It’s very easy to seek out things that gratify the mind and the body. A Saturday afternoon can easily be spent shopping to your heart’s content, while after a few days one can lose interest in what has been purchased. Recently I asked myself, what is it that I need and could obtain that could give me prolonged fulfillment and enjoyment? With much thought I was left with just a few things….

I realized that whatever I purchased, or received, unless it contained some sort of spiritual input, that increased over time, the item would decrease in value. For me, books and music, a walk through the woods, a drive to the seashore, and prayer and meditation, over and over would totally recharge my senses. No matter how many times I walked through the woods, each time was a new experience. No matter what time of day, the sea breeze would relax me and put things in perspective. After doing these things, I would feel recharged and better able to tackle the stress of everyday life. I have found that unless the spirit is nourished, the body slowly dies. So much in our society ignores how important certain thoughts are for our well-being. When was the last time you turned on the television and heard that a product would invigorate your life and bring you peace? Not often, huh? Just think, have a seat, breathe in the air. What a miracle taking a breath really is…..with each breath we are supposed to become more alive.

Each week I try to seek out the small things that can feed my soul. It’s almost a little game that I play. I ask myself, what out there can I bring into my life to give me happiness? It’s not always a matter of money…..as I said, it could be a book from the library, or going into a gallery or museum, and observing what’s on display. I always keep on my end table next to the couch, books that by just glimpsing at, are inspiring. Before I write an album, I often go to a museum to soak in the energy from the works of art on the walls. It’s amazing how different people through time contribute to the same pool of inspiration.

The last thing I always do at night, is say prayers, and give thanks for what I have. I know we all may have problems, but it’s always important for us to count our blessings, and pray for others. I hope you find and receive all you need to bring you peace…..and joy.

Peacefully,

Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

Each week we are bombarded with good news, and bad news. Somewhere in the middle, we have to have something called “A Life.” Not an easy thing….but there it is. These two extremes so influence our lives, it is no wonder depression and sickness are so prevalent. Come the end of the week, it’s easy to feel like a bouncing ball, that jumps around the four corners.

So what kind of life can we have? The decisions, in most cases, fall into our hands, and choices become vital to how the weather is within our own personal world. Jot down on a piece of paper, all the things that you feel strengthens you as a person…..that is your armor for sanity. For most of our lives, we have to learn to come to terms with this roller-coaster ride of good news, and bad news. That is why I feel it is so important to develop and maintain a spiritual existence…..my connection to God. If I was to totally rely upon this human seesaw, I too would probably go insane. Sometimes it feels like I am walking on eggshells….between the two barriers. Once one visually eliminates those two barriers, one learns two walk lighter. The personal things that you use as armor, act as stabilizers in this topsy-turvy existence. They predict that over the next twenty years antidepressants are going to become the leading form of medication for this country. Interesting, isn’t it? How can that be? We are supposed to be the happiest and most well-off generation on record, but these days we are working longer hours, and spending less time with our families……that’s depressing.

So why not give it a shot, if you haven’t done so already? If you feel overwhelmed, why not jot down some of the things that you feel can lift your spirits and make you happy? It is, after all, your life. No medication, no politics, no spending of money, can bring true peace of mind. That comes from having your soul intact…..and balancing between the good news, and the bad news.

Step lightly,

Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

This past week New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani decided not to run for the soon to be vacated seat of the Senator representing the state of New York. He withdrew from the race because of the discovery that he has prostate cancer. In part of his statement he mentioned that the three most important things that a person should concern themselves with in life are: 1. Take care of your health. 2. Give and receive Love. and 3. Business. Giuliani also said he received some bad advice when he was young, “It is better to be respected than loved.” Today, he disagrees with that philosophy. Whether you’re a fan of the Mayor or not, one thing is for sure….if you take a look at the man’s eyes, there is no doubt this medical problem has had a profound affect on his life.

So many of us, myself included, are guilty of focusing so far ahead in our lives that we totally forget about the Moment. We assume all will go according to plan, and that two weeks down the road everything will fall neatly into place, while each day getting there becomes a blur. We act like an express train that skips local stops, believing after a while that those stops are irrelevant. There is so much Life in each Moment that few of us are able to experience and soak in all that is there. Isn’t it ironic that in most cases only when we have conflict do we fully understand how precious each Moment truly is?

When we don’t embrace the Moment everything goes on fast forward. Our five year old children, in the blink of an eye, turn into eighteen year old adults, and we are left wondering where all the time went. We’re all just so busy. The weeks roll by and before you know it another holiday season comes around. The more we focus on the Moment, the more we are alive, the longer we live, and time slows down. One example for this is, have you ever opened a bag of candy, and gobbled handfuls, until it was empty? Have you also picked, one by one, savored the taste, until you preceded to the next one? Tell me, which way lasted longer? And which did you enjoy more?

What really makes us happy? For me, it is to simplify. The less I have to take care of materially, the happier I am. That extra car, that bigger house, not only costs more money, but costs more time. In society today many of us are tapped out….not only financially, but also time-wise. The Moment is the real key to the beginning stage of happiness. All that we are is in the Moment. The past is gone, and the future lies ahead…while we exist in the Now. The Moment is so important because it is the closest point to silence, and when all is silent, we can truly hear.

Live every Moment,

Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

I recently took a journey partway across country. I drove through about 4 states, each place living a little differently than the next. As you stop along the highway for coffee, one can get a gist of how people feel in the current climate of overall life. No two people live life exactly the same, but as groups we do gravitate towards certain norms. While it’s easy for us to believe that everyone sees life the same way we do, once we get outside of our surroundings we can throw the script out the window. Each town, city, and state have set in place their own view of happiness. Some of it we may agree with, some of it we may not, but different strokes for different folks.

Many of us seem to be looking for the Magic Formula, which basically is: 1) Having a nice place to live. 2) Having enough money to afford what we need. 3) Feeling good about ourselves and loved ones. 4) Seeing a Greater Picture to life. I’m sure, as always, you can add a point or two to this list, to make it more personal….but overall this seems to be what many of us desire. The journey to fulfill this “Magic Formula” can take numerous twists and turns, and as I learned on my recent trip, the different faces showed the stages at which people are at on their journeys.

At one rest stop I saw a man and his wife in a large recreational vehicle, or motorhome, taking a break, so I approached them and asked if I could take a look at their “home on wheels.” As the door opened his smiling wife invited me in, and to my shock, inside was basically an apartment fully equipped with shower, kitchen, bedroom, and livingroom. I could not believe how much could be put into one of these vehicles. The man whose name was Bob, said to me, “This is my baby.” I asked him why he feels that he wants to drive around like this. He responded, “Ah ha! This is my freedom. In this vehicle I can go anywhere. All my life I was told I had to stay within the confines of my small town. What I’ve learned about life with this traveling home on wheels I could never have learned in any University.” “What have you learned?” I asked. “Well, Jennifer,” he responded, “I have learned that people basically are good. What’s screws them up is pain. If they think you’re not going to hurt them, they will more than oblige you.” To me, Bob, and his wife Shirley, in some way, have found their Magic Formula. The joy that was written on their two faces was incredible. Also, upon my travels, I visited a local hospital. I witnessed a family being there to support a relative who was having surgery. As they waited for the operation to be completed, the sweaty palms and nervousness echoed around them. Suddenly the doors opened and the surgeon approached them with the news….”Everything went well.” The look on the doctor’s face that she had been successful with the operation and relieved that everything went according to plan, showed me that she too had found her Magic Formula. For her, this is how she feels fulfilled and contributes to other people’s lives.

There are thousands of stories like these, where we set out to fill the void and embrace the answers to our questions. “Why is my life important? How can I make a difference? What makes me feel fulfilled?” we ask ourselves. What we eventually learn is that most of what we need from life involves other people. Life is meant to be shared. It’s a continuing process, this Magic Formula. Once you have discovered it, you must continue to practice it. Bob and Shirley, the motorhome people, continue to drive off each month to seek out new places to visit. They fully believe that the more they explore, the more they grow. The surgeon goes home feeling she has done the best job she could, even if things don’t always work out exactly the way she wanted.

The Magic Formula incorporates the body, mind, and soul. Each are a vital link to the other for growth and awareness. Every day do something that will contribute to the wellness of your Formula.

Be Well,

Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

No two people are alike. All different things make up who we are. It is therefore almost impossible for people to agree about everything. What we are then left with is compromise.

A world that is filled with different points of view, trying to live together under one umbrella, if each one of us presses our position so far and in no way gives ground, that umbrella starts to shrink, and many are left in the rain. Realistic minds understand this, but there are many that take the approach “My way or the highway.” A bill can be submitted to the United States Congress, presenting a specific point of view that has a list of regulations attached to it that have to be adopted in order for it to be carried out. As this bill makes it way through Congress, in order for it to proceed forward, compromises have to be reached, so that at the end of the journey, this bill can become law. Many times the bill that was initially presented can look very different once it reaches the stage of law. If the presenter of the bill stuck to each line, the chances of it ever becoming law would be almost nil. The same can be said, in many cases, for life.

Our relationships are full of compromises. But in certain instances rules do have to be followed….for example, if Mom and Dad say you have to be in by ten in the evening, in the child’s best interest this rule should be followed. As one gets older, compromise becomes more and more important in the health and development of relationships. Each week-end a family can make plans on what it wants to do to enjoy its time together. How much fun can be had if all the family does is do what one member wants? Dad may want to go to a ballgame…. Mom may want to go to the zoo. And the children would rather go to the movies. What do you do? How about a movie about a baseball player who hits a home run into the zoo? Life is very rarely that simple (ha!)

Hey, we all see things a little differently sometimes. But if we can respect each other’s feelings, hopefully we can find common ground, where we all can have some harmony.

Life is meant to be shared,

love, Jennifer Avalon
© 2000 Jennifer Avalon

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