Everywhere you look these days there are television shows, books, newspaper articles and music etc. with one thing, in one way or another, in mind…..Spirituality. With each passing day the hunger grows for answers. Many are searching for the reasons why they are here. The publishing houses say they cannot release books on this subject matter fast enough. James Van Pragh, author of the book “Talking To Heaven” was a recent guest on the Larry King Live show on CNN. The response was so overwhelming, Larry invited him back faster than any guest who had been on his show before.

All these things are not a coincidence…something is definitely going on here. Some say it’s because the baby-boomers are getting older…others say it’s because we’re approaching the Millennium….perhaps so, but one thing is very clear….mankind is starting to look beyond its physical boundaries in larger numbers. The world around us is getting smaller because of technology, like the Internet….the distance between each one of us is shrinking fast. Maybe deep inside we all know we have to start looking at each other with more humanity.

People are starting to return to their churches and houses of worship in growing numbers, while others are taking up yoga and meditation to release the stresses of the day. Many are seeking out ways to better connect to their spiritual consciousness, and practice rituals that can keep them focused on a Higher Power.

If in the sixties we had the Sexual Revolution, I do believe we are now entering a span of time of self-discovery, brotherhood, and enlightenment…..a Spiritual Revolution of the mind, body and soul. I believe Humanity cannot continue to progress unless it embraces the fundamentals that we live on more than one level. Maybe all of us deep down inside know that if this planet is to continue for the next hundred years with the technology that is evolving, we are going to have to find better ways to understand each other and get along. “I am right and you are wrong” no longer works….but did it ever?

I’m reminded of the original Star Trek television series, each episode still repeated in many countries. Remember each week how we used to see Captain Kirk and the crew come to terms with all these different life forms? It wasn’t easy….but as Mr. Spock used to say, “Logic must prevail”. Well, it’s not easy here either! But let’s hope humanity prevails. From what I see and the letters I receive, I believe it will.

“Live Long and Prosper”,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

One thing we tend to do in society is assign value to everything. A house is worth this amount, a car is worth that amount, etc. When we are talking about a material object I guess it’s fine to assess a dollar value so that in the real world we can attach a monetary price tag to it, but it becomes dangerous when we start attaching the same concept to human beings and relationships. The jobs we perform, the relationships we build, and the goals we set have very profound value to us….but isn’t it strange that somewhere along the way the value concept is also assigned to those ideals we hold true to our hearts. Today a persons yearly salary has become more important than who a person is. Each one of us receive a different paycheck each week…but should the amount of that paycheck determine our contributions to humanity? To some people we know, it does.

A schoolteacher’s starting salary in New York City is around 30,000 dollars…a stockbroker within the same city could walk away at the end of the year with commissions and bonuses easily around 100,000 dollars. Both jobs are important…and contribute vastly to our society..but is one better than the other? I believe not…they are different, but one is not better. Society on the other hand has somehow looked upon life as a kind of ladder…each person being assigned a different step…some at the top, some in the middle, and lo and behold, some on the ground floor…..without the possibility of even getting a foot on the first rung. Maybe I’m a dreamer, but there’s something terribly wrong with this picture.

It takes all kinds of people to make a world…each one contributing in their own way. Whatever it is that you do to contribute in a positive way to yourself, family and the world has meaning and value. Embrace it. You don’t have to play the game. At the end of our lives, I don’t believe God says “Congratulations, you made 10 million dollars! Have a seat to my right…but You, what happened? Only 200,000 dollars? Have a seat in the back!” Almost sounds like a Twilight Zone episode, doesn’t it? Ultimately, we are judged by the amount of Love we gave, and the amount of Love we let in…the true definition of Fair Value.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

How many of us out there, myself included sometimes, spend a good portion of the day not quite awake. A friend of mine’s father owns a convenience store, and he told me that every morning quite a number of his father’s customers come in and pay him for the morning cup of coffee and newspaper. One morning my friend said to his father “Hey Dad, why is it a number of people don’t speak or return your “good morning”? His father replied “Don’t be offended son, they don’t even hear or see me some mornings”. “How is that?” asked my friend. “Well you see son, they head out of their house, stop here along the way, and then head down to the train station. It’s possible that they will repeat the same process for maybe twenty years….I guess after awhile it all becomes mundane”.

Whether all of this is mundane or not, it is still life. Many of us are so bombarded with pressures of the day that after awhile we start “zoning out”. I think the problem with this is that in some way we are being robbed of time. Whenever I meet somebody who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness one of the main statements I hear over and over again is “If only I had more time”. Isn’t it ironic that those who believe they have all the time in the world so freely waste it, while those who have so little time left cherish every moment.

