Living In My Own World

Jerusalem Hug Second Time Around: June 24, 2008

When I wrote about last year’s Jerusalem Hug and posted a video about about it, little did I expect the Hug organizers to approach me about making a video promo for tomorrow’s upcoming Hug.

What an honor!

It was such an amazing experience last year that I was excited about having an opportunity to spread the word out to more people. I even volunteered to open a MySpace page for the Hug… (Add us as a friend!!)

So, yes, this amazing event will take place tomorrow, June 24, in Jerusalem. Join thousands of Jews, Muslems, Christians.. (wait, f*ck labels).. PEOPLE.. as we hold hands around the Old City.

It is an event you will never forget, that I can guarantee.

As for the video promo I made, check it out below and let me know what you think:

Tel Aviv Turns Off the Lights for Earth Hour 2008

For the first time in history, Tel-Aviv will be representing Israel in the global Earth Hour 2008 and turning off the lights for one hour of energy-free bliss.

Unfortunately, as we have yet to hear about separation of church and state, let alone separation of church and globe, due to the Jewish Sabbath, Tel Aviv will kicking off the project one day earlier than the rest of the world: tomorrow, Thursday March 27, between 8pm to 9pm.

(Note to self: focus on the positive side…)

So yes, Israel is taking action, action long overdue, but action nonetheless.

Bottom line is, I dont care who you are, where you will be, what important things you’ll need to be doing.. tomorrow night please, please, please do us all a favor and:

TURN OFF THE GODDAMN LIGHTS!!!!

Thank you.

Stroke of Insight: Neuroanatomist Finds Heaven on Earth (VIDEO)

Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists could wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke.

As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment.

This is one of the most powerful stories I have ever heard of recovery and awareness — of how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

A mind-blowing story of a scientist who breaks down the barriers of science and discovers our immediate access to Heaven on Earth:

(Recorded February 2008 in Monterey, California. Duration: 18:44.)

SOURCE

UPDATE:

Check out Jill Bolte Taylor’s book about her experiences below:

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey

***

“Children of AIDS” Born with New DNA?

It’s happening: the evolution of our consciousness, our reality… the evolution of ourselves.

Most of you may have heard of Indigo Children… but did you know there are two more types that are being born?

It is official; the mind, the heart, and the body are evolving.

Here is an interesting interview I found:

Interview with Drunvalo Melchizedek
By Diane Cooper

Diane: So Drunvalo…who are these “Children of the New Dream” that you are so excited about?

Drunvalo: Well there are 3 different kinds of children emerging in the world today that I have been able to identify. The first are called the “Super Psychic Children of China”. The second are called the “Indigo Children” and the third are called the “Children of AIDS”.

The first one, the “Super Psychics of China”, we talked about in the Flower of Life seminars. If you remember, the first one was discovered in 1984 when a child was found who was psychic beyond belief. Researchers conducted every psychic test you could imagine and he was 100% correct every time. You could turn cards over in another room and that didn’t matter. He could perfectly know what was on the card.

So Omni magazine went to China and wrote an article on this discovery. They found one child and then another. When they went in 1984 they assumed it was a hoax so they did experiments like putting 100 kids in a room and taking a book and randomly pulling out a page. They would crumple it up and stick it under their arm. These kids could read every word on the page. They did test after test, and the response was flawless. The phenomena didn’t stop there. These kids are not just in China. They have spread all over the world. I personally have been talking to parents who ask me, “…what do we do.. I have a kid who knows everything?” I believe Lee Carroll is calling the children being born here in the U.S. “the Indigo Children”. I personally think the two groups are coming from the same source, however, I don’t know that for sure. There appears to be two separate groups, incredibly psychic and amazing.

It is the third group that I am most interested in - the Children of AIDS. About 10 or 11 years ago in the US, there was a baby born with AIDS. They tested him at birth and at 6 months and he tested positive for AIDS. They tested him a year later and he still tested positive. Then they didn’t test him again until he was 6, and what was amazing is that this test showed that he was completely AIDS free! In fact, there was no trace that he ever had AIDS or HIV whatsoever! More »

Carnival of Inspiration and Motivation (Third Edition)

One of my posts, Dance Like Nobody Is Watching, was selected for the blog Carnival of Inspiration and Motivation.

This is my first time participating in such a carnival and from what I understand, it can be a very helpful tool to reach more readers and attract more traffic to my blog so I’m pretty excited.

Apparently the carnival was extremely successful and drew in about 110 posts. It just goes to show you how many bloggers out there are changing the world one post at a time!

So clear a few hours from your busy busy life, check out the participating blogs and get ready to be inspired!

Collectively Changing the World One Post at a Time

I’ve been planning on doing something like this for a while, and finally - here it is!

Introducing the launch of a new site I started for bloggers and their readers called ChangePerPost.com.

What it’s about:

ChangePerPost gathers recent blog posts from bloggers around the world on topics that encourage personal, social, spiritual, environmental and global change - and offers a place where we can all spread our messages collectively.

Here’s the deal:

Millions of boggers out there are writing posts every day about important issues that affect our life, our planet and humanity itself.

I recently noticed many bloggers, including myself, who claim they are trying to make a difference in this world “one post at a time”, and yet they often wonder “how much of a difference can one blogger really make?”

Well the truth is that every blogger out there is making a difference, whether to an audience of thousands or to one random stranger who just happens to come upon their post just as he or she needs to hear it most.

This new website was born out of 3 main purposes for both bloggers and their readers:

• To help readers discover new and inspirational blogs out there and help them to get an overall view of all the latest published blog posts from around the world.
• To offer a place where bloggers can promote their blogs and posts in an environment more fit for these types of subjects and to help attract more traffic to their blogs.
• To open our eyes and raise our awareness to new ideas and information which have the power to change our lives and our world as we know it. In other words: To raise our global awareness and consciousness one post at a time.

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something. And that, after all, is where the real magic lies.

We are all in this together and together, we can make a difference.

Check out ChangePerPost.com now!

When Was the Last Time You Skipped?

What do you mean ’skipped?’

You know….SKIPPED!

The hippity hoppity gallop that came naturally to us as children, but that the majority of adults haven’t done since they were ten…SKIPPING!  

Like Dorothy and the gang did arm in arm down the yellow brick road….SKIPPING! 

As in expressing joy by leaping happily down the street without a care in the world??

There have been times when I have snuck in a little skipping as I walked down the street (though on the rare occasions that it happens it is usually because I’m so gitty with joy and full of energy that I swear I can’t control myself.)

And whenever it happened to me, it always felt so good, so natural… so RIGHT!  

But then, of course, I force myself to stop because I feel like I’m doing something illegal… Like it’s illegal for a grown person to skip!

Which made me question: Where did it all go wrong???

Well according to one website:

Skipping down the road is something that is surprisingly challenging for most adults to do.

In order to do so, you must be willing to let go of your fears about what other people think about you. You must defeat your own inner critic that says “People will think you are crazy” and choose to let your childlike spirit have some fun.

If you can find the courage to do so regularly, you will be amazed at the feeling of freedom it can bring to your life. When the judgment of others is no longer an issue, magical things can happen.

I skipped into the living room and asked my husband when was the last time he had skipped…

He couldn’t remember!!!

So, how about you?

Children of Israel: I Was Proud of You Last Night

Last night I attended the massive rally that took place at Rabin square in Tel Aviv with my sister, an English teacher at an Israeli high school. Despite minimal promotion and a Euro 2008 game against Russia that was broadcasted at the exact same time  (Israel won 2:1, by the way), more than 100,000 people showed up to show their support for the teachers’ strike currently taking place in Israel (tomorrow entering into its 40th day).

