The Best of Staying Awake Ezine 2004

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JULY 2004

The Wisdom in Rhythms
by David Moorhead

A quieter, intimate message

How many times can you remember glancing at a digital clock when the numbers you saw were someone's birth date? Once a good friend asked me, "Why in the world would that be important?" As many average American males would soon respond, "I dunno." Then, I went on after a quick second thought, "But, what is happening that I would even notice, time and again?"

The clock thing is such an unusual and rarely considered example of intention that I have to share... 1022 is a significant birth date, which, to this day and with some frequency, shows when I glance at a digital clock. Are those glancing moments wrapped in wisdom? Yes, wisdom swarms!

The method is the message

You are likely wondering how 'wisdom in rhythms' is expressed with the clock scenario? If you have an affinity for rhythm like me, think back on your favorite "ah-Ha!" experience, pondering what unseen method synchronized all those ideas and feelings.

Let's call that method, rhythm, and, for the moment, I will go so far to say the reoccurrences of rhythms provide wisdom, a remarkable comprehension of aliveness and discernment and foresight. Here's why...

I am guessing most of us have been trained to focus on what we can gain from someone's message or product or program instead of emphasizing that energetic moment when a message begins its dance with our conscious. Don't you feel good or affirmed when a message hits the spot? I vote for distinguishing rhythm as the obvious message of wisdom vs. our merely hallowed language.

Ohmygoodness! Speaking of synchronicity! At this VERY moment, I was not casually nudged to glance, but my eyes were sharply directed to look at the digital clock here on my desk, and you guessed right. It shows 1022 –- are you bahleeeevin’ that?!

That sense of deliberate direction was a perfect example of rhythms' movements. Yes, this writing is affirmed. If you could see me panting in delight; my fingers are typing at warp speed!

Familiar rhythms

It seems we Earthlings are working overtime these days in our collaborations with one another (and with animals, too). With all the tools for gleaning information, including the Internet, humans are able to crawl into the picture of what is happening, planet-wide. An instant empathy for the rhythms of all life forms and a monitoring of Earth's rhythmic changes can keep our conversations astute, if we choose.

We are able to acknowledge with one another, as never before, that observance of the collective human consciousness observing itself on Earth. Amazing! With a round of heart-felt applause, let's recognize the bounty of the built-in rhythms for :::

• ocean waves

• trees swaying

• children's hugs

• our dancing feet

• a sunrise, a sunset

• our heart beat, pulse

• our applauding hands

• sleep and being awake

• the full and new moons

• barking dogs, cats' meows

• the humming of a loved tune

• a newsletter delivered on time

• the flap of wings by birds in flight

• complicated mathematical formulas

• the special parking spot at the mall

• the preparation of a meal or a fine bread

• our feet hitting the ground while exercising

• a deep conversation with a long-time friend

• something well deserved unexpectedly arriving in the mail box

• fingers patting the steering wheel in rhythm to the radio music

"Surprise!"

An abounding grand intelligence, which we humans are part of, swarms creation, and is capable of feeling jazzed by sensing playfulness in us. We cannot help but manifest out of our potent intentions into our own shameless "Surprise!" When you see that word (pronounced: surrrpryeeeezah), it’s fun to raise your eyebrows and lower your jaw as if your best friend had just dazzled you with a perfect gift.

Manifestations are about "Surprise!" Synchronicities are about "Surprise!" Serendipities are about "Surprise!"

We humans and plants and animals, literally all things, already held quietly quivering tendencies for beauty, wisdom, rhythm, and playful "Surprise!" at the moment of their inceptions.

A digital clock has surprisingly become an elegantly playful and wise work of art, because I sometimes get nudged to notice when it displays my birth date. What fun! I am alive, and staying awake!

AUGUST 2004

Thoughts by David Moorhead

People are truly reaching out to be heard! Is there any wonder some two million Internet users deliberately seek out like-minded voices at a particular web site, routinely? And, that's spotting only one politically active company.

Many ideas don't make the conventional, wide-spread broadcasts until an exponential factor occurs. Just today, I read another professional's current newsletter in which she referred to the synchronicities revealed by her coaching clients.

So, I am guessing more people are intentionally seeking deep conversations with those who demonstrate an empathetic understanding of life's possibilities, and are seeking how those potentials can be readily designed into one's personal and professional environments. One realm open for this kind of energetic balance and satisfaction is, what we call at this time, coaching.

Staying Awake intentionally observes those subtle signaling moments that may point to transformation of (collective) awareness, and relies on wisdom to reveal insights for a redesign of thoughtful environments. I just made that up, and you have the idea, eh?

Rippling Rhythms

You may have read in other Staying Awake newsletters, this writer's periods of routine and quietness are unexpectedly interrupted by rippling rhythms or gentle pulses of, what I can only call at the moment, awareness whether here at the computer, exercising, reading in bed, taking a shower, meditating, or washing pans in the kitchen sink.

Gentle "Surprise!"

On more than one day, I have ended a sentence here on the computer's keyboard at just the moment a sound came through the speakers notifying me an email had arrived. "Surprise!"

While washing a few dishes and listening to Mozart, the movement of laying the clean plate into its place on the shelf was the exact moment the musical piece ended. "Surprise!"

Here's one more. At just the moment I turned on the car radio, a long-ago employer was reporting her illness to the listening audience. I was saddened to hear the concerns, but to have turned on the radio at just that certain moment leaves me more than just aware. "Surprise!"

Reporting Rhythms

If you wish ::

• Intentionally state that you want to notice the gentle synchronous expressions (which may be already happening around you)

• When you have noticed one of those moments, write it down with date and time, and, when you have a few written into your journal...

• Call a friend with whom you feel comfortable revealing your rhythmic evidences*

• Enjoy yourself, and stay awake for a subtle, unexpected empathy.

*Scientific Signals :: The space weather and earth science communities are observing our sun's flares bending and weakening Earth's electromagnetic field, our protective cocoon, as well as theorizing how those flares might affect Earth's north-south poles. I would presume from my experience that human collective consciousness might be noticing the quickening of subtle synchronous moments that deepen sensibilities and curiosities and stresses.

SEPTEMBER 2004

Thoughts by David Moorhead

Several weeks ago, after watching Bill Moyers' NOW production on PBS, I felt the quiet nudge to leave the television on loudly enough to hear any program announcements in the background during my reading assignments.

Voila! To my surprise, PBS announced the showing of the 1962 movie, The Manchurian Candidate, which I had never seen, and had only a vague, curious sense of the intrigue starring Lawrence Harvey.

Almost instantly, I remembered the unlanguaged nudge with a glee that spread over my chest, really! I halted for a moment, and closed my eyes to relish it.

That movie alerts us to the 1969 film, The Mad Woman of Chaillot, starring Katharine Hepburn. Both films unconceal surreptitious intentions between international systems about which I have been not so quietly curious.

My intentions had manifested ::: not only are both films fine cinema, captivating me with popcorn and soda, the plots show...

Anything Is Possible

Expecting wisdom

There is a fascinating line spoken by Hepburn in the movie above. When her character was asked, "What do you plan to do?" she replied, "Don't anticipate the past." Katharine's character didn't wish to divulge the plot; she wanted the other characters ... and us viewers ... to observe its unfolding drama.

Remembering the past but declining to anticipate or expect its replication is part of wisdom. Yes, I know, some spiritually minded people champion the idea of having no expectations, to joyfully live in the unknown, and that is a good practice, too. However, from my experience, I am free of all expectations only on good hair days!

Let's intend ... expect ... wise discernment, making lots of room for an expected "Surprise!" manifestation, too.

Celebrating energy

Staying Awake newsletter materialized from undeniable, periodic experiences of stunning manifestations. Of course, what has come up is the nebulous idea of taking on responsibility for whatever manifests. Golly...

What about those happenings that don't feel so good? Once we label manifestations as baffling, painful, or socially unacceptable experiences, sometimes we would rather make them secrets than to bring them into conversation ... sometimes, to save face, we sufficiently upgrade how we want to speak of them before we do.

A quick dash ... an instant ... of extreme self-compassion can be a remarkably powerful expression, spoken or not, especially during these years of Earth's energetic evolution.

Playing Spin the Cosmic Bottle for spotting reasons or purposes of seeming unfortunate experiences has its advantages. But, I say celebrate the energy that displays manifestations and their elegant timing, first. A whole different spin is then put on the game.

Imagining possibilities

One sunny, breezy afternoon at the free-spirited age of 16, I was strolling down the open-aired corridor between two buildings that were part of the church facilities where my mom worked. I don't recall the thoughts leading to this one, but I instantly interpreted the sensation as, 'Nothing is impossible with the mind.'

I also remember feeling shocked with the message although I didn't fall down in my tracks as the Apostle Paul has been reported doing (for a different reason!).

As we observe the challenges Earthlings have engaged these days, it is easy to imagine anything is possible.

Staying awake to manifestations around us and the interpretations we give them are ways we show ourselves to ourselves.

January — March, 2004
April — June, 2004
July — September, 2004
October — December, 2004

Our constant curiosity is key
to watching what’s being created.
~ David Moorhead