In our busy hustle and bustle world each day there seems to be so many things on our minds…taking care of our spouses, kids, homes, work, and paying those bills. After awhile we begin to ask ourselves, Are we living? Or are we bouncing from chore to chore? There has to be a way of keeping it all in perspective.

We are born, we grow as children, we establish relationships, careers, and then one day we pass on. How we fill the space and time in-between is up to us. Each one of our lives has meaning. Yes it is important to be responsible to yourself and to others, but I do believe we are here for more than getting a paycheck each week. Life is something precious….a wonder to experience. With it we can grow. If you find yourself sometimes falling into patterns that you do over and over again, shake it up. Once in awhile it’s okay to walk a different way to the train station, order two cups of coffee instead of one, read a different newspaper, etc. Why is this important? Because it forces your mind to focus…because you are now performing a different task. Human beings on the whole resist change…but without it we just will repeat the same thing again and again. We have more value than that.

So this week try something new that you’ve never done before. It may surprise you. Inside you may start to feel new sensations, new thoughts, and see life from a different angle. Yes we all may still sleepwalk sometimes, but with a continued infusion of new thoughts and experiences we may find ourselves doing less sleeping and more walking.

Take the time to enjoy,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

Picture life as a valley between two mountains. Within that valley is the soil that can grow Love, Hope, and Dreams. As we look upon our valleys do we like what we see? Is there room for more growth? You see, for things to grow in the valley of life it takes care, nurturing, and feeding. To get our valleys to be plentiful one cannot be afraid to get their hands dirty. The soil responds to hard work. If all we do is sit and watch, our valley becomes wild…undisciplined….and before too long overcome by weeds. If care is given, the weeds cannot grow because upon sight we can remove the danger.

The valley can be a strange place with its own set of rules, but to be good gardeners we must respect those rules, for as we plant seeds we must know that the climate and the environment can affect the growth. It’s important that we share with each other knowledge of how to grow a greener valley, because all of our valleys are inter-connected. There are always people traveling through and in many cases leaving behind their thoughts and influences…sometimes good, sometimes not. The soil rewards those that plant well. It brings forth radiant colors that can been seen from miles away. To respect the soil, is to respect life. The Heavens provide the water that is needed in our valley….from it comes the rain that nourishes the green gardens and blossoming flowers. Without the clouds, even with hard work the flowers would stop blooming and before too long all that would be left would be dust.

If we are to enjoy the fruits of the valley, it takes a combined effort of earth, man and Heaven. Each one important to the health of the valley, for the fruit to be abundant. Heaven provides the sun and rain, the soil provides the foundation, and man provides the planting and harvesting. Yes there can be floods and catastrophes, but the valley can be repaired with the right amount of care and love.

Each day each one of us gets up in the morning and upon opening our eyes is the valley which we have created for ourselves. It doesn’t have to be perfect…perhaps it never will be, but the work on the soil is important because from it good seeds can grow. There is work to be done everyday in the valley…sometimes it’s hard, but by the end of the day, it feels real good to see the sun going down and the valley looking so much more alive.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

Do we really own the things we possess or do they sometimes in some way own us? We attach so much of who we are and our memories to objects that we “possess”, so that when a certain vase is accidentally broken it becomes us who is shattered. Should it really matter in the greater scheme of things that the vase is broken? Nothing else has really changed…the memories that we’ve attached to this object remain, but the only difference is the object that represents those memories is now gone.

I live in a house that was built in 1830. There have been approximately five families who lived here before me. As I look around the rooms there are contributions that were made by those families that still remain to this day. I too will make my contributions to this house, but at some point the house will be passed on, hopefully, to someone else. I cannot help but feel sometimes like a care-taker…even though I am the owner. I accept that with a smile and I hope that the future families of this house receive my contributions as joyfully as I have embraced the ones from the past.

Through the years we all accumulate objects and possessions that we hold dear to our hearts. It could be something that we came across on a holiday or something left behind from a relative who has since deceased. Yes they do matter to us for the memories they hold, but if we lose them somehow, do the memories disappear? It’s wonderful to have things that matter to us, but it’s also important not to allow those items to start “possessing” us. We attach so much importance to them that we start to forget what they really represent. It’s nice to have nice things, but when we are gone, what happens to them? Do we pass them on to our children or loved ones and hopefully they enjoy them as much as we did, or will they see no value in what we treasured? Is an object just an object…in reality, yes. What changes that is what we attach to it.

In the past month across America many people have lost in some cases all their possessions, through floods, tornadoes, and the ramifications of El Nino. Life’s accumulations gone in a matter of moments. We know the images…heartbroken people on television screens, searching for reasons to rebuild. In most cases, the story ends with the person saying “We may have lost all we have, but thank God we are alive”. Some are not so lucky…they feel the true sense of loss…someone has died.