As you may know, some of the changes the teachers are demanding include the following:

1. smaller classrooms (25 children in a class as opposed to a whopping 40)
2. longer school hours (that’s right, the teachers want to add the school hours that have been cut recently due to budget cuts, and give the children the comprehensive education they deserve.)
3. higher salaries (my sister holds a Masters Degree, devotes all her time - both at school and after school hours - and devotion to her students, while trying to juggle a family of 3 kids.. and still earns significantly less than most people she knows. Even those who barely have a high school degree.
4. better teachers (Too many teachers today are bitter, lazy or impatient.  And unfortunately, with salaries like that, some of the best, most intelligent, most devoted teachers are often forced to change careers in order to make ends meet.) 

And so I came to show my support along with the rest of you. 

I was there: I saw you. All of you. Not only the teachers, but the students, the parents, the grandparents, the musicians who came to perform. I saw your devotion and I felt your hope for a better world. I saw people who were willing to put everything else aside and fight (I use this term lightly, because there was no anger or violence) for what they believe in.

And most of all, I saw you, the children.

I saw you showing up in masses on a Saturday night to hang out with your teachers and support them in what they deserve.  I heard your powerful speeches as you represented your schools, your generation and the generations to follow.  I saw you holding signs, singing songs and speaking out.

I saw the unconditional love that you carry in your hearts, and I know how tough that is growing into a society that is constantly under stress or conflict.

I saw a generation of children that are here to make a change. A generation that is willing to take a stand and BE the change that they want to see in the world.

YOU have the power to make a difference.  And you know it.

You are all beautiful souls, and I believe in you; each and every one of you.  Our future, the future of this country, lies in your hands. And for that, I am so grateful. Really, I am. Because I know that you are not going to put up with the way things are much longer. And not just as far as education is concerned but regarding every other change you wish to see in your future.

You are a kick-ass generation and I am proud of you.

At one point, as the thousands of children danced, smiled and sang along to one of the many famous artists who volunteered for this cause, my sister turned to the kids and said to me:

“Look at them… They’re amazing. That’s why I want to be teacher. There is nothing in the world that I would rather do more.”

Originally posted on OneJerusalem

Where the Hell is Matt? Tel Aviv, Israel!

YouTube legend Matt Harding (aka Where The Hell is Matt) dropped by at Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv to film his Israeli fans dancing for his third YouTube clip.

For those who still dont know Matt’s story, here’s a rundown:

A few years back, Matt decided to screw everything, quit his 9 to 5 day job working with computer games and travel around the world. A friend of his came up with the idea to film Matt doing his ‘unique’ dance at every location they went to and made the first ‘Where the Hell is Matt’ video clip. The clip was an overnight Youtube success, which quickly got a chewing gum company called Stride to make Matt the following offer (more or less):

“Plan another trip around the world, anywhere you want, all expenses paid by us, and make a second clip for YouTube. All we want in return is that you write ‘Thank you to Stride’ at the end of the clip.”

Matt agreed. (Duh, you think?)

And so here he is in the heart of Tel Aviv, filming yet another clip around the world, explaining how it is gonna work and demonstrating his infamous dance to the delight of the participants.

For the record, Matt was charming and friendly (even in the scorching sun) and it was a pleasure making a fool out of myself for him:

Click pics to enlarge:

Matt hands out Stride Gum bracelets to participants after they sign the release form:

Matt sneaks a peek at the camera before his girlfriend starts filmimg:

Us:

You can see more videos from the event on Ynet (Im the girl in the close-up being blinded by the sun) and NRG.

Among the people who showed up for the Tel Aviv event were the ‘Hey Girls’ (two Israeli girls whose “Hey clip” on YouTube actually surpassed Matt’s by about 8 million views).

This month alone, Matt has already managed to shoot his infamous dance in Portugal, France, Belgium, Sweden and now, Israel.

The final product is said to be up and running on the web in a couple of months.

Thanks, Matt, for spreading the love.

Paris Hilton: A New Spiritual Leader is Born

Barbara Walters reported on a telephone call she had with Paris Hilton a few days ago. Paris told Barbara that she’s had some sort of spiritual awakening and when she gets out she wants to devote herself to different charities and use her so-called ‘power’ of fame for better causes.

Paris said, “I used to act dumb. It was an act. And that act is no longer cute. I do not want to be that person for the young girls that looked up to me. I am 26 and it’s a different time. God has given me this new chance.”

She said her spiritual advisor told her, “My spirit or soul did not like the way I was being seen and that’s why I was sent to jail. God has released me.”

She also said that she has been reading The Power of Now… as have I.

***

Ok, so before you’re too quick to judge:

• It is not uncommon for strong, powerful, successful people to realize that there is more to life than material abundance.

• Celebrities tend to realize this even faster because they have already been exposed to the ultimate fantasy most people have been trying to get to (not just the money and “perfect life”, but also the admiration or recognition that all humans tend to long for) and yet that still doesn’t ‘make them happy’. And so they quickly start searching for answers.

• It is very common for all people to undergo some sort of spiritual revelation when they encounter an event in their lives that really shakes them up. For most people that can be losing their job or getting in an accident, while for people used to getting everything they want in life that could be going to jail (even for a short period).

• I think there comes a time in life when everyone has this spiritual revelation. Hopefully, this happens to you before death. There’s not much point in reincarnation if you STILL don’t know who you are.

• Paris, of course, would not be the only one realizing this. People seem to be waking up wherever you go. These past years and the ones following are leading into the next stages of evolution: trancending the mind.

• If a woman like Paris “awakens”, someone who has such a huge influence on our younger generation (whether you like that or not) and the money or “power” to make a difference, then she can help reach that many more people, taking us one leap closer to the critical mass necessary for the next stages of human consciousness. Now THAT’s Hot.

This is a video of what Barbara Walters had to say about their phone conversation (try to ignore the annoying interruptions of those who haven’t quite “gotten it” yet:

Im interested to see how this will unfold when she gets out…

Free Hug Anyone? Going Once, Going Twice…

In the midst of a typical Tel Aviv day, 3 regular people, just like you and me, set out to make a difference. They had no secret agenda - they just wanted to get out there and hug someone, believing that it will make us all feel a lot better, and make the world a little brighter.

As one of the girls who participated in the “Free Hug Campaign” wrote in her blog (it was originally in Hebrew, so this is a loose translation):

What made me sad was that the people who seemed to “need it most” were the ones who ran away to the other side of the street or interrogated us about which political party we were representing, or what we where selling, or what we wanted. It hurt to see the suspicion in their eyes, that we only wanted to give them a hug, nothing more and nothing less… that we weren’t going to hurt them.

And then there were those who said that they “didn’t have time” to stop for a hug or that they “already hugged at home” or those who simply shrugged and said “What for?”

I respected the girl who shook her head from a safe distance and said “Sorry, I have trust issues…” or the guy who told me, “I’m too shy”. Others hugged us in pantomime from a distance or declared that they were hugging us “in theory”.

But there were amazing moments such as hugging a little girl that her father brought to me, or one beautiful girl that I guess really needed that hug because she simply started crying as if we were sent to her from heaven. There were also some tired, old ladies who were suddenly brought back to life and started hugging and laughing, a guy who got out of his car for us, a few who got off their bikes, some who came back several times and some who even came back and brought some friends.

What can I say: it opened my appetite for more…

My hat goes off to these people; it takes alot of guts to hug random strangers. But when you see the smiles on the faces of the recievers, you understand what little it takes to make the world around us a better place. A true inspiration:

By the way, all this is inspired by this dude in Sydney who gives away free hugs. The cops banned him, until a massive petition brought him back.

Jerusalem Hug - Pics and Video Footage - May 21, 2007

Last Monday afternoon, what seemed like thousands of people gathered in one big hug of love around the Old City of Jerusalem.

Most of the day, starting from around 12 noon, people of all religions, all “types”, young and old (I’m talking from infants to some incredibly adorable elders who appeared to be in their 80’s or even 90’s), gathered on the luscious, green lawn of Hutzot Hayotzer in preparation for the historic event. Those hours of preparation proved to be no less mystical and significant than the “Hug” itself. It was sort of like Woodstock all over again (only minus the hundreds of thousands of people and the hallucinative drugs).

These people didn’t need the drugs. Some of them were on that “natural, spiritual high” that you hear so much about and can only dream of one day reaching: true ecstasy from a higher level of consciousness - while all the rest were simply high on life. Most of the hours were spent making music, singing, dancing, meditating, practicing capoeira, laughing, smiling and just plain and simple “being”. Oh, and there was hugging. Lots and lots of spontaneous hugging everywhere I looked.

Love was truly in the air. And so was peace, enlightenment and a true and passionate hope for a better world.

Of course, the police were all prepared for the event and were circling the area with weapons in hand. But they, too, were occasionally caught smiling to themselves, observing the serene moment, only to catch themselves in time and keep “doing their jobs”.

At around 5:00 pm, we all set out to circle the Old City, following the beats of the drums which led us, and gathering curious pedestrians along the way. Im not going to get into the Hug itself because no words can describe the sensation you get when you suddenly find yourself One with the people around you, One with the ancient historic walls, One with the world, One with the Universe… One with God. You just simply cannot describe that kind of silence.

A U.S. Capitol Miracle?

On March 25, James Twyman and representatives from Communities of Peace (www.communitiesofpeace.org) gathered on the west lawn of the US Capitol to commemorate the Season For Non-Violence. During the ceremony a mile long quilt called “The Children’s Cloth of Many Colors” was laid on the grass in the form of an enormous peace sign. The quilt was there for no more than one hour and was then removed.

The next morning a call was received by the Capitol Police asking why there was a peace sign blazed into the grass. In fact, the grass where the quilt lie was greener and longer than the rest of the lawn. The response from around the world has been extraordinary. Please help us spread the word of this miracle. For more information please read the attached emails from James reporting the incident.

Below are two emails from James Twyman with more information:

MIRACLE at the US Capitol

A Letter From James Twyman:

A miracle took place yesterday at the US Capitol during our peace concert in Washington, DC. I was informed about this only moments ago through a phone call from the Capitol Police Department and knew it was important to spread the word as quickly as possible. I hope you’ll pass this email to as many people as possible throughout the world. We also hope to receive photos of the miracle to post on my website, www.jamestwyman.com.

I believe that this miracle is a sign from Heaven. In fact, the Capitol Police are threatening to charge us to pay for the removal of the sign which appears on the west lawn of the building facing the Washington Monument.

Here’s the story:

Eight years ago I initiated a peace project called the Cloth of Many Colors, a mile long quilt made up of millions of small swatches of cloth donated from around the world. It was presented at the UN, The US Capitol and the Pentagon in September of 2000, then around the world at many international peace gatherings. While at the Capitol the idea was born to create a children’s version of the quilt, an idea that was successfully headed by the Master’s Group, an organization in the Washington area. The Children’s Cloth of Many Colors is now nearly as long as the original quilt.

During a concert and ceremony held on the lawn of the US Capitol yesterday it was decided to use the Children’s Cloth to create an enormous peace sign, one that would be clearly visible for many miles. The symbol was soon completed and the ceremony held within. We could feel the energy radiating from the peace sign, and we shared many prayers asking for humanity to turn toward peace and a world based upon the laws of compassion and love.

There was no way for us to know just how powerful our prayers of peace were!!!

According to the police, the quilt literally burned the peace sign into the lawn of the US Capitol. Though I am relying upon the reports of the police and have not seen the miracle with my own eyes, it is apparently clearly visible and they are hastily doing everything possible to have it removed.

But it won’t be removed from our memories or our hearts.

I believe that this is a brilliant manifestation of the prayers of peace from millions, even billions of people from around the planet who no longer resonate with the warring policies of many governments around the world, and it seems that Heaven has made its own feelings heard. There is no obvious physical explanation for this phenomenon. The quilt was placed softly on the ground for only one hour, so the possibility of a human cause is remote.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. PASS THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

US Capitol Miracle Continues

The Miracle of the peace sign appearing on the lawn of the US Capitol continues. If you haven’t heard the entire story, on Sunday, March 25, James Twyman focused a peace ceremony commemorating the Season For Non-Violence in Washington, DC. During the ceremony, which was held on the west lawn of the US Capitol, the “Children’s Cloth of Many Colors” (for more info on this amazing project please visit www.communitiesofpeace.org) was laid gently on the grass in the form of a giant peace sign, and the ceremony took place in the center.

The next day the sponsor of the event, Gerry Eitner, received a concerned phone call from the US Capitol Police saying that the grass where the cloth lie was now discolored, leaving an enormous peace sign on the lawn.

This morning the police department called back with more information. They believe that some type of fertilizer attached to the quilt caused the discoloration. In reality, however, there was nothing attached to the Children’s Cloth except the prayers of those present at the ceremony, as well as thousands of people from around the world. Subsequent calls to professional lawn care companies indicated that there is currently nothing on the market that would cause such a sudden overnight change. In fact, witnesses reported that the “peace sign grass” is actually longer and greener than the rest of the lawn.

Has a miracle visited the US Capitol? If so, then what is the message?

From James Twyman:

“I believe that this miracle was caused by two factors. First of all, there were hundreds of thousands of people focusing on the Capitol ceremony while it was taking place. At one point we actually held hands around the peace sign and called upon the energy of all those people from around the world, feeling their presence around the quilt with us. The intent of so many people can be a powerful energetic force and seems to have catalyzed a change in the actual earth causing the grass to grow greener and longer overnight. Second, I believe that in some way and for some reason the earth is literally giving us a sign. This is a critical point in the history of the world. If we don’t begin turning our thoughts and actions toward peace, for both humanity and the environment, a deep crisis may be around the corner. For me the peace sign on the lawn of the US Capitol is both a warning and a symbol of hope. I’m hoping we’ll listen and begin working for peace.”

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD BY PASSING THIS POST TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

The Largest Interfaith Global Meditation and Prayer Event Ever Performed

“The Largest interfaith global meditation and prayer event ever performed will be taking place from May 15th to May 29th with over one-million people participating. At the same time James Twyman will join with peacemakers from throughout Israel and Palestine to literally “hug” the Old City of Jerusalem, sending their prayers of peace to heal this troubled land.

The Jerusalem Hug will take place on May 21, but there are many other ways you can participate. Over the next two weeks other announcements will be sent describing how you can help spread this worldwide movement of peace and prayer. Also, James Twyman is leading a group of pilgrims to be part of this event. If you have any interest in attending in person, you can visit JamesTwyman.com and click Schedule.

Please use the information below to register yourself or your group. Let’s choose peace today for ourselves and the whole world.

More information on the vigil:

CommonPassion.org, in cooperation with many local and global groups, is orchestrating the world’s largest interfaith global meditation and prayer event ever performed. This will be a series of meditation and prayers for community and global peace to be held between May 15th and May 29th, 2007. It is anticipated that over 1,000,000 people will participate in this two-week program from virtually every faith-system, religious group, indigenous community and meditation assembly currently in existence.

Concurrent with the prayer-meditation practices we will monitor crime statistics, emergency call data and other social indicators to ascertain change as a result of this peace-creating program.

Here’s how the May program works:

Each group will select a day or days in which to perform their specific prayer or meditative practice, the intention for which is to foster social harmony at a local and or global level. CommonPassion.org is formulating a common intention and theme for all groups to share, which will foster the coherence-creating effect. Each group or individual will enroll on this site and provide a profile of the practice that will be performed on the selected day(s).

The localized foci of prayer-meditation activities will be based in large part on where they succeed in obtaining data from law enforcement and municipal governments. In other words, if Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Rome, Tokyo, London and Rio municipal governments agree to provide crime and emergency call data, then they will enroll additional groups in these metro areas to participate in activities focused on these areas. This will help enlist the meaningful cooperation of participants in target areas; the empirical evidence suggests that this will enhance the desired effect.

CommonPassion.org is the primary portal for enrolling and participating in this program.

If you are an individual and would like to participate, please click here register.

If you manage or direct a prayer or meditation group, and would like to participate please click here to register.