Lost and Found – a Novel by Ron Rink

Can There Be Hope in Hopelessness?

Here we go with another video. I’m getting a little better at just talking to you and not reading as much, but to be on the safe side, I do have a script so I don’t wander too far off topic. If you don’t want to watch the video, I’ve copied the script below so you can read it.

Here’s a link in case the clip doesn’t work for some reason:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1lN69gnNyo

Have a great and peaceful day — and here goes ….

Can There Be Hope in Hopelessness?

I think a lot about hope these days, don’t you? This world of ours seems to grow darker every day. People are losing jobs all around us — more and more businesses are having to close their doors — wars continue to rage in so many countries — people are losing their homes — How is it possible to look forward to a more positive future with all this going on?

This is a serious question. I’m really struggling to understand how I might be able to restore the feeling of hope — in order to maintain our positive vision for the world. I used to believe that if we worked hard, did our jobs, kept new, good ideas flowing, we’d make a difference. But if people are losing hope that these attributes will work any longer, how can we all keep going?

I read a quote the other day on the Internet by someone named Rudolf Bahro, an activist who lived in West Germany — who, during his most creative years showed an unparalleled knack for glimpsing the future. He said, “When the forms of an old culture are dying, the new culture is created by a few people who aren’t afraid to be insecure.” Isn’t that interesting? Is it possible that insecurity — doubting ourselves — could be a good thing? I’ve read about groundlessness in my study of Buddhist teachings. In fact, I admit to feeling pretty groundless lately myself — but I don’t like the feeling at all.

Then, yesterday evening, I went to a lecture by Michael Dowd, who wrote, “Thank God for Evolution”. Not only did he discuss the concept that out of chaos comes order in his talk last night, he also devotes an entire chapter in his book to this concept. It’s the chapter called, “Beyond Sustainablity: An Inspiring Vision”. In it he says, “We are entering a new phase of awareness and interdependence on a planetary scale …” and, “..unless we take a square look at what could otherwise drive us into despair, authentic and full-bodied hope will elude us.”

What if we change the way we feel about how things will turn out? What if we cease to rely on the certainty that “something” will turn out well, and instead be certain that “something” makes sense no matter how it turns out? What if we learned to lose our fear of insecurity?

In Buddhist teaching we learn that hopelessness is not the opposite of hope — Fear is the opposite of hope! Anytime we hope for something to turn out a certain way, and we work our butts off to make it happen — then aren’t we also introducing fear? Fear of failure. Fear of loss.

However, hopelessness is free of fear and can be liberating in some way. How would we feel if we faced the fact that our work might turn out to be worthless –that it might achieve no result at all — or perhaps result in the exact opposite of what we expected? If we could get used to this idea — if we could begin to concentrate not so much on the results, but rather on the value — the rightness — and the truth of the work, wouldn’t we begin to sense a sort of freedom? Wouldn’t we begin to focus less on the results and more on who we’re doing the work for — the people?

It was Thomas Merton who said, “We are consoled and strengthened by being hopeless together. We don’t need specific outcomes – we need each other.” That quote reminds me of some of the disasters we’ve seen lately. We see how people begin to pull together even though there’s not much going for them. Employers who have lost orders for their products, but still keep their employees on full pay and send them out into the community to help others. Restaurants who offer meals at whatever a person can afford — or in return for helping with the dishes — or waiting on tables — or sweeping the floors. Some of the customers who are not suffering financially, will pay as much as twice what the meal would normally cost. People, many who are hopeless, working together to ease the suffering of others.

Perhaps we should adopt a new way of journeying through this time of increasing uncertainty by accepting groundlessness, hopelessness, and insecurity for what they are. In return we also experience more patience and clarity. And the big plus — we’re all together as we make this journey.

Be well — be in peace…

Ron Rink
===============================================
I believe in meditation! In my meditation I often use what I believe is a powerful aide to deep meditation. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels.
(5) It is the proven path to finding the peace, love and compassion within all of us –

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

=======================================================
Oh, and you can always get a notice of any new blog posts I’m doing or any other goodies by following me on Twitter. Just click here—> http://www.twitter.com/youcould2

Have a healthy and nutritious day!

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

Ron Rink

http://www.buddhistbelief.com
http://www.wecould2.com
http://www.theleaderinside.com
============================================================

Just to Be Alive is Enough!

Here we go with another video. I still don’t have the courage to try to completely ad-lib one of these yet, so I’m using a script so I don’t mess up and do a lot of “uhs” while I’m recording. Hope it’s alright. If you don’t want to watch the video, I’ve copied the script below so you can read it.

Have a great and peaceful day — and here goes ….

Just to Be Alive is Enough!

Just to Be Alive is Enough!

Many of you who may have been following one or the other of my blogs, know how much I advocate for peace. Peace has been a passion in my life for many years — let’s see — I’ve been on the search for peace on earth — and peace in the home — and that wonderful inner peace — for over 50 years now.

In the early 1950’s — during the Korean War, I learned that violence was not the way to solve any problem. And, even to this day, I’m a believer in the old song, “Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let It Begin With Me”.

Now that I’ve reached the mid-point of being in my 70s, I’ve also learned another powerful bit of knowledge — and that is this, — “There is no greater gift — (other than world peace)– than to be grateful for our lives”. There’s another gift that goes right along with being grateful — gratitude leads naturally to generosity because we want to share this gift with others.

So, in today’s video, I would like to do a bit of this sharing with you.

One of the teachings of Buddha (I do follow a Buddhist lifestyle) is about impermanence — It’s this — There is nothing that is permanent — nothing. One example which is most prominent in my life is that I know I’m going to die — everyone will. There is a teaching in Buddhism which says, “Death is certain. The time of death is uncertain.” Since we never know when the time will come, it only makes good sense to reach some understanding of how to live a life we know will end at some point. As I grow my wisdom of this it only makes sense to devote my Buddhist practice to gratitude.

As an integral part of this practice we learn there is nothing we need to get that is not already, right here, right now, at this very moment, in this body and this mind as it is. What a gift this is! Not only is life a gift — and our Buddhist practice a gift — everything we have, without exception, has come to us through the kindness of others.

When I lived in Vermont, I spent some time with one of the Buddhist teachers who lived there. She taught her students a meditation to cultivate gratitude. She asked us to think of everything we thought of as ours, and to consider how these things came to us. Our food, our clothing, our homes, books, tools, our health — she taught us how everything we can think of comes to us through the kindness of others. Even something we may have made with our own hands depends on the tools and materials we used to make it.

And we, through the activities of our lives, are also offering gifts to others. It’s sort of like a dance of giving and receiving which goes on continually. Gratitude and generosity generate each other.

I’d like to end today’s video with this wonderful poem by one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver. It’s called, “Summer Day”.

“Who made the world?
Who made the swan and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean —
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down –
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open and floats away.
I don’t exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, to kneel in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
With your one wild and precious life?”

Be well — Be in peace,

Ron Rink
=======================================================
I believe in meditation! In my meditation I often use what I believe is a powerful aide to deep meditation. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels.
(5) It is the proven path to finding the peace, love and compassion within all of us –

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

=======================================================

Oh, and you can always get a notice of any new blog posts I’m doing or any other goodies by following me on Twitter. Just click here—> http://www.twitter.com/youcould2

Have a peaceful day!

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

Ron Rink

http://www.buddhistbelief.com
http://www.wecould2.com
http://www.theleaderinside.com

How Well Can We See?

Here we go with another video attempt. I still don’t have the courage to try to completely ad-lib one of these yet, so I’m using a script so I don’t mess up and do a lot of “uhs” while I’m recording. Hope it’s alright. If you don’t want to watch the video, I’ve copied the script below so you can read it.

Have a great and peaceful day — and here goes ….

How Well Can We See?

How Well Can We See?

We can only see so much from where we sit in our particular bodies, in the midst of our particular lives, rooted as we are in the continuum of our own space and time.

The universe, on the other hand, is not limited to space or time restrictions, and its wisdom and workings often elude us, especially when we’re trying to make sense of what’s happening in our lives.

This is why things are not always what they seem to be and even the best-laid plans can get all screwed-up. Even when we feel we’ve been guided by our intuition every step of the way, we may find ourselves facing unexpected loss and disappointment. At times like these, we can find some solace in trusting that no matter how bad or just plain inexplicable things look from our perspective, they are, in fact, in perfect order in the universe.

Even as we take our places in our earthly bodies, a part of us remains completely free of the restrictions we face here. Regardless of what is happening in our lives, this universal part of us is always filled with joy and gratitude, connected to the unbroken source from which we come.

Our small self, our ego-self, who is caught up in our false identity, this limited being, regards happiness as the result of things going just the way it wants them to go. It’s this small part of us that suffers the greatest confusion and upset when the logic of events doesn’t seem to compute.

It is to this self that we must extend our unconditional love, forgiveness, and compassion. In order to do this, we tap into our inner universe, where the tenderness within us can extend love and light to our ego — just as a mother extends her love to a troubled child.

There are many ways to access our inner universe, -— among them are meditation, prayer, chanting, channeling, and conscious breathing, to name a few. It’s helpful to develop a regular practice that provides us access to this all-powerful, healing presence. This presence can be difficult to reach once we’re in a stressful position, especially if we have’t already established a connection.

The more connected we are with this part of ourselves, the more we share its unlimited vision and the secure, knowing that all the things of our life, no matter how they appear, are in a state of divine and perfect order.

Be well — Be in peace,

Ron Rink
=======================================================
I believe in meditation! In my meditation I often use what I believe is a powerful aide to deep meditation. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels.
(5) It is the proven path to finding the peace, love and compassion within all of us –

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

=======================================================

Here we go with another video attempt. I still don’t have the courage to try to ad-lib one of these yet, so I’m using a script so I don’t mess up and do a lot of “uhs” while I’m recording. Hope it’s alright. If you don’t want to watch the video, I’ve copied the script below so you can read it.

Have a great day — and here goes ….

How would you like to JUST BE for a While?

Hi folks, it’s Ron Rink and I’m going to try another video about something I’m thinking about today. I’d like to ask you to think along with me …

What would it be like to just “BE” for awhile?

Have you ever noticed how you feel after you’ve achieved a goal or learned an important lesson or had some sort of big breakthrough? You feel this sense of great elation — you’re ready to jump up and throw your arms in the air and tell the world. But then, a few hours later a letdown seems to happen. Maybe it’s an adrenaline thing, I don’t know, but something seems to happen to make us feel a bit crappy!

It’s that in-between time — the time right after you have your moment of success and before you move on to the next thing. During this time of transition you might have some uncertainty about where to turn next. Many people, during the pause between achievements, begin to wonder what their life is all about. These feelings are common and strike everyone from time to time. We’re all human beings — and we’re inclined to be active creatures — we feel best when we’re working on a project or vigorously pursuing a goal.

I know about this — I’m one of those creatures who doesn’t feel comfortable unless I’m actively working on something. I have been learning something these past few weeks though, and it’s a lesson I’ didn’t sign up for. I’m talking about what a health change can do — the sort of surprise it can bring to your life. I’ve had to slow down from my usual pace. I’m not able to put in the long hours any more. Plus, within the next week or so I’m going to have some surgery done which will force me to stay away from my work for several days, at least, if not longer.

What I’m discovering with this unforeseen lesson is this — there’s not a darn thing wrong with spending a day, a week, or even a month simply existing and not having a plan of action. I’m learning that it’s perfectly okay to — “just be”. I know myself well enough to know I’ll be embarking on something new in the very near future.

Maybe you’re also one of those folks who want to jump right onto the next project as soon as you finish the current one. However, when your next step is unclear, you may feel frustrated, disconnected, or even suffer a mild depression.
This is when you need to calm down. (I’m talking to myself here too, folks!) If you’re the sort of person who wants to grow in life, you will continue to grow even if you’re not involved with some project in particular.

This is thinking-time — You may also find that in simply “just being” and going through the motions of everyday life, you reconnect with your priorities in a very organic, unforced way.
As some of you know, I follow a Buddhist lifestyle. One of the things we Buddhists do a lot of is meditation. We practice our meditation every day with the purpose of being more mindful of what is happening in every moment. For some, this mindful pause can be a period of reflection that helps them understand how their life has unfolded. For others, it can be a period of adjustment, where new values are integrated into our daily lives.
The stage between your journeys can become a wonderful period of relaxation that will prepare you for the path that will inevitably be revealed to you.

Be well — Be in peace,

=======================================================
I believe in meditation! In my meditation I often use what I believe is a powerful aide to deep meditation. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” – then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels.
(5) It is the proven path to finding the peace, love and compassion within all of us –

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

=======================================================

============================================================
Got questions?

Contact me at: http://www.ronrink.com

My email and phone number are at that site. Feel free to contact me. I’m here to help you with your health, nutrition and fitness goals.

Oh, and you can always get a notice of any new blog posts I’m doing or any other goodies by following me on Twitter. Just click here—> http://www.twitter.com/youcould2

Have a healthy and nutritious day!

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

Ron Rink

http://www.buddhistbelief.com
http://www.wecould2.com
http://www.theleaderinside.com
============================================================

I figured all you folks out there who read my blog each week could use a short break from the series I’ve been writing about stress. I’d like to use this week’s posting to tell you about the wonderful lineup of films for May, 2008, (see the descriptions below) with the Spiritual Cinema Circle. This is a great time to think about joining me in this great program. It’s especially great because this is the month where we celebrate Mother’s Day. What a wonderful gift this could be for your Mom. Just think, fresh new films every month — that she can keep. This could be the gift that keeps on giving, month after month.

And just think — when Mom’s finished watching the films, she might even decide to share them with you!! Isn’t that a great deal.

I hope you’ll take a look at the offerings for May, 2008, and find out what an amazing program this is. Just click this button to learn more.

Here’s another thing to think about for any of you who have joined me in the Eckhart Tolle series of webinars on the Internet.

Are you inspired by Eckhart Tolle’s book A New Earth? Then you’ll love the enlightening and inspiring entertainment from Spiritual Cinema Circle. Join today and receive your first DVD FREE.

Here are the offerings for May, 2008 ….

Three-Fifty: This hilarious short film takes us into the world of two video store clerks who are tired of people arguing over late fees and a little nervous about keeping their customers loyal in the age of digital downloads.

Body and Soul; Diana and Kathy: In the most touching documentary the SCC has ever had the privilege to program, we meet Diana and Kathy, activists, best friends, two parts who make a whole. They met almost 40 years ago in a home for the physically and mentally challenged and have been taking care of each other ever since while fighting for rights for those with disabilities. You will never forget these two incredible women and the difference they’ve made on the planet.

Feathers to the Sky: Filmed in Uruguay, this beautiful short film depicts a young girl, living with her disabled grandfather, who is forced to sell `feathers’ (dyed marsh weeds) to support them both while she dreams of going to school with the other children in the village.

And, here is the feature film for May, 2008. Guarding Eddy. It’s a beautiful story and one that is sure to live in your heart and mind for some time.

Guarding Eddy: This touching feature is based on the true story of 18 year-old Eddy Patterson, an autistic sports fanatic who dreams of playing pro-basketball. After running away to Los Angeles, Eddy lands in a homeless shelter where he meets pro-player Mike Jeffreys, who had given up on his own dream of the NBA because of a knee injury. The two men teach each other important lessons while discovering real friendship and a rebirth of possibility in their lives. A beautiful story that reminds us that we all face our challenges no matter how talented we seem to be, and we can all use a little help to stay on track.

Just click on any of the photos for the films — or the banner below to learn more about how you can become a part of the Spiritual Cinema Circle for yourself, or as a gift for your Mom this Mother’s Day.

Thanks for letting me interrupt our regular weekly series. I’ll be back next week with our regular article. Don’t know if I’ve finished with stress yet, but I’ll sure come up with something healthy. Have a great week.

Be Well — and Be in Peace,

Ron Rink