At the end of the day, all we truly have is each other. The relationships we have built up over the years that mean so much to us. We still have our memories, even though we may not have the objects. But what matters most are the lives we have touched and the others who have touched us….that is priceless

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

Have you ever had those days during the week or month where everything feels “just right”, a sense of peace comes over you and just about everything flows. For a lack of a better word, I call this state of mind “centered”. I’ve always wondered what it is about those days that leave me with a tremendous sense of fulfillment and satisfaction……then, just as easily, because of something I experience, the feeling is gone. I start to feel a little left or right of that center…not quite “there”….not “in the pocket”. I think many of you know what I’m talking about.

Being centered is really a sense of oneness both spiritually and emotionally. It’s an understanding of why things are the way they are, and how we can discover solutions to the problems that grip our lives. Those problems are what constantly tug at us and pull us from our center. Just as easily as there are reasons for why things go wrong, there are also reasons for why things go right.

What I try to use to keep myself centered is something I call “re- enforcements”. It could be a certain book that makes tremendous sense in giving me a positive outlook on my life, or a conversation with a certain friend who together we answer our own questions, and yes, also, a prayer to God or a deceased loved one. I personally get incredible fulfillment from meditation…I try to put aside 15 to 20 minutes a day to relax and focus on what I need to do to help me stay centered. I don’t always succeed, but more times than not I do receive that sense of well-being. It takes work, but the rewards far outweigh the effort. We do have a choice here…it is not all life out of control. It’s surprising how much of that control we give away. It’s a funny thing about life….we do something once and then to succeed we constantly have to keep either doing it or re-learning it. Here’s an example: I can read a chapter of a book that makes total sense and gives a wonderful feeling of peace. Then, because of other things I have to do or distractions,

I find it’s easy to just forget what I have just read. Some people would call this the attention-span….much has been written about how the attention-span of society is becoming shorter and shorter. Perhaps that’s true, but I find if I re-read parts of that chapter I re-discover what it was I got out of it in the first place. Maybe that’s why people re-read the Bible, and other holy books, for that sense of focus and understanding. It’s amazing how many people go to see the same movie more than once….how many people do you know who have gone back to see the movie “Titanic”? Again and again? I guess you don’t become the number one all-time motion picture unless you get repeat watchers. Maybe there are many things we don’t get the first time around…but through repeated experience more is revealed.

So this week if you haven’t already, seek out those things that re- enforce the positive aspects that you want in your life. Don’t feel silly or stupid if you find yourself needing to read them or do them over and over again. Humans are creatures of habit….so why not make them habits that benefit you as a person? The tools are there for us….we just have to learn to use them.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

A number of people each week write to me about their financial concerns and how it affects their personal lives. I do believe a persons value should not be based on their accumulation of assets and wealth….however, it does affect lives. The amount of debt that we acquire and investments we gain does have a direct influence over the decisions we make daily. One can easily feel like a bouncing ball, powerless over the direction that ones life is taking.

There are so many ways to make money, and just as many ways to lose it…but in one way or another it all starts from the core of who we are….that’s why I believe the best form of investment is investing in yourself first. When you invest in yourself, you learn new skills, feel a sense of control over your life, and gain inner confidence. Each day you can implement the changes that are needed to bring about financial stability and preparation for difficulties that can arise from bills and monetary troubles. It’s amazing how much we spend on things that give us only temporary enjoyment and zero long-term fulfillment. Yes it’s wonderful to have a little fun once in a while but it’s important to keep track of the expenses because if let get out of control they can cause difficulties.

A person can never learn enough. There are so many ways we can grow. Some people will have a hard time at watching you implement changes because it changes their perception of who they think you are. That’s okay….but don’t be afraid to say “It’s okay to grow”. If it’s education that’s wonderful…..it can even be reading a book at home…but whatever you choose it’s important that it helps you increase the value you have to yourself. In the workplace these days we always have to keep learning new systems, and new ways to tackle old problems. It’s important to embrace those changes and find ways to implement ideas to make the job better.

It all starts with us. The value that you feel personally and the contributions that you make to your personal growth does have a spill-over effect to all facets of your life. It can enhance relationships and yes, increase your overall income. The danger is stagnation. Life is a process of continuous growth and change…things come, things go, and hopefully we become better people because of it. There are wonderful things for us to do out there….don’t be afraid to try. You’re worth the investment.

Follow your heart,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

Whenever we are confronted with a problem, goal, or at an impasse, I believe we enter a configuration called The Maze. You know what a maze is….remember as children we used to look at mice darting around trying to find their way out through the other side, how we used to see an overview and chuckle at the decisions each mouse would make to get out of the maze. Well, I know we’re not mice, but perhaps for us as humans in some strange way the same rules apply. When we are faced with a problem we enter The Maze. Each direction looks identical, but as we proceed ahead we hope we have chosen the right one which will lead us to the way out, and the overcoming of the problem. The solving of our dilemma is discovering the corridors that lead to a dead-end, and as we back-track we discover the pathways not to go down. By a process of elimination we continue the search for the corridor that has no blockage. The Maze is a place where we not only solve our problems and accomplish our goals, but most importantly it is a place where we find out who we are.

In life we continually enter and hopefully leave the mazes that are put before us. The Maze is a place where you can ask for help…..maybe others before us have been in the same maze, and with their help they can show us the pitfalls to avoid, so that we can find the way out a little faster. You can also ask for help from above. There is a benefit to having an overview of The Maze of Life.

We may all feel that we are different from the rest….but really are we? We all have problems we have to overcome, many of us feel a need to accomplish something with our lives, a lot of us want to love and be loved and all of us confront The Maze. The fear is that we become trapped within The Maze, with a sense of no way out, but the more we discuss and share ideas, the walls within the maze can begin to break down, and the fears subside. The greatest illusion of all is that we are alone with our problems.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

We spend much of the week trying to keep our heads above water….there is always something that demands our full attention immediately, so we in turn focus on those things because we feel it is vital to who we are and how others perceive us. Yes, some jobs are important but how much of the mundane do we allow to rise to levels of vast importance? At the end of each day you start to ask yourself “Who’s running the show?” The power we have over our lives and what we feel we need to accomplish is blurred.

In a lot of cases much of what ends up happening originates from us….either what we fail to do or what we choose to accept to do. Since that is often the case then we do often have a say in the outcome and the direction we take in life. It is very easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking that we must think of what is best for “me”…when in reality what is good for “me” can also be good for someone else…. both purposes can co-exist together. I think most of us in our hearts want to be good…but because of the past or certain experiences we’ve been subjected to in life we tend to get sidetracked and forget in some ways how to be good or look upon goodness as some form of weakness. For me, with the problems that I face I find that each week I have to keep re-learning certain good habits and disregarding the bad ones. I guess life really is one big classroom!

What scares me is how easy it is to forget to be kind. With all we deal with we get so caught up in our own lives that we start to forget the things that matter to us the most. I have started each Monday to try to think of something that I can do to touch someone in a positive light. It could be a smile, or a thoughtful comment, but at the end of the day it does give you a good feeling inside. Yes some people won’t appreciate it….but most will. Sometimes it amazes people that you honestly stopped to think about them.

I believe human beings start out as wonderful, kind, loving people….and then they run head first into something called “life”. Life can change everything…but the core of what we are still exists…it’s just that some have to dig a little deeper than others…and it’s okay to offer a little help with that digging. One way to help each other is through these so-called little random acts of kindness. It is a pebble in a pond. If bad things that happened to you have tremendous ramifications then why shouldn’t good things have the same effect? I believe these acts of kindness can raise the spirits of not only the person who is receiving them, but also the originator of those acts. We’re all connected, in one way or another, on this planet.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon

Each week for my essay I try to search for symbols to describe in one form or another the message I am trying to convey. This week I have chosen cars……yes, each one of us in one way or another can look upon ourselves as a vehicle. We drive around the road of life at all different speeds, through all kinds of weather. How our car performs is determined by how we maintain our engines, and the selection of fuel we use to power our journey.

Fuel is needed to keep our cars fully charged so that we can continue on to the destinations we choose each day, week and year. So many of us because of negativity, fear and lack of energy at some point during our week start to run low on gas or fuel. How and where we choose to refuel our tanks is up to us. Like a car the type of fuel we use can affect the performance of the vehicle. In human terms we too need refueling from time to time. What’s important is to know where your gas station exists.

Many find prayer a form of recharging and centering…others look to a good conversation with a close friend, or family member. I sometimes find visiting an art gallery or seeing a show at a museum a good form of spiritual nourishment. The arts, in whatever form, can be a wonderful place to find inspiration and peace. No human engine can run twenty four hours a day without some form of rest. What we choose to do during those rest periods determines how far our vehicle can go on its next trip.

I’ve called this essay “Find Your Fuel” because I feel it is so important for each one of us to find the things that we need to maintain and carry on our lives in a manner that can lead us to find each successive level of living. Like a good night’s sleep, so too are our periods of rest, when we re-fuel vital components that are necessary to our health. When you find those sources of pure energy, jot them down……you will find that when you are feeling low they will be there to give you the strength and courage when needed. Fuel is out there for us to find.

Don’t forget to fill up,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon