atmosphere of Silicon Valley has started to become fearful. The questions that are arising are “If they can do this to Microsoft, then who’s next?” Already there are rumblings that Cisco or the new AOL/Time Warner Companies could be considered monopolies too. Then what? The tone on Wall Street, all of a sudden, has turned from “business as usual” to “where does business go from here?” I know, eventually this will all be worked out, hopefully sooner than later. This is not about hating or loving Bill Gates….this is about the atmosphere that is created for the businesses of the world doing commerce together. What we are left with now on both sides of the aisle is Fear.

Whether one is for or against Elian Gonzalez staying here, the picture of a gun being pointed at a child in Miami is chilling. Whether it was necessary or not, it is chilling. The result, once again, is Fear.

In midtown New York City each day is a bus full of senior citizens leaving for a daily excursion to Canada….why would a bus full of senior citizens leave the comfort of their homes to cross the border to another country? Simple answer…to be able to afford to pay for their medical prescriptions. In Canada and Mexico, many medications can be purchased at one-fourth the price. A friend of mine who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma said to me, “Jennifer, I went in for a check-up and the doctor gave me three prescriptions which cost me six hundred dollars, which is not covered here in my country by Medicaid. Jennifer, what if I didn’t have the money?” The result, once again, is Fear.

All around us are these scenarios that affect directly or indirectly our lives. I’m sure you can come up with a few of your own to add. This is not pessimism…this is not an overactive imagination….this is reality. These days many of us feel like we are living in the eye of a storm, while within our dome, things may be calm….but all around us are high winds and uncertainty.
When one is in the eye of a storm, one looks for something to hold onto. A foundation that can withstand any winds. For some people it’s their family and friends, for many it is also their Faith. Fear feeds upon itself. As President Roosevelt once said “We have nothing to Fear but Fear itself.” When we surround ourselves with all that is truly important to us, we can withstand any storm, and we can rebuild.

America isn’t perfect, but She has survived many storms, and She will survive this one. In most cases, once a storm passes, we emerge wiser.

Hold on,
love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

At some point in Life we hit the wall. A boundary where both the physical and spiritual intertwine. In order to pass through the wall and move forward one must bring both aspects of their lives together to become one. It can happen in our twenties, thirties, forties, etc., but it does happen…..nobody escapes it…..hitting the wall. We can pretend up to a point how much we truly need our Souls….but if you walk through a forest, a person knows something more than the physical is going on.

The approach to the wall can be brought about by many things….age, a health crisis in a person’s life, the death of a loved one. All of a sudden the air smells different…sound changes…sight becomes clearer….it’s almost as if something has shocked you into waking up. All that was once taken for granted is called into question. Then the thoughts start to manifest, “What the heck is this all about?” or “Who am I really? and Why am I here?” In order to find the answers to these questions, one has to pass through the wall. Christians have a term for this as being “Born Again.” Others have their own terminology. For this essay lets call it plainly and simply “The Wall.”

Within The Wall are the answers. Once we pass through The Wall, Life is never the same again. It gets better. The fear of mortality starts to subside….we see a greater purpose to life. The life of the temporary existence and physical and material fulfillment elevates to a life of more purpose, peace of mind, greater understanding and Faith. Some find it easier than others to pass through the The Wall. For all there are struggles, and some just refuse to go through.

In every marathon race, at a certain point the runner reaches their Wall….I’m sure you’ve read articles where athletes mention the experience of breaking through their Wall in the race. Once a runner reaches The Wall, all of the doubts that he or she can finish the race come to the forefront….slowly as they continue on he or she is tested….until at one point he or she looks back and realizes they are heading towards the home stretch….they have made it through The Wall. We all may not be marathon runners, but don’t be fooled….we too have our Wall.

Life is not always easy….there are stages to go through, and one of the most important ones is The Wall. Each moment is precious….the more we live within these moments, the more alive we are. The most gratifying stage of life is on the other side of The Wall.

See through The Wall,
love, Jennifer
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

Profit = income – expenses. We go through Life, hoping that it is a profitable experience….both physically, and spiritually. The profit we receive can come from all different areas…. work, investments, and in the spiritual realm, prayer, meditation, attending a House of Worship. It’s very hard in this world not to incur expenses. They too come from different areas….mortgages, bills, and for the spiritual aspect, donations to organizations one feels can help others. This is the perfect scenario…a person receiving income, paying their bills, and helping others. What’s sad is that some out there choose to look at Life and behave differently.

I’m a big believer in what you put out, one way or another, comes right back. It may take a week….a year….a lifetime….but, it does come back. Example: A person one day decides to take two thousand dollars from a friend’s wallet. The friend looks inside his or her wallet and says, “What happened to my money?” The Taker says nothing. What’s sad here is this Fool, the Taker, thinks that now that they’re two thousand dollars richer, all of a sudden miraculous, wonderful things will start to happen in their lives, “They’re on their way down the golden road.” Two months pass, the Taker is walking down a city street when a bicycle plows right into them. They end up in the hospital with a broken leg and more. The insurance only covers half of their hospital stay. Upon leaving the hospital, our Taker is presented with a bill for fifteen thousand dollars. Where this Jerk thought he or she had a profit of two thousand dollars (thanks to lifting money from a friend’s wallet) they are now going to have to come up with fifteen thousand dollars to pay for hospital bills. This balance sheet, which once looked quite profitable, now reads, a loss. Hey, we all know these type of people. They look like “they get away with everything,”….but at the end of the day, the bill does come in, and sometimes it’s a substantial bill.

Karma is really a Universal Boomerang Effect. We throw the boomerang through the air, and as it flys it picks up air and speed. Slowly it turns and heads back to us at an incredible velocity. Whammo!!! The Good may not always get rewarded as they think they should, but they do. The Bad may think they’re outsmarting everyone, but one way or another, a message is sent saying otherwise.

Very little is mentioned about projected energy. Everything we think and do projects energy. It’s easy to see if a person puts brick on top of brick then right before your eyes, there’s a brick wall. When we pray or meditate we too project energy, but this is a little bit harder to see. Thought does produce too. We are born, we live, and we die….that is the cycle of Life. Within this cycle I believe lies Karma. Otherwise, the Universe could not exist.

Synchronicity holds it all together for a reason. Cause and Effect.
God is the highest intelligence in the Universe. Karma is the teacher. If more people understood that their acts produce effects, then perhaps they would hesitate before performing bad acts. Think about Karma….embrace it….it is one of the steps on the road to Heaven.

The Golden Rule,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

Manipulation is alive and well. This time last week many of us watched as the stock market headed down towards a so-called “crash.” Granted, the consumer price index number (CPI) was a little inflationary, but something more was going on here. You may ask yourself, “How does this all affect me?” Well, if you have a 401-K Plan, Retirement Plan, or work for a corporation that trades on the stock market, it can affect you greatly. We are living in an age that is extraordinary. Technology is not only shortening the distance between people, but evolving at an incredible speed. Much of this technology is helping corporations cut their expenses in half, so in turn, as expenses are decreased, or income is increased, that is eventually, hopefully, reflected in the stock of that company.

As I roamed around my small town this past weekend, the talk on everyone’s mind was how their stocks had gone down the previous day. I walked into my local coffeeshop, said hello to a few friends, and just listened to lines like, “Jennifer, can you believe what’s happening with the market?” or, “Jennifer, how much money did you lose?” Many were beginning to feel that come Monday morning the doomsayers may at last be correct and the market would just head down into a bottomless pit. Much to some people’s surprise, once the market opened on Monday, after an hour the index started heading higher….many of the same people who sold off on Friday started to buy the large technology companies back. Why is this so important, do you say? The state of panic over last weekend here in my neck of the woods was almost at drastic proportions. Many watch the daily business shows trot out the naysayers….who say “sell everything, or you’ll be sorry.” As I have observed the markets and the so-called experts these past four years, I am now down to believing only two market so-called “Gurus.” The conflict of interest in many cases is frightening.

Manipulation is a very cunning thing….it can scare you into one direction for a certain period of time, and then scare you into another direction. Manipulation is based on Fear. How much of our own lives is based in one form or another, on Manipulation? The more we understand, the more we implement, the less Fear we have. I write my newsletter each week to empower the individual….the more one knows, the more they understand and can make the changes that are needed in their lives. The world is changing….we all know that. Whatever one decides, it should be based on careful thought and evaluation, not on Manipulation or Fear. The long-term investor, in whatever walk of life, understands that the road to the green valley is paved with bumps. If your shock absorbers are well maintained, you can go the distance. If we keep an open mind, the questions eventually get answered….

Go the distance,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

We go about our lives mostly thinking that “This is it,”…..a brick wall is a brick wall…..a ceramic sink is just that, the air we breathe is devoid of particles….etc. The truth is, everything inside and outside of us is humming with Life….with atoms and molecules that are naked to our human eyes. If you’ve ever flown in a propeller plane, and looked out the window as the propeller begins to churn, you will see that the faster the propeller moves, the more you are able to “see through it.” The solid blades look as if they don’t exist anymore, because of the speed at which they are spinning….but the blades still do exist.

The question arises….what other objects or things disappear to our vision because of the speed at which they are moving? Can we then realistically say that we are able to see all aspects of Life and movement on planet Earth? Perhaps not. Humans generally can only see things that move at their own rate of speed…but what can be said for those things that move slower or faster? Have you ever thought about someone and then about a minute later, the telephone rings, and it’s them on the line? Or, you’re walking down the street, thinking about somebody you haven’t seen in ten years….you turn and enter a store and lo and behold, there the person is standing right in front of you! Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows? But you have to admit, it is strange.
In Life, we all live on different levels…..some levels based on wealth, others based on the country or climate that a person lives in. The levels exist. We also live on different spiritual levels…..one person attends a church or synagogue or mosque one day a week and they feel, in their lives, that is enough, while others base their whole daily life around prayer and the nurturing of their soul. There are others who do neither, but contribute or do work for charities. All different levels. These levels we incorporate into our lives to hopefully expand ourselves.

If God does not appear before our eyes when commanded by us, does that mean that God does not exist? If we don’t see Angels walking our local streets, does that mean that they too aren’t nearby? Do deceased loved ones vanish when they die, or are they observing, cheering us on, even though it may be hard to hear their voices? All we are let see as Human Beings is our own dimension, for whatever reason….but we do get glimpses of other dimensions. I would like to share with you a little story that kind of sums up this essay:

A dear friend of mine was very sick, and each day he looked out the window at a nearby rooftop. He called me over one day and said “Look Jennifer….up there on the roof is my wife and my son.” Both were previously deceased. I myself couldn’t see them. My friend would wave at them, smile, and laugh. One day while I was visiting, my friend said “Jennifer, come look! I’m up on the roof with them now.”

Two days later my friend passed away. I watched the transfer from one dimension to the next, right before my eyes.
There are other dimensions…..even if not seen….it doesn’t mean they don’t exist…..

Lift the veil,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

Within the past year I moved into a new home. In the front of the house the builders had used a low-grade grass seed on the garden. This past summer the lawn grew well, but once the winter came the grass retreated. Over in the corner of the garden I had sprinkled some Kentucky Bluegrass seeds, which, strangely enough, did not retreat. Obviously, the seeds that were originally planted didn’t fare too well. As spring has come to my little neck of the woods, this past week I was outside with my bag of Kentucky Bluegrass seeds, sprinkling abundantly! I am in the process of adding new seeds to the garden.
In Life, the seeds we plant bring forth the growth and strength of our gardens. If we surround ourselves with low-grade seeds, before too long we will be walking on crabgrass!! If we decide to use some of that good old Kentucky Bluegrass in our lives, the sky’s the limit!! I have learned much from my garden, and how it grows. The Heavens provide the rain, the soil embraces the seeds, and my work maintains the garden. No mysteries here folks…..the answers sometimes are right in front of our eyes….it’s up to us if we choose to see them.

This season, plant something. If you live in a city, grow a houseplant. If you have a garden, plant some wonderful roses, or another lovely plant. You’ll not only learn more about Life, but you’ll learn incredible things about yourself. Life can be very rewarding in many aspects.

One can never plant enough good seeds,

Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

Some days are just great….other days stink. Some people embrace you….while others abuse you. One job can be better than another…..you may drive the car you love into the ground….you may live in that old house till the day you die because you want to. All of these things not only affect your life, but they affect the amount of happiness you sustain. Eventually, Happiness becomes our own responsibility.

We go through the days putting forth as much positive energy as we possibly can, hoping that all things come out according to plan…..but, as we well know, things don’t always go according to plan. The car can break down, the screen door can get a hole in it, and some people around us can be just plain nasty, etc. It can become almost downright impossible to keep the smile on your face. Once again, where does the responsibility of your Happiness eventually end up, but in your own hands? For everything out there that gives us joy, there is a corresponding element that can cause us pain. The trick is to keep as many of the things that give you joy in life and eliminate that which causes the pain.

In a world that rarely recognizes the good in people, we have to look extra hard at others, and inside ourselves, to find it sometimes. When it rains, you can recognize that the rain is falling beyond your control, but that rain can be good. The sun can cause skin problems….but it can also make you feel suntanned and healthy at the same time. It all depends on how you manage the situation. The perception falls to us. Isn’t it amazing that if you sit in a room of five people, when a paragraph is read, the five each see a different point of view?

Life is short….bad things do happen to good people….it’s easy to believe that all isn’t fair, but we can persevere….squeeze every ounce of joy out of the moment. It is there. We just have to learn how to taste it, savor it, embrace it and go on. The Pursuit of Happiness is an honorable quest. Out there is the fruit of Heaven….it is up to us to climb the tree and reach for it……

Stretch,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

Every week there is a long list of chores that we set in front of ourselves to accomplish. It’s not a surprise that parts of us spread out in all different directions to seek out the information and solutions that we need to succeed at our given tasks. One part of us may have a project at work….another part needs to pick up something at a local convenience store for the home….and yet again another part may have to sit down and listen to a loved one who is having some kind of difficulty. These parts of us that we assign to different tasks sometimes can leave us feeling fragmented, and even lost. That is why it is so important that we retrieve these parts at the end of each day to become whole again.

We all play different roles in life. Some are moms, some are dads, brothers, sisters, friends, etc. In order for us to continue playing these roles we must accomplish some level of success….otherwise the enthusiasm and energy will decrease, and before we know it we turn off and tune out. We have our successes and failures, but if we learn from our mistakes we can then be better prepared next time. Therefore, it’s important that we observe and reevaluate what it is we want to do here on earth.

Here’s a little exercise to try out each evening. Write down on little pieces of paper things that you feel you’ve accomplished, things that you didn’t accomplish, goals that you set for yourself going forward, and how to improve the relationships in your life. Split these slips of paper into 4 groups. Look over them…they are some of the most important thoughts of your life. All the successes, failures, hopes, and dreams gathered together before you, in one place. Now remove the most important pieces of paper that you feel can best represent the life that you see for yourself going forward. Example: What relationships do you feel are most important in your life? Where do you see yourself working a year from now? How can you make your life run more smoothly? Once you pick these pieces, write them down on one piece of paper, and post it in a place that you can look at daily. You may think that your eyes will just glance over it….but your subconscious mind will remember every letter on that sheet. You have set for yourself goals, a mission, and a way to improve the quality of life. One last important point…..never forget to give Thanks for all that you do have, because there are many worse off….

Compassion, Humility, Faith, Hope, Dreams, and Love…these are the threads of the fabric of life. They enhance our senses, and make us feel alive. Without them, we are just passing time. Gather these threads, and you can weave miracles.

Love,
Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

I would like to write about something this week that is very dear to my heart…Time. I remember the summers as a child used to last what seemed like forever. I know, each year you get older Time goes faster…but don’t you feel sometimes that this speeding up of Time gets a little ridiculous? I rise on a Monday morning, start to tackle what it is I have planned to accomplish for the week, and before I know it, I’m sitting at my computer on a Wednesday evening…amazed at how quickly the Time has passed! Recently, I read an article where John Cleese of Monty Python fame mentioned that he always likes to have the summers off. The interviewer asked him why….John answered, “At my age I’ve got, if I’m lucky, about 15 summers left in my life, and I want to enjoy each one of them to the fullest.” I guess we all have to learn how to handle Time in our own way.

We seem to spend the better part of our Time overlooking things. We plow along through chores or assignments at an express train rate of speed, ignoring local stops. At my train station there are two schedules….one for the express train into the city, and one that makes all stops. You can imagine which is the more popular route….it’s very easy to incorporate the same mentality in handling life. The quote, “Take the time to stop and smell the roses,” is not something to take lightly. In this day and age some may say, ” What roses?”, but we seem to have screwed something up along the way….where taking Time out for yourself is equal to laziness. Well, it’s not. I believe it’s essential.
What I try to do in my life, to kind of “Slow down Time,” is play little games with it, probably to trick my mind into believing that the week is going slower. I break my day into blocks of Time….3 or 4 hour intervals that are assigned to each task. At the end of each block of Time I take a break and reflect on what’s taken place. Then, I move on to my next block of Time. What used to happen was I would start something at nine in the morning and before I knew it, it was three in the afternoon! Sometimes more can be accomplished when after a few hours we take a break, examine, correct the mistakes right then and there, and move on. For me, this has become a better way to manage Time and slow it down.

In Heaven there is no Time….no markers that judge us from moment to moment, to see what we have accomplished within a certain amount of Time. Time is a creation of this earthly world….a ticking of sound to remind us that we won’t be here forever. This “Tic Toc” can be our friend or our foe…depending on how we decide to use it.

Take the Time……

Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

The Universe flows like an ocean…..it’s energy is in every nook and cranny of our existence. Within it the sun rises in the morning, and the moon illuminates the night. The Universe is synchronized up, down, left and right, in and out. None of this is an accident….it has a purpose.

Many of the Prophets, in their own words tried to explain to us the power of this Force, and how, if used correctly, it can improve our lives and sustain us on a plateau where we can surround ourselves with a shield that can survive any storm. Many who believe in God understand the power of Prayer….energy and thought that is projected into the Universe to hopefully bring about positive results. Buddhists fully understand the power of Karma and how one act brings about a corresponding result. This Force is available for us to improve our lives. For lack of a better word, this Force is called Love….Love for oneself, family, friends and every living thing. It’s in all of us.

Recently I watched an old episode of Star Trek. Captain Kirk was doing battle with a new enemy. All of a sudden a third party interrupted the battle and transported Captain Kirk and the leader of the Enemy to a neutral planet. Both leaders had no weapons, but surrounding them were basic materials on the planet where each could construct weapons. The leader of the Enemy decided to sharpen a rock into a form of a dagger. When it looked like Captain Kirk was going to be killed, he discovered the elements to make gun powder. As the story went on, eventually Captain Kirk was standing with a self-made gun over his enemy. Just as he was prepared to pull the trigger he threw the gun away and said “No, I won’t kill you.” Instantaneously a member of the third party said “You humans show a very progressive trait of Compassion. There is hope for you.” Captain Kirk demonstrated the act of Love. He was willing to solve the dispute through negotiations, not bloodshed.

The Force of Love is practiced daily in the form of Prayer, Meditation, Charity, and Good Deeds of many kinds. The more goodness we project and accomplish, the better our lives become. What I try to do each morning is say a prayer, close my eyes, and envision around myself a shield where I project positive energy that fills up the shield, and then I envision that energy being released into the atmosphere. I being a Christian ask Jesus to help me do as much good as I possibly can. This little ritual that I practice each morning has changed my life. I am far less cynical and negative about the world and I embrace each moment as something rare and precious. Yes, things do still go wrong from time to time, but this little ritual gives me the energy to bounce back faster. The energy within the shield can help heal the wounds personally, and the release of that energy, I believe, is beneficial to others.

May the Force be with you,

Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon