“…the Buddha was asked by a wanderer what happens after death. In response the Buddha posed a series of questions. First he asked,’If there is a future life, how would you live?’ The questioner answered, ‘If there are future lives, I would want to be mindful in order to sow seeds for future wisdom. And I would want to live with generosity and compassion, because they bring happiness now and because they sow the seeds for abundance in the future.’ ‘Just so,’ said the Buddha. Then he went on: ‘And if there are no future lives, how would you want to live?’ The questioner reflected and then answered in the same way: ‘If this were my only life, I would also want to live with mindfulness, so as not to miss anything. And I would want to live with generosity and compassion because they bring happiness here and now and because I will not be able to keep anything in the end.’ ‘Just so,” acknowledged the Buddha.” ~ As told by Jack Kornfield in, “The Wise Heart.”

My Dear Friends,

Anytime is the right time to begin living according to your own values. One of the six human needs is CONTRIBUTION. Living fully now and planning for a fullness in the future allows us to contribute to a better world in our own unique way, just by being who we are!

The TRUE FREEDOM Series includes exercises that help you identify your own values and start living more congruently with them. It will show you how to create a personal mission statement and the most effective way to use goals for your specific personality type.

It’s not about doing more. In fact, UC Berkeley sociologist Christine Carter, PhD wrote, “Busyness is not a marker of intelligence, importance, or success. Taken to an extreme, it is much more likely a marker of conformity, powerlessness, or fear.”

Choose to move in a way that helps you plant and harvest the seeds that give your life the most meaning now and in times to come.

Try this: Sit in a position of stillness and quiet, finding places to lift and places to ground. Breathe. Picture a string lifting you from the top of the head and your sit bones connecting to the earth beneath. Like a mountain, you are immovable. You are still. But with closer examination there is much going on. Streams flowing, animals foraging, flower, shrubs and trees growing — seeds landing on the ground and taking root. You are the mountain. You are still, and you move. You choose which to focus on. Try going back and forth between the two.

TRUE FREEDOM includes an expanded, guided Mountain Meditation. I’m excited to share it with you!