This week I would like to break the fundamentals of Life all the way down to their basics. So sit back in your chair and with me, contemplate the “Why?” factor.

Have you ever wondered as Life throws us its curve balls, what the heck is this place all about? why am I here? what am I supposed to learn? and, what can I do about it? Join the crowd….you have just entered in to the first stage of the “Why?” factor. Your intelligence demands that you look at some of the solutions and answers to these questions.

I believe everything around us and all that exists is held together by Love. Each act that keeps the Universe in place, allows the streams to run, the air to blow, the mountains to rise, and mankind to flourish, is held together by a communication and an agreement to continue to exist. What is this communication? the continued practice of Giving and Receiving. For Life to exist, it must contain some component of Love. This is not an accident…the Creator mandates us to become creatures of Love. Life, at its common basics, is Love. With that, for everything to exist and continue, we need Love. Are we blessed by it? and hurt by it? for sure. But that’s part of the process…one of the building blocks of Life. We grow with Love….it is only when we are denied it do we start to run into problems. As the Beatles say, “All You Need Is Love,”…it may not have all the answers, but it’s a great place to start.

Giving….so why give? why care? how about just sitting at home, kicking back, and looking at the television all day? not give a hoot…about anyone or anything other than ourselves? Realistically, at what point would we begin to deteriorate? Can there be Love without giving? and can there be giving without Love? This is not about money…this is about raw emotion…the art of caring and giving beyond ourselves. Yes indeed, there is a responsibility to how one gives…yet overall at what point do the cobwebs start to surround us when all we care about is giving to ourselves?

Receiving….I for one can testify that there have been times in my life when I was at my wit’s end and out of the blue the doorbell would ring or the telephone would chime with a message reaching out saying, “I care.” Receiving comes many times when you least expect it. This time of year there are many in need, who are just waiting for that one act or call of kindness. Can we give without someone receiving, or can we receive without someone giving? They are two sides of the same coin. Receiving is the admission that someone took the time to Love.

Giving and Receiving, both necessities for Love to exist. One Mind, One Soul, synchronizing with another. The Gift of Love is the greatest gift of all….this time of year don’t be afraid to give, or receive.

For All Seasons,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

All through the week many of us out there sway between states of anger, and peace. When the day goes well, a sense of well-being and serenity comes over us. Everything seems balanced, centered and complete. We wonder why each day doesn’t go so easily. The next morning, totally the opposite can occur…each step we make we stumble. Barreling through the day rage and confusion can engulf us and leave us with little room to breathe. Exhausted, we kiss the day goodbye, and hope for a better tomorrow. Peacefulness, tranquility, bliss…anger, confusion, rage, and fear…just a few of the doorways of humanity.

It’s quite astonishing how from day to day we can have two completely different faces to wear. In most cases when we look in the mirror, we don’t see the dark side…only the light. Yet sometimes, just below the surface, the anger waits for just a chance to rear its head. So often we’re quite confused when we see different sides of friends and family….yet we so easily forget that we too surprise them. As we head for the holidays, some rejoice, while others feel tense and struggle with those that they have to see once a year. Are we angry people? or are we peaceful people? The truth is probably somewhere in-between. After all, we’re only human, right?

Through the anger and the peace, we grow. We evolve into what we want to become. We do right and we do wrong….we look for praise, and we ask for forgiveness. Anger and Peace…two sides of the same coin. Heads or Tails…where does the coin land for us? We’re not alone…as humans we struggle with all different kinds of feelings. Whether it’s turning the dial on the television, listening to the radio, or firing up the computer…at the end of the day we get to see what we want and who we are. Sure, some can influence our moods, the state of mind and how we view life through the prism…but overall we determine the quality of our day. The Heavens laugh as man plans…yet the Heavens are there when we ask for help.

The angry pacifist and the peaceful antagonist sometimes can easily share the same air….our two sides do battle each day.

Flip a coin,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

The sun is barely peeking through the woods behind my house, as I immerse my gloved hands in soapy water to begin the chore of doing the dishes. Doing the dishes is a daily affair…several times a day it needs to be done….the same ritual over and over. Hot water, suds, and elbow grease. As I lift up a coffee mug to wash it, I try to recall where I bought it, who I was with, what year it was. Every mug has a history, since I buy them when I travel, as a keepsake. Each dish also has its memories….some sets were bought when I lived in New York…some plates used to sit on my mother’s kitchen table, a few were discovered in antique stores, and although those ones are not “dishwasher or microwave safe”, they are reminders to me of another time…a piece of history and past. Some are from England…delicately hand painted with flowers, or scenes of the English countryside. One look at them as I gently suds them and I think of what life must have been like when they were made, and originally used.

I am reminded to slow down when I do the dishes. If I go too fast, something can be broken. If I go too slow, the water will cool down and not be “sanitary.” If I don’t put gloves on, my hands will wrinkle up like prunes. This is a ritual that takes a certain amount of respect, for all involved. I remind myself to breathe deeply…to glance out the kitchen window and take in the light through the woods. Doing the dishes is a chance to slow down…to pace myself. Sometimes I catch myself just trying to rush and get through it…then suddenly, and I’m not sure how or why, I am reminded to take in the moment, trivial as it may seem. And then I think of how each moment of our lives is to be taken this way….respected, savored and enjoyed, because it will pass all too quickly.

As I finish the dishes, and let the soapy water swirl down the drain, I am pleased that the job is done. A simple task, but rich with atmosphere. Doing the dishes is a throwback to another time, when we all had chores to do to maintain the household. Now most of us have dishwashers (myself included) but I have found that I only want to use the dishwasher when I have a big crowd. There is something lost when we give up daily rituals that are so simple, and so immediately rewarding. So here’s to the soap and suds!!

Happy washing,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

Many of us out there tweak and dabble around our basements, garages, and spare rooms, delving into our hobbies and passions that, surprisingly, sometimes become our livelihood. Arts and talents are gifts from the Creator…their purpose is to communicate and establish dialogue between us and God. Art, talents, and hobbies can be used to enhance mankind, and help us develop a greater understanding of why we are here, and what it is we are supposed to do. Sometimes these talents can run amok….and veer off into dark waters, yet, it is in the hands of those with the talents to take responsibility and guide the Art towards the atmosphere of Heaven.

In our society Art has had a price placed over its head….it’s value is determined by how much money and riches it brings in. Does the cream rise to the top? or with a good manager and public relations campaign, can you eventually fool the many with junk? Arts main purpose is to enhance the quality of life…to bring us into alignment with our Creator…unfortunately, these days one starts to wonder…have we totally lost touch with the fundamentals of what Art is all about?

Art is the landscape where we can ask questions, congregate, and formulate answers to the problems facing our lives on a daily basis. Art is supposed to elevate our society, embrace what is right, and examine and correct what is wrong. One stroll past the checkout counter at any supermarket, with the rags on sale, and the gossip flowing, one has to wonder, is society’s elevator going up? or down? Is the statute of stardom and the standard of Art determined by the number of times one has been to rehab? It’s quite easy for a person to be suspicious that perhaps the goal of Hollywood is to build them up, and watch them fall.

So out there, if you are a painter, designer, performer, builder, etc., tweak away! you are not foolish….Art is the gift. It doesn’t matter how much money you make at it….the gift itself is the blessing.

Dream on,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

This is the time of the year when kids go back to school, Summer homes are closed up for the season, and Fall is just around the corner. We start to head into the last quarter of the year and before too long, the Holidays are right in front of us! Many of us make repairs around the house, and tune up the car for the Winter season to come. Why is it that last on our list is a tune up for ourselves?

Tune up, you may say? Why yes….physical check-up, and an overall head to toe emotional inventory is also a priority. It’s crazy, but it becomes quite acceptable to take care of everything but ourselves. What can we do to make the journey through the Winter months less stressful and physically taxing? A good tune up lays it all out in front of us so that we can tend to what is needed.

I am a big believer in making a list…just like when we bring the car in to the mechanic, we too need to look over a list to see if our oil needs changing or spark plugs replaced or recharged! Seriously, each year we’re alive these tune ups become more important. The condition and the health of our bodies, minds and souls are important, yet, we so easily take for granted their well-being.

Once the tune up is complete, changes can be made, or a clean bill of health can be tucked into your desk drawer. We all have a greater chance of living to a ripe old age if we take responsibility for the things we do have control over. Health is wealth…..in the hustle and bustle of life that can quite easily slip our minds.

Enjoy life….live it to the fullest. We only go around once in these bodies. Don’t be afraid to pull into the gas station once in a while to look under the hood, clean the windows, and check the tires. Rest assured, these bodies of ours can give us many miles to go.

Happy Trails,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

As much as we think we’re not, each one of us is unique. The world would have us believe that we’re all a dime a dozen….but are we really? I believe it is a responsibility of every one of us to seek out that uniqueness, embrace it, help it grow, and make it flourish. Uniqueness is what we have, but getting us all to believe that is another matter.

We all possess that one special thing that we do that makes us feel complete and fulfilled. Uniqueness makes us smile, letting us know what we can offer and where we belong. It could be in the arts, mathematics, computers, science, etc. but rest assured, somewhere we all have something unique and special.

We run into trouble when we disregard our special talents, and think there is something else for us to do, until we get fed up of going down dead-end streets, and we turn around and accept….”this is who I am”, and “this is what I do best.” There is a reason why not all football players become quarterbacks. Some players realize their unique talents are better suited at a different position on the team. We may not be meant to be the CEO of a corporation, but what’s so wrong about being a team player, or head of a marketing division? Success happens when a group of unique individuals come together and strive towards the same goals….that’s when miracles can happen. Uniqueness to the ultimate degree.

Unique individuals striving for the same purpose create a hybrid that cannot be accomplished individually by themselves. In some strange way the combination of certain people can create an energy or a force that is generated by the combined efforts of all their talents. We are all walking miracles….yet why do we allow ourselves to feel so ordinary, and disposable? Uniqueness is priceless. It is a gift from the Heavens. Still, mankind can so easily brush it aside.

It is not foolish to jot down what it is you feel your uniqueness is. What is it that you have to offer that you love doing? Oh, have I forgotten to mention that? Uniqueness is something that you will love doing. Perhaps growth may be painful at times, but uniqueness is the road to a purpose. Right at the center and the core of who we are, lies our uniqueness…that’s the way God planned it. He left us with the mission to figure it out.

Seek and you will find,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

Every week I receive emails from people describing their lives and how life can throw us all curve balls sometimes. We all have our up and down days…so here’s a little suggestion on perhaps finding a way to deal with the emotional roller-coaster we can easily find ourselves on:

Here it is folks….one designated room of your house or apartment where you can go, anytime. I call it “the emotion in motion room.” So, you may ask yourself, what do you do there? Ah, that’s really up to you. Each room, of course, has to be individually fine-tuned to a person’s needs. It could be a laughing room, crying room, meditation room, prayer room, or maybe a silent room to shut out the noise of the world long enough for you to think. If you don’t have a room, perhaps you can find a corner where you can put on a pair of headphones to cocoon for a while, to recharge, regroup, and regain some sanity. The emotion in motion room, a private place where one can vent, express, and heal at will.

Getting in tune with ourselves not only enhances our own lives, but those of all we come in contact with. If we don’t control our emotions, our emotions start to control us. Taking the bull by the horns allows us to have greater control over surprise situations that can easily pop up out of nowhere. Emotions have a strange way of creating baggage…what we would like is to have good baggage, not baggage that weighs us down. I know the saying, “God laughs when mankind plans,”….that’s not what this is about. It’s about gaining greater responsibility for one’s actions.

Crazy as it may seem, laughing for fifteen minutes, or crying for that matter, can bring about a great sense of relief. For me, meditation is essential for my daily life. Twenty minutes of focus and relaxation recharges my batteries, and allows me to gain perspective over my life. My emotion in motion room is like a good friend…a place to go to think things through, and somewhere in the silence the answers come. Feeling centered greatly improves my ability to connect with the Heavens.

Find your space,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

This being Fourth of July here in the United States, we celebrate our Independence Day. The blueprint that stands to this day (The Declaration of Independence) represents the beginnings of a nation that stands for “One Nation under God with Liberty and Justice for All.” The Founding Fathers wrote this document as a foundation for the United States to build upon…even today it is a work in progress. As history has shown, America still had much to learn about equality and liberty….but this document has evolved for each generation to improve upon. It may not have been perfect, but as time as proven, it represents, perhaps, the most successful form of government in modern times.

We too have within us a blueprint that can be written down on paper as a guide to help us evolve and become more productive and happier people in our lives. All around us are tools that we can use to create this personal portfolio. The Bible, the encyclopedia, and many other books can present ideas that we can use to better ourselves as people. Will our own personal blueprint contain all the facts and all the ultimate knowledge? Maybe not, but as we live on we will fine-tune and improve our own document to grow stronger and more secure.

There are so many things that try daily to rob us of the power that we have over our own lives…and it’s very easy at the end of the day to look at your hands and see nothing. If we just create tools, like a blueprint, they can be the maps to show us the way when the weather gets rough. It is your life…nobody knows it better than you. Sometimes we wish somebody could do the work for us….but like the Founding Fathers, we too sense what we need to find stability, health and happiness.

The Declaration of Independence, the document on which the United States of America was built, shows us that it is possible to improve one’s life and find a better way. This past week, over 231 years later, it still stands as a beacon for all those in search of freedom. The United States is not perfect, and still to this day has alot to learn….but at least changes can be made to make it better. A work in progress…. and so, too, is mankind…..

Happy Independence Day,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

No matter how much you have, where you live, and what you do for a living, when you don’t feel good it’s the pits. Be it a bad cold, a touch of the flu, or a prolonged ailment….how you feel drastically affects your life. Is health the ultimate wealth? You bet!

For many Americans, the healthcare industry seems broken. The cost of care in the United States rises horrendously each year. Many no longer can afford coverage where the monthly premiums exceed their budget. This Friday Michael Moore’s new movie, “Sicko” opens nationwide…it tackles many of the issues confronting Americans in regard to healthcare. I know, Michael Moore can be a polarizing figure, yet, what I have heard about his latest movie is that his approach is neither Democrat nor Republican…just a satirical look at how the American healthcare system has run amok.

Let me ask you a question…how many people do you know who have to take daily medications? and how many people do you know who don’t? A friend of mine recently had a case of poison ivy and went to the emergency unit at her local hospital. The nurse asked her, “What medications do you take daily?” She answered, “None.” The nurse at first had a hard time believing her, and then she gave a look, said nothing, and walked away. For many, daily medication has become a way of life. We care profoundly about how we feel, and when we don’t feel good, we worry. Our health, in many cases, is not something we think about daily until we get sick.

The beauty of being human is that we have something that is incredible inside of us….an immune system. A reservoir of energy that waits to pounce on a moment’s notice on any foreign body that enters into our system. If you’ve ever had a cold, you know how it goes…first you don’t feel 100%, then, you feel a little weak, you start coughing and sneezing and before too long you’re in bed looking at the four walls, wondering if you’ll ever feel better! You chow down the old reliable chicken soup, some Tylenols, plenty of fluids, and slowly but surely you start to feel better each day. Once you make a full recovery you forget about it, until the next time, and then you go through the process all over again.

What’s strange is that each time we get sick and get better we learn a little bit more about ourselves…it tells us what makes us tick, and what truly matters. When we’re healthy, we feel we can conquer the world….when we’re sick, we think the world is conquering us. The knowledge is what happens in-between. Prevention is key…it’s so important to eat right, exercise, keep yourself strong. Vices tear down our health….the less that we have of them, the stronger we are. In reality, does it really matter how long you live, or, the quality of the days you experience? The healthier you are, the more alive you become.

This being summer, many are spending time in different locations on vacation, or with loved ones. Be careful…be safe, stay strong…

Stay healthy,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon

If you have been looking at the television for the last day or so you are fully aware that the book of Paris Hilton has entered a new chapter. Some love her, some loathe her, yet one thing is for sure, Paris Hilton stands as an example of our current obsession with the rich and the famous.

Paris is one of a revolving group of starlets who roam the clubs of Hollywood and beyond, night after night. Each evening they battle through hoards of photographers who can’t get enough of their aura, smiles and outbursts. Yes indeed she is rich….famous? for what, I’m not quite sure. Is it a reality show, an X-rated movie on the web, an acting or singing career, or could it be just for being Paris? Reminds me of a conversation that I had with a high school student a few years back where she said to me, “Jennifer, I want to be famous.” And I replied, “For what?” and she said, “I don’t care for what, I just want to be famous.” I remember feeling kind of horrified. Has Fame in our society become the ultimate occupation?

The scandal papers just can’t get enough of these roaming starlets who parade through the night showing us an existence of what it’s like to be in the “in crowd.” They often partake in whatever their little hearts desire….booze, drugs, and/or sex of all kinds. Society can’t read enough about their latest escapades…in some morbid way, for many they’re living their lives for them. Each club and event clamors for their attendance, fully knowing that to have a “happening” you must have one of these starlets in attendance. The hunger grows each day until we arrive at the fever pitch. The point where the star has risen as high as the crowd wants them to be. Now we begin the stage of a free for all….how fast can we bring them down? Paris Hilton unfortunately has reached this point. She’s about to learn who her friends really are…she may be surprised how silent the phone will become. The news reports say she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown…in her wildest dreams she most likely never thought the road to Fame would lead to the jail cell. Mommy and Daddy’s money, her friend’s influences, or people in high places, could not stop the current events. Whatever evolves over the next few weeks, one thing is for sure, the life of Paris Hilton has changed.

I hope Paris turns her life around….in reality, she is lucky she didn’t end up dead and/or taken others with her. She may have been just one accident away from “killed on impact.” It looks like no one was stepping forward and saying, “You have a problem…you need help.” What she probably heard instead was something like, “How dare they treat you like this…who do they think they are?!” Paris is one of the lucky ones…she can come through this fairly intact and develop a sense of maturity, if she wants. So many others who wanted to be the next Paris Hilton never had the chance to live long enough to know that that road is a dead end street.

My wish for Paris is that she takes a good look at herself, reassesses her life, and realizes that Life can be wonderful, and the answers may not be found at the latest club or in a bottle.

Bon Chance,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2007 Jennifer Avalon