Friday, November 11, 2011

Focus on what you need, not on what you don't have.

Sometimes what we need and what we don't have sure seem like the same thing, don't they? After all, we look around and they're both nowhere to be found... but they are so completely different. In fact, one of them will NEVER be found.

You'll get what you look for... and if you look for nothing, that's exactly what you'll get.

The first thing to do is actually not focus on either one; not your need or your lack. Instead, the first thing to focus on is what you WANT. What's your desired outcome? How clearly do you see it? How badly do you want it?

And what are you willing to do to get it?

Then, and only then, will you be able to measure the distance between you and that vision.

When you do that, the needs will present themselves.

Not sure of the first step? Don't look for one. Look instead back at the vision, and see the need that's one step ahead of it... then in front of that one.

It's called "starting with the end in mind"

And just keep aiming back to you, now... step... by... step... need... by... need.

The first step will come to you... literally.

Then all you've got to do is take it.

Keep the light on,
GuruStu

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Fill yourself up with the Now now and you'll have plenty of Now left over for later.

You want to know something amazing? I'm writing this in my Now and you're reading it in yours. Now isn't that something?

'Now' really is a wonderful experience. It's so tied in with Life itself. Yet how often do we spend that precious time lost in some other time? We're busy thinking about something in the past or planning for something in the future that we completely miss the connection to all of it.

The thing that's really astonishing though is how easy it is to get back to Now.

Simply pay attention. Don't do anything about the past and future... For a moment, just pay attention to the moment.

And once you get into the groove, stay in the groove. Keep connecting with each moment that comes by.

That way you can have your Now now and more Now later.


Keep the light on,
GuruStu

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

It's all make believe until you make what you believe.

Do you remember being a kid, imagining dragons in the clouds and believing that you could be anything you dreamed about?

Do you know why your life turned out differently? Not because you 'grew up' or 'got real' but because you started to believe in other things.

The magic still works, you just started playing different tricks.

Now you imagine th at the dragons are at your door and that who you are 'supposed' to be is much smaller than a child's imagination.

It's only 'too late' if you believe it is... It's only impossible if you say so...

Yet just imagine what life could be like if we let our imaginations lead the way.

Can you imagine?

Keep the light on,
GuruStu

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Don't regret so much that you'll regret it later.

I have a friend who's biggest regret is that he lost so much time regretting his past. He's probably regretting that he's doing that right now.

It's not that he was doing anything particularly wrong back then... except not enjoying it... not living in it. But why try to live in the past now, when you didn't do it when you were there?

(How can you have regrets if you didn't gret in the first place?)

There's no fix for that... but the thing to do about it is LIVE NOW.

Yeah, just live now.

It's not like you have to do anything special to get here, now... so just be here, now.

There's no time for regrets now, or later, if you fill this moment up with NOW.

...and if you're all filled up with Now now, you won't have room for regret later either.

So now, what's it gonna be?

Now now now,

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Friday, September 09, 2011

A painting rises above the paint.

When you look at a work of art, you don't really see the paint, do you? You see the colors, the subject, the story, the artist's loving hand... all sorts of things... but not necessarily the paint itself.

A true masterpiece rises above all that it is made of.

You are a masterpiece.

So don't get so bogged down in the little bits of you. They are a part of... but apart from... all that is you.

And don't just rise above one little bit of you... rise above it all.

Keep the light on.
GuruStu

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

If everything goes exactly as planned, it's time for bigger plans.

It sure is nice when everything goes according to plan, isn't it? So easy; fun, even. After all, failure's bad for us, right?

Or is it?

If EVERY SINGLE THING goes EXACTLY as planned, could it be possible that you just haven't been planning BIG enough?

Failure is actually good for us. It shows us what DOESN'T work. It gives us the opportunity to learn and adapt and grow, so that we can have bigger success next time. Failures mean that you're not playing it "safe"... it means you're out where the bigger rewards are.

It's important to plan for failure... Not plan TO fail, but plan FOR failure... build it in. Become flexible enough to handle whatever comes up along the way.

And be comfortable not knowing.

I have an upcoming event I'm planning for now and there are parts that I just don't know. Oh, I know what I WANT... I know how I'd like it to be... but if I think what I know now is all there is to know... then I'm in for a big surprise when the time comes.

That's what Plans B, C, D... and Z are for... and then "Plan Whatever" after that... and "Plan Wingit" after that.

So think about YOUR plans... are they small enough to succeed... or big enough to go beyond failure?

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Friday, August 12, 2011

Never lower yourself to someone else's high standards.

Have you ever tried to live your life by someone else's standards?

I think it'd be safe to say that we all have at one time or another. Just growing up is an example of "do what I say"... but after that there are relationships, and jobs, and a whole slew of governing bodies that tell us how to live.

Now I'm not saying that any of it is wrong. There are some mighty good guidelines out there to help us live a good and wondrous life...

But you know when you're being asked to live up to something that isn't right for you. It feels hollow or it hurts. You feel less like yourself, and confused because the 'rules' don't fit.

You know what's right... and you know you know. Denying that you know (or that you can know) is also living to the standards of someone else.

Within Love (with a capital "L") there is a way of Harmony... and Governance... and Rightness... built right in... and it can't be defined by standards, high or otherwise.

By tapping into that... by being and living THAT... you'll know the way... and you'll know you know...

...and you'll never have to come back down, ever again.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Thursday, August 11, 2011

To get answers, just turn your question marks into periods.

You know the answers? Really? You've got everything you need to succeed inside you now? Really?

Yeah.

You know the answers. Really. You've got everything you need to succeed inside you now. Really.

It all comes down to how you end it. Exchange your questin marks for a period, and suddenly whole new meanings will be uncovered.

That's because our questions are really answers. Our whole lives are shaped by the pursuit of answers... but it's the QUESTIONS that chart the course.

Most of the big questions fall into the same categories... Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? What's the point?... so the questions you ask will reveal a lot more about you than the answers you might find.

And in another interesting twist... it's also the questions you DON'T ask that are also answers. They may reveal what's not important, or what you're so sure of that you don't think you need to ask... or you don't even know that you don't know.

So you see how intimately tied our questions and answers really are.

Any questions?

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Thursday, August 04, 2011

To live a full life, do half of what you do, twice as well.

Do you do too much?

Do you even have time to read this?

I know, I know, crazy times we live in, huh? You'd think with all this new fangled technology, it'd get easier... that somehow we'd have less to do because we do it in less time.

OK, you can stop laughing (or crying, whichever the case may be)

But it's true, isn't it... more STUFF, more ACCESS and less and less of LIFE.

It's because much of this new stuff isn't really YOU, is it?

You're not your profile.

You know it, I know it... and it's time you really know it... know what I mean?

You know that we each have the same amount of time as everyone else, right? So how come some people seem to get so much more accomplished, or seem to be enjoying their day so much more?

Because they spend more time doing what they love and being truer to who they are.

It's not their reward for being richer or prettier or more privileged... the being true part comes first.

And you can have it too.

How? Simply by cutting out half of all the stuff that's not you. I know, easier said than done, blah blah blah, but just try it... it's a yes or no, keep or get-rid kind of decision. Don't leave room for Maybe. Maybe's are just Guilty No's. So look around and be that 'cruel'... keep, discard, keep, keep, discard... it may or may not be even, but it's the start.

But then the real magic begins... don't leave any room where the No's used to be. It'll be all too easy to fill the vacuum up with junk.

Just take what you LOVE and do it more often. Once you fill up your time, there's no room to do all the other stuff.

You'll be full.

And so will your life.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Saturday, July 23, 2011

You're only supposed to be influenced by your circumstance, not controlled.

It's easy to get lost when you're mired in the middle of the mucky muck. Every direction looks like the wrong way and all the details of the past seem to support the notion that you're supposed to be there.

While our present is the result of all our past thoughts and actions, that only explains HOW we got here; not WHY and certainly not WHAT NEXT.

Simply put... you are not your circumstance. Sure, you're here, and yes, you've got to get yourself out of it... but it isn't you; and you aren't it.

Circumstances are here to teach us things about ourselves. They reflect what's going on inside, so just in case we missed the point, here it is staring us in the face.

So look around you. Respect all that is and all that got you to this place. Ask yourself what is it that you're supposed to learn... then learn it.

By taking in the lessons, you gain control. They may be painful ones, or silly ones, but by accepting them, they give you the power to change them. It's only a problem when you think they're bigger than you, or more powerful, or more important.

When you look in the mirror, who's more important, you or the reflection?

(Hint: I'm talking to YOU, not the mirror!)

So take in, then take on, your circumstances.

And as always,

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, July 18, 2011

A life filled up with excuses leaves no room for success.

You know, I was going to get to this post sooner, but I just got so busy and then the weekend came and I had soooo much to catch up on... and then this other thing happened, and... hold on a minute!!

You don't really care about what stopped me, do you? All you know is: this is getting done now, and not sooner. All that hullabaloo up there is useless... in fact, it's kind of a downer, isn't it?

Most excuses are like that.

Oh sure, they'll make sense most of the time... and you'll get excused for them (I mean, isn't that what an excuse is there for?)... you might even get sympathy... and then get an earful of someone else's excuses, so you can both feel better about not doing something.

But that doesn't get you very far, does it?

While an excuse might get you excused from failure... it also gets you excused from success as well.

Excuses are like candy... they taste good at the time and even fill you up for a little while... but they leave you feeling empty (or sick to your stomach) and you want more an hour later.

Success is more filling... and fulfilling... and tastes far sweeter than any Nutty Excuse ever could.

So even if there are reasons why this happened, and that didn't... cut the junk. Save your hunger for the really big stuff in life.

Here's to your success!!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Detours are the next best thing to getting there.

You're traveling along your usual route, humming your favorite tune, when all of a sudden you're stopped by that giant arrow that says "DETOUR". You don't know where it's going to take you, what it's going to be like and how much time you're going to lose.

Don't you just find that annoying????

Well, I don't.

It's an adventure! I'm going to see things I hadn't seen before... and besides, something is wrong with the way ahead, and someone else went ahead and create a way around the problem.

How awesome is that????

How we greet detours say a lot about how greet everything in life (after all, life is a journey, right?)

The important thing to keep in mind is the destination (i.e. Goal) we want to reach. The more open we are to alternate routes (i.e. more flexible and adaptable) the higher our chances of actually getting there.

It's only a 'problem' if we take the detour seriously, and let it actually change our direction for good.

So relax and enjoy the view... and if it gets too dark along the way, just remember to...

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

If you want to be surrounded by teachers, become a student.

There's a saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." It sounds so magical, and indeed it is, yet it's not necessarily magic.

The secret is that anyone (and anything) can become your teacher, if you are willing to learn. The Universe is filled with this deep Knowing, that permeates everything within it. It bubbles up and sparkles all around us, every moment, everywhere. We're just too preoccupied to notice.

There's all this darkness and fear that needs our attention, after these messages from our local sponsor... and we have to constantly watch our backs because THEY are coming... you know the ones, who look and act and speak and love differently than we do... I mean, who has time to stop and see a magic show?

And besides, we already know all there is to know, right? We don't need no education!

But... all that aside... when you're ready to put all of that behind you, and open yourself up to learning, you'll see that the teachers have been here all along. They're your friends and family, and the stranger on the train; the cashier and delivery person; the CEO and the homeless; the elders at the home and the children on the playground; the birds and the trees and the stars and the wind... and me.

And you.

See the light on,
GuruStu

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

That rope you're hanging on to... is a balloon.

I'm sure you've heard the saying "when you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

That's supposed to make you feel better.

Yeah I know; it's important to get a grip, but seriously is that all there is, just hanging on for dear life instead of grabbing all that Life holds dear?

Stop looking at the rope... and definitely stop looking down!

Look up instead!

See that what you're hanging onto is really a balloon... one that's bigger than all your worries... one big enough to take you as high and as far as you want to go.

Now it's time to really hang on, cause you're in for the ride of your life!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Turn your blocks into building blocks.

Remember when we were kids with a pile of blocks in front of us? We could build anything! Giant fortresses and towering skyscrapers! We could stay up all night building our empire!

Yet now that we're 'older' and 'wiser' whenever we're presented with a bunch of blocks, all we want to do is go back to bed.

Heck, even when we don't have blocks in front of us, we make it up in our heads. Just imagine all the blocks that COULD be out there!

Sometimes past experiences are not the best teachers.

Sure there was this one time when... and... you know that never worked before... and... of course no one is going to want to... and...

There's your blocks again.

The future is made from our imagination, so when we think about the past or think there's something blocking our way, that's what we get.

So look again at those blocks.

Are they trying to tell you something besides 'no'? Are they challenging you to find a way around? Or better yet, are they here to show you how to build giant fortresses and towering skyscrapers once again?

Imagine that!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Sunday, June 19, 2011

My Father's Eyes

I dedicated this to my father after his passing in 2008. Having Father's Day to one and all.

My Father\'s EyesGrowing up people used to say I had my father's eyes. Every day as time slowly makes its mark on my face, I see them more and more.

A couple of weeks ago, our eyes met for the last time, when he looked over to see that I arrived at his bedside just hours before his cancer would win the battle. He asked if I had made it to the hospital, and when my mother pointed me out, he looked over with surprise and recognition. He was waiting for me, and now that I was there, he knew it was time for him to go.

I held his hand for a couple of hours. He used it to pull himself to a more comfortable position. When he lost his strength, he used my hand to scratch his nose; and kept trying to remove some invisible patch over that was obscuring his vision.

Even though he was well past talking, I assured him that everything would be alright, and that it was safe for him to go. But he waited... waited for us to leave for the night. I kissed my father's eyes... knowing that 'goodnight' was really a 'goodbye'.

He left just minutes after we did.

He was only diagnosed the week before, and the swiftness was as he wanted it. It happened too fast to replace anyone's memories of the good times. In a way that makes us all lucky.

And I'm the luckiest one... for every time I look in a mirror, I can see a reminder of all that he gave me.

But I hope he gave me something even more important. While I may have my father's eyes, I really hope I have my father's heart.

Dedicated to Nathan Rosen (1925-2008)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

If you're going to doubt anything, doubt you can fail.

I doubt you'd believe me if I told you that you could live without a doubt. I mean, some of you even think that you need a healthy dose of the stuff (though I doubt it's all that healthy really)

So if you really must doubt, at least choose your doubt wisely.

So doubt that you can fail.

Oh I can hear you Doubters chiming in now, but I can bet that you're thinking about Denial right now... And Denial and Doubt are two totally different things.

Don't deny yourself the valuable lessons of Failure; enjoy the uphill climb of apathy and resistance; deal with whatever comes your way.

Just don't think that any of it is bigger than you are.

Doubt that it can't be overcome. Doubt that there's just no way around it. Doubt that this is the end of the road.

Just don't doubt yourself, the people around you or the value of your vision.

Always doubt what's left but never doubt what's right!

And never ever doubt your light...

Because you gotta keep it on!
GuruStu

Saturday, June 11, 2011

If you want to get going, get with the go-getters.

Think about the closest people in your life right now. You know, the ones you hang out with, who you talk about your past present and future with; who you turn to for advice.

Where are they going?

Is it where you want to be in the future?

If yes, then awesome!

If not... well, then why are you hanging out with them?

It's not that there's anything wrong with these people... but if they're not going into your future, you're going to end up in theirs.

It's really easy to see why hanging out with the 'appropriate' group makes a difference. 1) Because they're actively looking for opportunities, they will find more opportunities, 2) Each connection they have in their network, helps all others in that network (meaning, you) and 3) When the time comes to act, they will take the action, as opposed to people who believe they can't do it.

So take the time to seriously see where your 'support group' is and where they're going. If they don't get your dream, get going!

Keep that light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Go where Life pulls you.

How many of you had to PUSH yourself out of bed this morning? Or PUSHED yourself through traffic to go to a job where you PUSH your way through papers and guzzle coffee to PUSH you through the afternoon?

Or on the flip side, how many of you feel PULLED in every direction at once?

Life sures pushs and pulls a lot, don't it?

There are always going to be tons of forces all around you; each one trying to get you to go its way.

Well, do those forces control your life? Or do you control those forces?

Not sure what force to follow? Look around you and listen.

It'll be the one that calls out to you... not for its own attention... but for YOURS. It will speak to that deep-down part of you that KNOWS it's right. It'll be the force that connects you to your future.

Let that be the one that shows you the way... and take the next step.

And Keep the Light On!
GuruStu

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Don't like your past? Stop living it.

You ever shout near a mountain and hear it echo as it gets farther and farther away; faint, but you can still make it out... but still, nothing like the original.

That's kind of what your past is like.

The past keeps getting farther and farther away, yet you just keep on echoing.

That's kind of what your present is like.

The past is long gone. The only evidence we have that it ever existed is the faint sound that we repeat time and time again.

So the question is, why do you echo certain events and not others?

You know a lot more happened than the stories you tell people; so why are you clinging to specific ones?

(Especially to the ones you don't particularly like?)

Just imagine if you could stop echoing the bad experiences, then reach back to the good ones, and echo them instead?

Doesn't that SOUND nicer?

Nothing's really stopping you... nothing... nothing... nothing.

So go ahead and do it... do it... do it...

Keep the light on... on... on...

GuruStu

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Working on the smallest parts is also working on the biggest whole.

Have you ever put your thumb up in front of your eye while looking at something in the distance? It blocks your view and seems SO MUCH BIGGER than the mountain, doesn't it?

Details are like that.

You've probably heard this saying a million times before too: 'Can't see the forest for the trees.'

Sometimes we get so caught up in the details that we lose sight that it's a part of the larger whole. One detail seems to be the main thing and there are so many other 'things' surrounding it that are the same size, so we start to question whether we're on the right track; whether what we're working on now is important, will it really make a difference?

The key is to keep checking the bigger whole picture, to make sure this small detail is still a part of it.

Then it becomes a matter of tending to it, with the same passion and purpose as the whole.

Persistence.

And patience.

Because the DIVINE is in the details too.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Life has a lot of limitations, but you don't have to choose any of them.

Boy, oh boy. It is so easy to fail, isn't it? It doesn't take much... if you can't look around for an excuse, you can always just make one up.

Like a tiny pin to a balloon... Your big hopes and dreams can be POPPED in an instance!

Sounds dreary, doesn't it?

But how many of us live in a word of pins?

But what happens to a balloon that never encounters a pin?

It soars, right?

A big enough balloon, with no pin, can even lift you up to the sky!

And so it is with our thoughts.

They're tiny too...

But they get between us and our dreams and make us believe that we can't fly; that we don't deserve the sky.

Simply don't choose thoughts that limit you.

Thoughts have no form, no right or wrong, until we squeeze them through our brains... until we judge them, and act upon them.

We either look within us, or outside of us, and conclude that we're just not big enough to get over it.

Well tell that to a balloon.

Keep your light up high,
GuruStu

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Don't become so full of yourself that you can't become filled with yourself.

Being proud of yourself feels good doesn't it? That sense of accomplishment, that feeling of belonging; of rightness. It's just so stress-free and downright joyful.

It's great when it comes.

It stinks when we cling to it.

We wear it like armor when it's more like an old sweater. It won't protect us, and it won't last.

When we hold on to it longer than the moment, we miss the chance to do it again.

When we puff ourselves up with thoughts of superiority, we blind ourselves to opportunities that can make us so.

The key is to be true to ourselves, to do what we do best and just let Life in.

You're amazing... really, get to know that... just don't let that separate you from the amazingness of everyone else.

Keep that light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Make sure your Afterthoughts don't leave an Aftertaste.

Y'know, I had a different opening but then I thought about it... and thought about it some more... then decided to go with this paragraph. Do you like it?

Do you ever find yourself tangled up in the web of afterthoughts? You know, the better comeback lines, the what ifs, the regrets, the second guesses.

Unless they offer you true insight or give you something that you can actually DO, afterthoughts are pretty useless. They belong in the past along with the original moment. They have no bearing on NOW.

So, really, give it up. Be grateful that you did the best you could, when you could, with what you had.

Then turn your attention to forethoughts for the future.

They're a far better use of your mind now and will taste a whole lot sweeter when tomorrow comes.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, May 16, 2011

Not every label needs to stick.

You know those tags that they stick on your chest whenever you're at some event? They have your name in bold, and sometimes what you do or where you're from. It's good for breaking the ice. Even though it labels you, you don't mind (unless you hate your name).

Other labels are pretty good too... Husband/Wife, Mother/Father, Friend/Lover... or maybe being labeled by what you do... Rocket Scientist, World Renown Chef or Bohemian Artist.

They're okay because we put those labels on ourselves.

What's not okay is when other people put labels on us; especially without permission.

Labels can help when they bring understanding... but they can be devastatingly damaging when they separate us from each other.

You don't need to let them stick though.

Realize that EVERYONE is an outsider to your life. You look different to them than you do to yourself. So the best they can ever give you is a well-intended, love-supported perspective from their point of view.

Their labels of you only helps them define who they think you are; not who you really are.

So take the labels that fit you... and help you fit into a wonderful Life. Everything else can just fall off.

Why?

Because you're wonderful!

But that's just my well-intended, love-supported point of view.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Friday, May 13, 2011

If you don't look forward to looking forward, how will you ever get past your past?

You ever feel like Life is just hitting you on the back of the head?

That's probably because you're too busy walking backwards into the future.

I know that hindsight is 20/20 and the past has tons to teach us... but if we keep staring at it, we'll only know where we're going until after we've already been.

So what keeps us from looking forward?

Fear of the unknown, perhaps? Past hurts making us leary of being hurt again? Unfulfilled desires dying like rotting fruit on the vine?

(All of the above, right?)

Well... Stop it!

You'll turn your life around by turning around.

Stop fearing something that probably won't happen. Stop thinking that just because something has happened before that it has a right to happen again.

It's not that your best years are behind you. It's that the only years you KNOW are behind you. They'll only be the 'best' if you stop aiming for better.

Face forward fearlessly.

And keep the light on!
GuruStu

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

If you can't get there from here, get there from someplace else.

Sometimes the future seems so far away, doesn't it? Almost unreachable at times; especially when we compare where we are to where we want to be. It just doesn't seem possible that we can even get there from here.

Yeah, so?

Maybe you CAN'T get there from here... but doesn't mean you can't ever get there.

The key is to stop starting HERE, and start starting THERE instead.

Begin by imagining yourself there and step 'back'. As long as it's closer to here, it's a step in the right direction.

Can you get to that step from here? If not, step back again... and again... and again... Until you can get to THAT from here.

And yes, it might be A LOT of steps... Maybe there's education involved, or raising money, or building relationships that have to come before certain steps can take place.

Yeah, so... Go get 'em.

Remember the time it will take to do those steps is the same time it will take to do nothing.

So do you want to get there or not?

Step up!

And keep the light on!
GuruStu

Friday, May 06, 2011

It's better to live in the Now sooner rather than later.

Right now, this very moment, you're reading this sentence. Isn't that amazing?

And while that last sentence now fades into the past, here's another one right behind.

OK, so maybe just writing about writing about it isn't all that exciting, but it's nonetheless extraordinary.

Something really magically happens when you let the Now in. A huge exchange happens between you and Life. You become more aware of your surroundings, plus you can express yourself so much fuller... Just by being connected.

So why put that off? Why wait til the next moment becomes the last moment before you realize there's no moment left?

So if you can't be in the Now now, get ready... Another Now is coming up...

Now!!!

Did you get it?

Keep the light on, Now and Later!
GuruStu

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Not everything can, or will, be changed; so create something new instead.

Once upon a time, typewriters, phonographs and horse-drawn carriages ruled the world. Back then many people believed it couldn't get better than that.

And for a while, they were right.

Companies like Microsoft, Apple and Ford didn't intend to replace them. Instead, they focused on meeting the same need in a completely new way.

If they could change the world in such a big way, just think how much easier it is for you to change just YOUR world.

You see, when you look at your life like 'this is it' and 'this is all I've got' and 'I can't change it'... and... and... and...

You end up limiting yourself to what IS instead of reaching out to what CAN BE.

So don't focus on yourself, or your circumstance, or the idea that this is as good as it gets. Go back to your basic needs, and look around for the needs of others and seek out entirely new ways to fulfill them.

PS If you think about all the other industries that sprung up from those new ideas, like online bookstores and travel companies and games for your cellphones... There's no telling what new things lie in store for you when you start fresh.

Back to the drawing tablet!

Keep the lightbulb on!
GuruStu

Monday, May 02, 2011

Don't live a life that's smaller than you are.

How much time during your day do you spend being you?

Yeah, yeah, I know you just smiled and shouted '24 hours a day!' or some-such, but now let's go back and be honest with ourselves, shall we?

How much time during your day do you spend time doing what you do best, what you love, what exemplifies who you really are?

Ooohhhh, why didn't I saaaay so?

Sooooo...

How much time do you spend being you... or being what someone else wants you to be? Or what you think you ought to be? Or what you need to do so that 'someday' (maybe... hopefully) you can finally get to LIVE?

Do you remember what it was like when your dreams were as big as the world around you? When everything in front of you was ripe with unlimited possibilities?

You didn't fill it up with so much 'other stuff' that there's no room left for YOU... did you?

Well, don't worry. Life is more like a balloon than a bowl (cherries not withstanding). It expands the more you put into it.

So go ahead, fill your life up with YOU. Do more of what you love and love more of what you do. Your life can handle it.

It doesn't have to be a small world after all.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Friday, April 29, 2011

If you're not getting the right answers, check your questions.

Do you think the answer is in the answer?

Before you answer that, re-read the question.

So often we think that the answers are what dictate our lives... but do they really? Seems to me that we spend most of our lives IN SEARCH OF the answers, rather than finding the answers themselves.

And those that seem to have the answers have just become comfortable in not knowing.

It’s not that we CAN’T know the answers. It’s just my question is… “how important are those answers?”

Answers have this funny way of contradicting each other… and generating more questions with each new answer.

Sooooo… perhaps the questions ARE the answer.

After all, our questions say more about us than our answers ever could. They tell us what’s important to us, they give us hints as to what we really want to get out of this life and they let us know what we don’t yet know.

Isn’t that amazing?

(Now what did that last question say about me?)

You know the saying “the answer was here all along”?

Because the answer to that question is that question.

Any questions?

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

You change the past more than you realize.

Every moment of every day, the past keeps getting bigger. It’s subtle, like a single raindrop changing the ocean... but still, it’s never the same.

But it’s more than that. The past is far more fluid than even the ocean. We often think it’s not, hiding behind the notion that ‘what’s past is past’... but is it REALLY?

What is the Past, anyway? Or the Future for that matter? Other than concepts that keep the Present moment held together?

The Past is an agreed-upon story that we choose to carry around with us into Tomorrow. No matter how heavy or burdensome; how ill-fitting and painful, we hang on to it, because somehow we came to think we owned it.

Now here’s the part of the story where I’d tell you to “let go” of the Past, but I’m not going to do that… because I’m going to tell you to “Exchange” it, like an unwanted Christmas gift.

It’s your Past, you can do with it whatever you want.

You do anyway. Every time you recall your sad, painful stories; or hold on to grudges; or when you relive the ‘good ole days’... you create, and recreate, the Past.

Come on, haven’t you ever had someone retell a story about something that you have NO RECOLLECTION of? (I’m not talking about College parties, which is another story entirely). How is it that they can have a completely different Past than you did? Even siblings, who grew up in the same household, with the same parents… can have totally different childhoods?

Because you make your Past what it is... and you can make it over the way you want it to be… without time travel!!

The power to change the Past is here... NOW.

So if you want a better tomorrow today, go change yesterday.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Think small only in the details.

Size matters. Not any particular size... Not one-size-fits-all size... Just the right size at the right time. Sometimes big, sometimes small.

It's just good to know what fits where when, y'know?

BIG. That's for when you're dreaming, when you're planning your BIG picture... when you're decided what sort of impact to make on the world.

Small. When you're turning those dreams into action, when you're making consistent, persistent baby steps along the way... and when you're making sure you've got every little thing going your way.

They're not to be used the other way around. Big steps don't fit into small dreams.

And neither do you.

So when you think small... Think lots and lots and lots of small... 'Cause you've got a lot of BIG things that are coming your way.

Keep the light on,
GuruStu

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Life doesn't keep score; it evens it.

Life doesn't have time to keep track of all the details. It has to keep moving.

'But wait, what?' I hear you wonder, 'what about Karma, isn't that keeping score?'

Yeah, well, sorta. But, then again, not really.

Life operates out of a sense of balance and only knows where you are now. It's not about 'when you were ten, you did this; now I have to do that'. It's about being positive or negative and what comes to you, so that Life can be even again.

That's why 'karma' doesn't look the same as what went out. It's equal value, not equal circumstance.

Now you've heard the saying 'Like Attracts Like' and that's probably confused you somewhat... Especially when you know that in Physics, it's Opposites that attract. So let me explain...

Positive is negative and Negative is positive.

Huh?

(Go ahead read it again to see if it said what you thought it said)

Positive is negative and Negative is positive.

Yup.

Take a glass filled with water and pour some out.

You gave out positive, which created a negative space. Now you have room for more water.

That's a very, very simple way to look at it. So don't get too caught up with the glass being full, or half-empty, blah blah blah... that's just to get you to understand how space comes from giving.

Life has to get back to zero. So when you give, Life fills up the space. When you fill up by taking, Life takes away from you... in order to get back to zero.

Now I know that your head's going to spin with all the ways that doesn't work... but it works anyway.

Of course it's not going to look like it works, especially if you think of Life as an 'eye for an eye'... It makes more sense if you accept that what comes back looks vastly different, yet holds the same value (like getting coins back in exchange for paper money... Completely different, yet worth the same).

So do you see why it's so important to give? To make room to receive. It's the most positive negative you could ever get.

Here's to getting even!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

To see farther, raise yourself higher.

There's a reason why ships put their crow's nests on the very top of the mast; same reason why people climb mountains... 'cause the view's better!

The same with Life.

Whenever you hang your head down low or, worse, bury your head in the sand, you can't see squat!

And by essentially being blind, Life just seems to constantly hit you with surprises, doesn't it?

It's not that Life has it out for you... it's just that those things were coming anyway, and you didn't see them with enough time to duck!

So if you want to see farther, then get up from where you're sitting, or squatting or hiding under cover.

Get! Up!

And not just up, but way up! "Up, up and away" Up!

Sure, you may lose sight of the ground... But what you WILL see will be absolutely out of this world!

See you up there!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

You can't make yesterday longer by using up today.

You know yesterday's gone, right? It ended at midnight.

It may have been a great day, or a boring one; it doesn't really matter right now... cause it's past the expiration date.

Yet how many people are still clinging onto it? Holding on tighter; trying to squeeze every minute out of today, hoping that yesterday will magically fall out.

It ain't in there.

I know you've heard about "living in the Now" and all that, but every moment spent thinking about, or acting upon, something that happened yesterday is just not living up to now.

And then what are you going to do tomorrow... look for today?

If you didn't figure it out yesterday, maybe you'll figure it out now... that doesn't work either.

Now is now. It fits perfectly into this exact moment... that is, unless you stuffed it full of yesterdays.

Besides, Yesterday fits perfectly where it was... before midnight. So let it stay there.

Fill up this moment with Now... and live it to its fullest.

That way, you won't have to fill up the emptiness with expectations of tomorrow.

Until then...

Leave the light on!
GuruStu

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Remember, you are not the rain, even when you get wet.

"Into each life some rain must fall."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Rain is part of life... A really good part, actually.

But when it pours and we're soaked and chilled to the bone; well, not so much.

Yet that's what happens when we're out in the rain, we get wet.

But you don't really think you ARE the rain, right? You know you're just wet.

So why do so many people go through life thinking they ARE their circumstance? Their situations? Their problems?

Granted we get caught out in it... But do we really need to get caught up IN it?

We have disagreements and disagreeable moments. Time's get tough. Struggles get old.

That's the rain.

You're not that.

You're separate from what you experience.

So don't think it's what you ARE...

Or you'll end up owning it.

So go dry off... and let some sunshine in.

That's the light to keep on!
GuruStu

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Go ahead and fail. Just don't get good at it.

We all make mistukes.

It just doesn't fit... It doesn't work... It isn't wanted or needed... Whatever it is... It just isn't 'IT'.

OK... It happens.

Sometimes the failure is the problem, but most of the time it's how we EXPERIENCE the failure that's the problem.

Do you churn and yearn and burn? Or live and learn and earn?

Moving on from failure is the best reward... Whether it's just the joy of getting through it, or (better yet) rising up better and stronger and wiser from having been there and done that.

The only thing NOT to do is learn how to become really successful at failing.

You know the symptoms... Patting yourself on the back for 'trying'... Sharing your sorrows with others who validate your excuses... And giving up, so as not to have to go through THAT again.

If you learn how to quit, you haven't learned how to fail.

So here's to a lot of little failures and HUGE successes along your way!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Every once in a while, it takes a while.

We often like to think of Life as some steady flow of constant motion, with a preset series of events. While that is true of many things, most of the rest is a whole bunch of fits and starts.

Life is like that. It likes to BURST forth, with a flurry of activity all at once!

It also likes to take its time.

So when we get caught up in the idea that 2 must follow 1... and precede 3... at an even pace... it's easy to get frustrated and impatient.

Life is going to take the time IT needs, not the time YOU need.

Once you accept that, Patience is soon to follow.

Once you realize that a 'slow period' is not a 'no period', you can also accomplish Persistence as well (it's very tempting to quit when things aren't moving fast enough, isn't it?).

I always say, 'it's like pulling on the stalks, expecting the corn to grow'. Neither one of you will win, if you rush it.

Learn to really enjoy the whole process.

Every step of the way is beautiful.

And if it's just going to take some time, just take the time.

It'll be time well spent.

Keep the light on,
GuruStu

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Do you know what makes you unique? Everything!

There is a little piece of copper that is worth more until it is pressured into conforming like all the others. Then it's only worth one cent.

The same happens to us when we give up our worth to fit in to be just like everyone else.

Well, you're not like everyone else.

And you don't need to be like everyone else, just to be loved by them.

Because if someone demands that you're exactly like them in order to be worthy of their love, then they're not really loving YOU. They're doing it so that they can love themselves.

Love yourself more than that.

Love yourself enough to BE yourself... to explore what makes you uniquely you. The deeper you look, the more you'll see how different you are... and how similar to you... and how wonderful you are.

Set that as the standard by which you live... not by some outside standard... or someone else's achievements... or some idea that there's a 'perfect' out there to become.

It's so much easier to be you; much easier than trying to be someone else.

So take the easy route... and make it uniquely yours.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

A gentle stream can split a mountain, if given enough time.

Does it ever feel like you're constantly swimming upstream? And the more you want to go anywhere, the more effort you have to put out; even as you get tired... more more more.

Well it doesn't have to be that way.

It just SEEMS that way because we've come to believe that more effort equals more results.

Yeah, well... no.

It's not that you have to give up and just go wherever the river takes you. It's about going beyond the river; to become like it, rather than to fight it.

Even gentle streams have much to teach us.

They don't seem to be much, and yet over time they can carve their way through a mountain.

A little effort, over a long time, is a lot of effort.

Not everything has to be done at once, or with great force.

It can be done with patience... and persistence.
And gentleness.

So relax... Go with your own flow... Move easily around anything in your path... And just keep forging ahead.

And, as always,
Keep the light on,
GuruStu

Thursday, March 10, 2011

If you think 'if I had more, I'd do more' you've got it backwards.

How many times have you played the game 'If Only'? If only you had more money, if only you had more time, if only you had more yadda-yadda-yadda and blah-blah-blah... Then, oh boy, the world had better watch out!

Then that game is followed by the game of 'But...' and you crawl back into the world of disappointment and excuses. Right?

Oh, of course, I know YOU don't play those games... I'm just sayin' ... y'know... those games get played.

Buuuuuuut... if you ever slipped and were to play those games... I'd point out that 'having more' has this funny way of intensifying old habits, and turning them into much bigger habits... So 'doing more' ends up very different from the 'doing more' you thought you'd do 'if only...'

The funny thing about Life is that it gives back what you give out. It waits for you, rather than pays you forward, hoping you'll give back. That's what 'give and you will receive' is all about.

You have to give first.

And you have to give good stuff. Holding out, and giving out bad stuff first, only results in bad stuff coming back.

The more VALUE you GIVE, the more REWARDS you GET.

So when you're dreaming about what you want, just ask yourself, 'what will I give so that I can receive this?'

Then give it all you've got.

Keep the light on!
(So Life knows where to send the rewards)

GuruStu

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Imagine if you forgot how to limit yourself.

The very first word we learn to ignore is 'No' ... but once we let it in, we learn to ignore everything else.

It's as if we say 'OK World, you can stop stopping me now, I'll keep myself down from here.'

And many of us never learn to say 'No' to No.

We don't really need to learn how to overcome our Fears. We need to learn how to Unlearn them; to forget every reason why we 'can't' or we 'shouldn't' and get back to that place where everything is an adventure waiting to be explored.

'But be careful, you might get burned!!'

True... But do you really want to live a half-baked life?

I know that Nothing seems better than Something Negative, but that doesn't make it Something Positive.

You can't drive in Neutral.

So get over it, get through it and get on with it... Whatever 'it' is. And get going!

The World 'might' stop you, but then again, it 'might not'. You won't know if you stop yourself first.

Give up being less than you are... and you'll get far more than your small dreams can imagine.

Be the light, and keep it on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Think outside everyone else's box as well as your own.

'Thinking outside the box' is supposed to mean innovation and creativity, yet it's been cliche'd into meaning 'start thinking inside the box we've placed around your box'.

Whenever someone puts you in a box, it's their way of understanding you according to their limited belief. It's their way of feeling safe.

That's also why we think inside our own box... To feel SAFE.

But big rewards don't fit in tiny safe boxes; yours or anyone else's.

So embrace whatever thoughts and dreams that are uniquely yours. Don't worry if it doesn't fit; it's not supposed to.

As long as it fits 'YOU', it's enough.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Friday, March 04, 2011

If you can Explain it, you haven't fully Experienced it.

Have you ever had a moment that 'took your breath away'? One where words just couldn't do it justice?

Then you know what I'm talking about.

Experience is such a deeply personal thing; and even when we 'share' an experience together, we still experience it as only we can.

It's part of the magic of Life; to be felt with more than our language and preconceived notions of how it is supposed to be.

Language is so limiting, don't you think? I mean, even now, you're only getting a fraction of what I mean. Your experience of THIS MOMENT comes to you through your understanding of THESE WORDS... stripped of all the other stuff that I couldn't explain... leaving YOU to fill in the gaps.

(Now that's pretty awesome too, if you think about it, but that's not where I mean to go with this, soooo.....)

When I was younger, I was shown a much different form of communication beyond language. Language was like a tiny thread compared to the broad band that I experienced. Not only was it going from 'Not Knowing' to "Knowing' in an instant; it carried with it the emotional meaning, as well as the context and intention of the sender. (Let's just say it was pretty awesome!)

You see, here I am 'explaining it' but if you and I would communicate like THAT, there'd be no need for me to say it like THIS.

What it did for me though, was to open myself up to all the communication that Life has to offer. The sun, the moon and stars... the trees and rivers and rocks... teh birds and fishes... everything communicates like this.

It's just up to us to let them.

So without further explanation, I bid you adieu... and remind you to always...

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

To Be Divine, Live Wholly

There are some truly amazing words that certain groups have usurped into carrying more Weight than their Worth. While that's terrific for those who are devout, it's left quite a few out from experiencing the meaning behind those words; the "World Beneath the Words" if you will.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the Every Day that we've convinced ourselves that there's nothing more. We believe that the unseen part of our Selves belong pushed down into the Bargain Basement.
But then we wonder why it's so lonely here on top.

We are Whole Beings; even when we're disjointed. We're Bodies, Emotions, Spirit and Thoughts, all rolled into one. And it's when we recognize that, and nurture that, that we feel connected to LIFE.

Whether you believe in some Higher Power or the Secrets of Science, the deeper you explore, the deeper it gets. And the more connected you become to that, the more you realize how connected we all are.

While I have my own beliefs around that... forged out of my Near-Death Experience, I humbly recognize the diversity of viewpoints that we all bring to the table.

So check this out!

Have you ever seen Scientists dig so deep that they've gained a REVERENCE for their craft? Their discoveries don't diminish the illusion, but rather ILLUMINATES the magic.

And how about Religious Believers and Spiritualists that have transcended higher... into NIRVANA and BLISS and RAPTURE... simply by exploring deeper?

So maybe for you there's some Great Unknown waiting beyond the Veil... or maybe this is all we've got... But no matter how you express it, there is a DIVINITY in your Life Force; a magic all its own...

...If you see the wonder in it.
...If you get in touch with it.
...If you experience it first hand
...And if you become Whole with it.

You'll know what I mean when you get there.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, February 28, 2011

Life isn't about what you live WITH, but what you live FOR.

"Life isn't fair."

I hear that a lot.

Sometimes it's from jealousy of someone else's perceived good fortunes; or sympathetic anger at the suffering in the world.

And you're right, it isn't fair.
But it goes beyond common understanding; and doesn't fit neatly into our boxes of Right and Wrong.

It is what it is.

It's important to realize that everyone's got STUFF. For some, it's expensive luggage; for others, just costly baggage.

But whatever it is, it's just stuff that stays with us, as long as we carry it.

It isn't all there is.

Beyond all this 'humanity' that we get caught up in is something that's bigger than all of us combined.

It's PURPOSE.

It's not what you do, or have, or want. It's WHY you do, and have, and want.

It's what pulls you into the future.

And the stronger the force of your purpose, the farther into the future you will go.

So make it a good one... A big one... Bigger than your STUFF.

Only focus on WHAT if you want WHATever. Focus on what FOR if you want to reach FORever.

For you...
Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Every moment gives you 3 choices: Waste, Spend or Invest it. You can only choose one.

Give me a moment to compose myself...
...
...
...
Ahhh, that was good.

The most amazing thing just happened... And is happening again right now!

We're sharing a moment.

Isn't that amazing (when you think about it)?

I have a lot of great moments in my Time. How about you?

I know Time flies and all. Do you ever ride it?

Every moment we live, we have a choice as to what to do with it.

We can waste it or spend it or invest in it... but we can only do one per moment. That's all that'll fit.

But sometimes it's hard to know what we're doing with it. We think we were doing one thing, but then it turned out to be something else?

How do we know?

Simple...

By seeing what comes OUT of that moment.

For every 'unit' of effort you put into the moment, something comes back. If it's 'nothing' then the time was pretty much wasted.

If you get one for one, i.e. You get something out of whatever you're doing... then that's spending your time.

And if you get out more than you put in; well, that's an investment.

Examples of this would be: watching a TV show you don't like (waste!); watching a TV show that entertains or informs you (spend); and watching a TV show that educates you or motivates you into action (huge investment!)

Same Actions, but notice the difference in Results?

Once you pack up the moment, it gets shipped into the Past, so you can see how important it is to use it wisely, right?

If you don't get how important that is... then take another moment.

...

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

To find yourself, stop looking.

Hey, look over there! Did you just see yourself going by? No, maybe you can try looking someplace else.

Still no luck, maybe you should just pick up and move... Or quit everything you've been doing and start over.

You ever notice how that doesn't work very well? That you or someone you know keeps finding the same things over and over, no matter where you go, or who you're with?

Is it that some people are just luckier, smarter, richer, better looking?

Yeah, I know... 'If only' right?

Let me ask you this then... What do you think the chances are of you switching lives with someone else?

Not very likely?

Then why do you live by their standards?

Why do you think their opinions matter more than yours?

Why are you trying to find U in THEM?

Why not see U in UNIQUE?

In UNDENIABLE?

In UNSTOPPABLE?

In YOU?

Stop looking, and instead just BE.

Which, by the way, is the start of something BEAUTIFUL.

Keep the light on,
GuruStu

Friday, February 18, 2011

Inaction is better as two words

I was going to write this 'Seed' yesterday. Do you know why you didn't get it? Because I didn't write it.

That's how powerful inaction is. You do nothing, you get nothing. Amazingly simple, isn't it?

Too bad we don't want for nothing, because then we'd be happy for nothing at all. Unfortunately, when most people get nothing, it's nothing like what they really wanted.

In order to succeed, we need a disconnect. Having 'in' and 'action' together just adds up to nothing.

Turn them into 'in action' and then you're really on to something!

So when you're sitting there with all your pent-up desires, just doing nothing, take them out and put them in action.

Soon you'll discover that something in action is definitely better than nothing inaction!

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, February 14, 2011

Love is the answer. Any questions?

A lot of holidays are filled with Love, but nothing quite shouts it like Valentine's Day.

It's all about Love; and even if you don't have it around, it's certainly on your mind.

But just because Valentine's Day is all about Love, Love isn't just about Valentine's Day.

Love is so much more.

Love, and the absence of Love, has shaped worlds. It is so much a part of the Human Condition.

But if you were to ask a million people 'What is Love?' you'd end up with two million answers and three million more questions.

So keep the answer simple:

Love is.

It may come in the form of a lover, a parent, a child, a friend, a pet, a job or a meal; it'll look different to different people and at different times. But still...

Love is.

It is the answer to everything. That may seem like a cliche, but everything done with Love and in Love, just IS more.

Love may not be the Cure All, but it is the Endure All. It gets us through the rough times and can grow, even when everything else in life is shrinking away.

It is around us, and inside us... In more real ways than words can explain.

Just suffice it to say...

Love is.

And YOU are, too.

Start there.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Thursday, February 10, 2011

If you can't find it, make it.

I once heard a quote that said 'Everything that can be invented has already been invented.' It was supposedly made in 1899.

Well, I verified on the internet, from my wireless cellphone, that both the quote, and the belief behind the quote, are both false. The quote never got said and, well, frankly, the world isn't done yet.

The world is constantly changing, so even if 1899 had everything it needed, today is very different. Tomorrow's going to be different too.

It's there, in the mystery of tomorrow's ever-changing needs, where the door of Opportunity is wide open for YOU.

Look around you... But not at what is THERE. Instead, look for what is NOT there, but should be.

Then go about finding a way to put it there.

Inventing something new, re-invents you. It makes you more valuable (and as I said in previous notes, the more value you give, the more success you can receive).

Now go make the most of today. Tomorrow's going to need it.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Work what works.

It's amazing how many times people keep doing what doesn't work, even when they know that it's obviously not working.

Some people are so superstitious that they think the one time they DON'T do something, would be the one time it actually WOULD work.

Yet some people don't know any better; while others believe that theirs is already the best way. Then there are those that fear change, and others who fear 'work'.

Then it plays out all over again.

'You look great! What's your secret?'
'Diet and Exercise.'
'Oh.'

You don't really need secrets to be successful. You can just follow in the footsteps of other successful people. The only 'secret' is that you actually have to WALK and not just TALK.

So if you're doing something that doesn't work, stop it! Sticking with it only turns it into 'Work'. And if all you get out of it are more excuses, don't just walk... RUN!

But...

If you've discover something that DOES work, either by you or someone else, then get out and 'work it!'

Working what works, works.

And I'm not just saying that.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Don't work for Success. Give Value instead.

My parents worked very hard to instill the virtues of working hard. It didn't work.

Not that they didn't instill that virtue, or that I didn't work hard; it's just that working harder didn't work.
Then I met some really smart people, who told me to 'Work Smarter, not Harder'. It was pretty clever, but it still felt like I was pushing myself out into the world, hoping that someone would really, really like me.

So I decided to look deeper... deeper within myself and deeper into the world. I discovered that the most success doesn't come from hard work or even well intended efforts. Success comes to those who provide the most VALUE to others.

It doesn't matter what you have to SELL; what matters is what others want to BUY.
Sounds pretty simple, huh?

It is... sort of.

It's not just about 'giving the people what they want' cause that's just an insincere form of selling.

It's really about connecting and understanding the needs of others.

It's also about digging deep within yourself, aligning your gifts with those need, and then giving it all you've got.

Become Value-able.

But then don't just give until you've got nothing left... Because then you'll lose that value.

Be open to replenishment. Receive the rewards so that you can come back tomorrow to give some more.

And that, dear one, is my gift to you.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, February 07, 2011

Even if you have limited options, you always have choice.

A lot of people I know like to chat the mantra 'I have no choice' to which I often reply, 'you may have limited options, but you always have choice.'

You see, whenever we say 'I don't have a choice' we're really giving our power away to someone or something else. Some people are afraid to take responsibility, or want to be able to blame someone else later or genuinely believe they are powerless.

Now that doesn't mean that the choice is easy, or that there aren't huge risks associated with that choice. Life comes with consequences. But, but, but... We are still the ones who make the choice.

And yes, yes, yes... I know that thoughts of the criminally insane and hostile third world countries are dancing in your head right now. Sure THEY don't have a choice!

Yeah, sorry, they do.

Their choices may not make sense to us; or may violate the core of our moral being... But choices are made.

I'm not talking about Right vs Wrong, Good vs Evil; I'm talking about the Power of Choice... Something that we all have.

And let's face it, you're thinking about the insane and imprisoned so that you can justify not making your own choices, right?

If you're insane or imprisoned, you're probably not reading this, so I'm talking to YOU... The one who has a sense of Rightness and Goodness and can make Choices, even when others disagree.

So YOU, what's it gonna be? Are you going to continue choosing to not choose... Or are you going to take back your power?

I'll leave that choice up to you.

Keep the light on!
(Which is my choice!!)
GuruStu

Friday, February 04, 2011

Success comes when the dream of tomorrow outweighs the dread of today.

All you have to do is talk to you neighbor about finances or turn on the news for clips of the latest unrest, and you can see how truly dread-full Life can be. There hasn't been a moment in history that you couldn't find some reason to be unhappy.

There also hasn't been a moment in history that couldn't be considered the 'good ole days'.

Life changes when our perspectives change.

It not only changes how we sees things, it changes what we see... And it initiates actions, that eventually changes everything.

Most of Life's biggest changes came when people saw through the dread of the day, and dreamed of something better.

It's the same in our own lives. Whenever we look at our surroundings and our circumstances and think that this is IT, we simply stop trying to achieve a better tomorrow.

It's not something we can 'get over' or hide from. It's something we have to get THROUGH. For it is through today that we reach tomorrow, and it's through the dread that we learn to reach our dreams.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Regift You

This past holiday I played a lot of those 'White Elephant' games. You know the ones, where you try to get rid of all the junk you got the year before. I played it so much that I almost got a gift back!

But that's all in good fun, and not really what regifting is all about. Ideally, regifting is making sure that a gift is giving to someone who will get more meaning and enjoyment out of it.

So what about all those gifts you were given at birth?

Do you have talents that you've been giving to others? Or are you hiding them away, so that no one even knows?

You know that you have those gifts because you're supposed to give and give, then give some more, right?

You know that keeping them to yourself is kind of selfish, right?

And leaves you no room to receive the gifts of others, right?

And you do know that even though the Season of Giving is over, the Reason for Regiving is an every day thing? Right?

Of course you know all this.
Just consider this reminder as my gift.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, January 31, 2011

When you're open to doing good anywhere, you're able to do good everywhere.

Despite what you see on the news, there's a lot more good going on around the world. In small towns and villages, in homes and schools, there are all these amazing acts of kindness that just don't call out for media attention.

I suspect that deep inside you, there's all this good just burning to get out.

It's just that when you see all this craziness that's going on out there, you wonder if your good will ever make a difference. Will one little act really matter?

Yes.

It'll matter more than you know.

It may not mean anything to the editors and the pundits, but that's not really what it's about anyway.

But the world seems to be in so much need, it's hard to know just where to begin, right?

You want to know the right answer?

Right where you are.

Right now.

Just look around for a need and fill it. Doesn't matter how big or small, how random or organized. Doesn't matter if you're the leader or a follower; if you end up with the credit or not.

When you don't have conditions on who and when and where and how and if and only and maybe and some day... that's where your most goodness can do the most good.

When it doesn't matter, that's when it matters the most.

So be open and give openly. When you help anything, you will help everything.

And as always...

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Friday, January 28, 2011

You are a gift but never let anyone put you in a box.

How many people 'get' you, really? I mean, really understand you?

Now how many people THINK they do?

How many people around you think they've got you all figured out? Or think they know you better than you know yourself? Or... Think they know what's BEST for you?

A lot more, huh?

People like to judge. Sometimes to make themselves feel better about themselves; sometimes it's their way of understanding others; and still others do it because you look or act differently than their idea of how the world is supposed to work.

But all too often, they don't wait for a jury before they lock you away in a box.

You don't have to get in.

You don't have to seal it up and put a bow on it and hope that someone else will come along and see you as a gift.

You're already a gift.

People want to open and discard the boxes as quickly as they can, to get to the gift inside. So why not save the time of not even confining yourself in the first place?

And besides, the boxes we carry around much of our lives... aren't real to begin with. We accept them because we want to hide, or think the box is better than we are, or put more value on someone else's judgment of us, rather than embrace our own.

You're amazing just the way you are. You don't need someone else to tell you that.

But if you think you do... If you're waiting for someone to unwrap you for all the world to see... Then here I am.

You're unwrapped.

Your box is gone.

And you're beautiful.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Although They Look Alike At The Beginning, Never Confuse Charisma With Character

People love 'flashion'... The glitz and glamour that take your breath away and dream you were a 'better' person.

Admittedly, we like being impressed. If only for a little while, anyway.

We not only want the sparkle, we demand it... From our movie stars and politician and even some religious leaders. And it's all good, really. Charisma is attractive, even sexy sometimes... And if you've got IT, you've got it!

But...

It isn't the whole picture.

It's as special as a great paint job on your house. Good to have... But it just doesn't reveal what goes on inside those walls.

Like any good gift, it's what's inside that matters. It's Character that drives us, dictates our actions; gets our results.

Charisma might move others, but Character moves us.

As you travel along your growth path, think about who your role models are. Are they dynamic, or dramatic? And think about what you want to achieve out of life... Just make an impression, or actually mold the future?

So go forth and have character, instead of just trying to be one.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Here comes another 'Now'... Did you catch it? OK, try again...

The present moment is so short, but the good news is, there are plenty of them!

I've known quite a lot of people who spend their present moment looking back at all the other wasted presents, or frozen in time, panicked over moments that haven't come.

When our minds are in one time and our bodies in another, that chasm is what separates us from the life we desire.

But it is SO EASY to get back to the present moment.

Just simply throw away both of the notions of past and future. Just get ready for the present to meet you... and don't even worry if you need this moment to prepare for the next one. Just let the moment rush to you and catch its wave.

It really is an amazing ride, being swept up in the moment. There's this surge of energy, this sense of rightness... all because you're IN the moment.

So stop everything that you're doing, and... wait, you're still reading this? OK, finish up and get ready... here comes another one!

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Monday, January 17, 2011

Martin Luther King dreamt when people will be judged by character. I dream when people of character no longer judge.

Martin Luther King Jr wasn't blind to the chaotic world around him, but he chose to look beyond it, with hopeful eyes; believing that one day would be better.

As we look back today, some will think that we've made great progress; others will say it's not enough; while still others will complain we've gotten worse.

And they'd all be right (and maybe a little bit wrong too).

Just the other day my mother remarked about how things were better in the 1970's and I reminded her that her opinion back then didn't agree (cause back then, the 50's were much better).

Ah, the joys of a selective memory!

And yet, if you ask around today, we're either on the verge of a Great Illumination or a Great Annihilation.

You'd probably be right (and wrong) about that too.

In many ways the world hasn't changed at all; it's just has better coverage. Imagine the Nightly News with Attila the Hun coming over the hill or Dancing with the Saxons. What changes most is our perception of the world around us.

What you focus on, you will see. What you let in, you will experience.

It really is about you.

Do you want to see the world as a fearful, hate-driven catastrophy? You can find it. But would you rather see it as a loving, fascinating, joyous place to grow? You can find that too.

It's not about denying that bad things happen. It's believing that we can become better, in order to deny it from happening again.

To change the whole world takes time; to change your world only takes a moment.

So take that moment.

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Friday, January 14, 2011

Winners do quit... They quit procrastinating, blaming others and making excuses.

I always liked the saying "Winners never quit and quitters never win" in context, because it encourages tenacity, persistence and a whole slew of other big words... but then when I've gotten to think about it, I realized that winners DO quit.. they just make better choices.

Quitters quit doing stuff because "It's hard" or "Too much work" or "They won't let me" (whoever those meanies are).

Winners just quit thinking that those are reasons to quit.

Guess what... it IS hard. Life IS unfair. There ARE people trying to stop you and the ARE tons of other people who don't want to help you.

Yuppers.

Guess what... it's also POSSIBLE to go to the moon, and climb the highest mountain and cure the "incurable" diseases. It's possible to find the love of your life in your final days. It's possible to do the very thing everyone else is telling you cannot be done.

Even though it's hard, and unfair, and a lonely uphill battle at times.

Yuppers. That too.

And guess what... it looks a lot easier to do once it's done.

So you have to decide WHAT you're going to quit...

Quit trying?

Quit dreaming altogether?

Or quit thinking that it can't be done?

Or quit thinking that you're not enough?

Or quit thinking that other people deserve it more than you do?

Just quit quitting already!!!

Keep the light on!

GuruStu

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Not everything's going to go as planned. So plan on it.

One of the biggest threats to success is sticking to the plan over the purpose. Plans are great for starting off, and for staying on track, but it's really the route, not the road. There are going to be bumps and detours along the way, that you simply can't plan for. However there ARE things you can plan to bring with you, so that you can handle anything that comes up along the way.

Plan on Focus
Things really go awry when you forget why you're doing this in the first place. All it takes is looking where you're at instead of looking at where you're going... And you'll be lost in no time! So no matter how crazy everything seems at the moment, keep looking at the end goal.

Plan on Determination
Throw in a pinch of disappointment and your dreams can burst like a balloon. Don't just reaffirm what you want, reaffirm your commitment to getting there.

Plan on Flexibility
You can't make it around the bend in the road if you insist on going straight. Staying loose and willing to try new things opens more roads toward your destination.

Plan on Patience
Everything's going to take its time, regardless if you're calm or crazy. Accepting that won't necessarily change the outcome, but it certainly will change your experience getting to it.

Plan on Fun
Laughter has the same power of Release as crying, except without the anxiety. Seeing the humor in every situation actually WILL change the outcome because you won't be making all your decisions based on fear and frustration.

Plan on Learning
Life isn't just about expression, it's also about experience. So don't just get to your destination. Arrive there a better person.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, January 10, 2011

Not living your Self fully is just plain self-ish.

I see SELF as "Seeing Everything Live Fully" ... with every aspect of your Being finding Expression and your Passions bringing you Fulfillment.

Yet how often do we replace joy with a job and triumphs with tribulations?

Do you really think you're given all these wonderful talents and dreams only to realize just a tiny portion of it?

Do you really want to live a life that's smaller than you are?

You see, the farther we get away from our Self Center, the more isolated we feel... and the more isolated we feel, the more we feel the need to grasp at everything on the outside as a means to feel complete.

That's what makes us self-ish.

It's not about wanting more, but rather about wanting to balance this deepening sense of less.

And it's that sense of less that gives us the mistaken impression that we're empty inside.

In fact, we feel "nothing" because we have no feelings about the outside that we're looking at. "Meaning" doesn't come from outside things. Outside things get their meaning from what we project from the Inside; from our Selves.

To get it back, all we have to do is turn our attention inward, beyond the silence, until we hear the tiny whisper of Self waiting to shout out.... to find that little light that will ignite the Fire of Fulfillment.

Living a little life is self-ish.

So become more Self-Centered...

And leave that light on!

GuruStu

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Give Till it Works...

You all know the saying "Give and you shall receive" but how many of you actually know how that works? Or even believe that it does?

It has to do with Balance.

The Universe lives for that stuff.

Whenever it's not busy creating complete chaos, it's working overtime to balance it all out. Kind of like the ocean tides... in... out... high... low... lather... rinse... repeat.

Whenever something is taken from one place, it leaves a void... and that void has to be filled back up. It has to keep moving in order to 'live'.

When all you do is take, the void will often suck back the energy that you took. It won't be in the same form, but it will have the same value. This goes by a number of names... Cause & Effect... Karma... y'know.

Now the fun part is that the reverse balance is also true.

When you give, you also create a void... and that void must be filled with the same value that goes out.

You starting to catch my drift here?

Life rewards VALUE.

Just think about all the things you buy at the store... aren't you drawn to it because of its VALUE to you?

Value is Attractive.

So all this talk about goal setting and visualization are great, but they're just kindling. You ignite the fire by lighting up your VALUE.

Giving off that heat is what works.

So if you haven't been getting all you want in life, don't look around for what you can get... or hold on tight to what you have left... look around for what you can GIVE.

Do that, and you will definitely...

Keep that light on!

GuruStu

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Focusing on everyone else's business blurs your own.

All you have to do is spend a few minutes in a company lunchroom or read the peanut gallery comments of just about every online article and you'll quickly see... people love getting into everyone else's business. Reality shows and gossip magazines; Facebook Pix and the Twitterverse; everyone knows what's going on in someone else's life... but they have no clue what's going on in theirs.

Do you?

Minding other people's business is sometimes obvious, sometimes not. You might think that focusing on the competition is good business, but it can be distracting. Even if they're in your rear view mirror, you ought to spend more time looking ahead than behind.

And then there's your family's business... and your neighbor's business... and the Government's business... and some foreign country's business, even though you can't find them on the map... and... and... and...

When do you ever have any time for minding your own business?

You know that if you don't mind your own business that someone else might just mind it for you... (you know who they are already... they're the ones you want to scream at, "mind your own business!!")

Time is so precious. It's what our lives are made of. Do you really want to give all of yours away to someone else? Do you really think that minding their business is going to really make as big of a difference to them... as minding your own business will do for you?

So take your focus off of everyone else's business, and put it back onto your own dreams and aspirations.

I say this in all sincerity...

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!

Because it matters.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Set your goals beyond what you CAN do, not beyond what you CAN'T

So many people have such lofty goals; and they're all so wonderful. That is, until you ask them what they're going to do to get there. All of a sudden, you get this barrage of Ifs and Can'ts and Buts.

Why do that to yourself?

Why torment yourself with this ideal of amazing achievements only to label it a 'dream' and live a 'reality' full of disappointment, shame and blame?

'Realistic' is anything you bring into Life. Those people who've accomplished really, really big stuff weren't 'lucky'... they just believed in their dreams and didn't let up until their life matched.

Do you know why they can have that life and you can't?

Because you're putting all this distance between you and your dreams... with impossibilities and doubts. Instead of having goals in line with what you're good at, and passionate about, you put it behind everything you're NOT.

And you wonder why your dreams are NOT?

It's the new year... the time we look back at what we've done, and look forward with hope and expectations for a better year. Don't waste your time and effort on shoulda's and coulda's that you just know you're not going to finish.

Focus on what you CAN do... express all that you're good at.

You CAN achieve anything and everything you want... providing it's on the end of the right road.

Happy, successful journey to you.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Monday, January 03, 2011

Don't base your resolutions on what you're going to DO; base them on who you're going to BE!

Now that Resolutions are back in vogue, everybody's making them. Yet, all too often, they're made from flimsy material, so they fall apart by February.

The problem is not in your intention, or even your initial effort. The biggest thing that topples a good Resolution is your approach.

You're focusing on what you should DO.

"I need to go to the gym", "I need to stop smoking", "I need to blah blah blah" and "yadda yadda yadda"... "and, oh yeah, I need to do that too!"

We do what we are... so if you do something you aren't, then it's only a matter of time before you stop DO-ing it.

To have success, focus instead on WHO YOU WANT TO BE.

Instead of saying, "I need to lose ______ pounds", say "I am going to be _____ pounds." (The end result, not the path to it)

Then go about living the life of that person. A person who is ______ pounds doesn't eat that junk food, and they exercise... because they do what they are.

So, you... BE that, and DO that.

And you'll discover the secret to finding a real solution!

Have an awesome year, with the light on!
GuruStu