Archive for the ‘ReEnchant Planet Earth’ Category

Imagiville by DJ Svoboda

Listening for heaven on earth this week revealed a beautiful mother and son to me. His name is DJ and hers is Cindi. I visited them in their apartment tucked away in a lovely part of town. When I walked in the incense that were burning where beautiful and I felt welcomed and in a sacred space.  DJ immediately friendly and warm invited me into his studio.

DJ was born on September 22, 1982 in Shaw AFB, S.C.

At the age of three, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Psychomotor Retardation.

During his school years he went through some very difficult times. He was often picked on by other people and made fun of. From these very difficult situations “The Imagifriends” were born. The  ”Imagifriends”  live in a place called “Imagiville”.

In this imaginary place, created by DJ’s imagination no one is ever picked on or mistreated in any way. Everyone is loved and accepted for who they are. Everyone in Imagiville helps and cares for one another.

What a concept DJ has. He has created over 3000 Imagifriends representing virtues, concepts, and ideals. My eyes were bulging out of my head at the detail of these figures and the intricacy of the design.

“Some of them are physically or mentally handicapped but that’s O.K”, says DJ. “I want to use the “Imagifriends” to help the Autistic and handicapped know that they are special just the way they are”. As I listened to DJ I realized that these “Imagifriends” are there for me as well. We all have something that disables us in some way. “Imagiville” represents the possibility of a land where good is the norm and the way.

“Being Autistic has presented DJ with many challenges in his life. “From these challenges I have learned to never give up” he says. I am so intrigued by this young man and what message he has to share with all of us that I am going to be taping his story and his work to share with all of you.

What are the lessons we need to have in order to teach us to never give up? How complicated does our life have to be? And I guess one of the most important questions is what do you do with it when it is difficult?

DJ turned his struggles into magic. He listened to his spirit and knew that he had to do something bigger. He was not going to be a victim. Instead he is an entrepreneur with the imagination of Walt Disney. He has already written a book, coloring book and has developed a puzzle.

Watch and Listen!

He can speak for me any day of the week.  I like what he says.

Coming soon, “DJ the video”

Visit DJ”s web site at http://www.myimagiville.com/

Prune Danish

Everyday I am reminded of how important the small moments and connections are to feeling heavenly. And family. So why Prune Danish? I live in Cary NC a beautiful city with flowers on the side of the road, lots of Chinese restaurants, ethnicity, art flicks, and lot’s of families.

This summer has been filled with lots of company and family at our house including my parents, Herb age 90 and Gloria age 84. It was truly a blessing spending 5 weeks with them. I am 55 and I hope everyone can have the experience of spending time with the parents later in life.

Anyway my dad loves bagels every morning with his coffee for breakfast. He is a carboholic. One precious Sunday morning I visited our local NY Bagel store once again to buy a few of those delectable bread treats. As I approach the counter of this very busy establishment, ready to pick out the dozen bagels my breath is taken away and I gasp. In the counter amongst all the beautiful Sunday morning sweets is Prune Danish. Do you have any idea how happy my dad, a 90 year old Jewish man from NY would be with a Prune Danish? Well let me tell you, very!

It is not just any Danish it is a tradition. Its sweet, has memory of the old days and it helps, its friendly medicine. I was thrilled and full of joy with the thought of getting this for him. When it was my turn to order and be helped I could not control myself. I started with the Danish. I even almost forgot the bagels. The owner of the store was actually the one to help me. You should have seen her face when I told her about my dad and the Danish. She beamed from ear to ear.

Ain’t life grand? Just think about it. Prune Danish brought so much pleasure into so many lives. Heaven is that tickle, beam of light, that shooting star, and a Prune Danish.

Bye for now,

marilyn

PS  Here is what seems to be a simple recipe for the heavenly danish

http://www.best-bread-recipes.com/danish-pastry-recipe.html

Enjoy!

Take It When You Can

On my 7:00 walk this morning, in my own world, I over heard a little girl about 5 saying bye mommy, bye mommy. Over and over as a car was pulling out of the driveway I heard that little girl. That little voice broke through my meditative silence.

I am making up that this mommy was on her way to work. Again the little 5 year old repeated the line bye mommy until the car was out of site. Immediately a soft voice surrounding me said “get it while you can”.

In a flash I found myself time traveling to my past with my two little girls now 27 and 25. Remembering a similar picture when I was the mommy pulling out of the driveway. I wanted to tell the lady “get it while you can”. They grow up so fast and poof they are grown and gone. Continuing on my walk I heard the soft voice again echoing in my ear, “take it while you can” “take it while you can”.

“All that is important is this one moment in movement. Make the moment important, vital, and worth living. Do not let it slip away unnoticed and unused.” Martha Graham

Back at home waiting for me were my parents, visiting for 5 weeks, my dad 91 my mom 84 and my brother a one week visitor.  What a perfect scenario, a miracle experience. My family together without their normal every day distractions from their lives, their homes, their jobs. In my home away from it all was my family waiting for me and my direction was to get it while you can.

So I made the choice to go home and take time from my work which I love dearly to rise to the occasion and “get it while I can”.This is not a judgment call or a righteous act; we have enough of that. This is a simple case of awareness in the moment. A plea to get it or take it. When you notice, when you are inspired to act, when you can “get it while you can or “take it”, then take it.

You earned it. You deserve it. When you can’t you can’t, but when you can do. The more we respond to these times in good faith, the more abundance we connect to. I have noticed that a feeling of fulfillment catapults my energy, my creative reserve, time and space. I do more in a shorter period of time. So much more comes from it.

Heaven on Earth comes from it!                

The Recipe

If you’re a reader or subscriber to this blog, you know I don’t post on a regular basis. This ReEnchant blog is really not intended to be a news source but a heartfelt journey that touches lives. It’s spur of the moment, spontaneous and truth.  From the beginning, I’ve conceived of this forum as more of a personal quest; an exploration of how I personally experience and discover heaven on earth and how together we share our heavenly experiences-. And how these discoveries impact the world is crucial.

My posts tend to be infrequent longer at times shorter at other times. They are what they are. Just like ReEnchant is what it is. Join me. Share your discoveries. Spread them across the miles. Let’s brag, giggle, live our lives to the max. Let’s notice what is there. It is a choice.

I had an experience recently that I felt important enough to write about. As some of you know I am a mediator. It took me quite some time to get comfortable with conflict. Way after mediating. I don’t know too many mediators that started off  liking conflict. However my handle on conflict has changed.

I joined a networking group for women. Have you ever been on a board? Not an easy place to be. Lot’s of conflict there, opposing ideas for sure.

So how do you handle conflict? Do you run away, get angry first, get defensive, give in, get some one else to handle it for you or make believe it does not exist?

“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.” – Theodore Rubin

Well a situation has arisen on this board that left many of the members speechless and without a direction and it is up to the board members to take action, but what action and how.

Not to bore you with the details of the argument/disagreement/conflict, I can sum up a simple recipe for handling pretty much any conflict which came out of this experience.

1. Use your common sense
2. Treat people the way you want to be treated (not how you think you were treated).

It really does not matter what the argument is about. Coming from these two points will open up the door to understanding, agreeing to disagree, or even a resolution.

Can you imagine how things would turn out if we used our common sense and treated people the way we wanted to be treated no matter what?

A number of surveys indicate that people in all occupations report the most uncomfortable, stress-producing parts of their jobs are the interpersonal conflicts that they experience on a daily basis between themselves and co-workers or supervisors. http://www.workdyn.com/tools-ConflictStats.html

Think about this next time you are in a conflicted situation. See how much easier it is to take care of the problem and move on. Write me and share you experiences.

It’s not rocket science but I guarantee it will make a difference.

For further articles relating to Conflict visit http://www.mediate.com/

Mama Gena’s

This next blog has been really difficult to get started. Finding heaven on earth and sharing that experience has been quite the challenge. To tell you the truth I have been avoiding it like the plague. That is enough writing for one day. Whew! I feel like I could jump out of my skin with this alone.

So here I am again, another day, probably about a week after the previous paragraph I find myself sitting in Barnes and Noble. Mark and I came in and immediately went to the cafe. I made a bold statement. If I could find an electrical outlet for my computer I would write and if I could not find a table with an outlet I would read. I walked around and around, table by table, and of course no outlet. I knew inside however that I was supposed to have one by golly. I was supposed to write. After several attempts around, we preceded to another section “the big chairs”. Low and behold in the corner of the store was the perfect spot to read or write. Two cushiony chairs together. One for me and one for Mark. I am set to write. I have no choice this time. I have to no matter what do these blogs.

A thought comes to me, what makes me think that my experiences for heaven on earth could be yours? What makes me think that these experiences I am actually having and looking for, this place on earth would be the same for you as it is for me? Is this discovery for my eyes only?

I don’t think so, the more of heaven I discover the more giggles I feel, the stronger I become both as a coach and a follower of ReEnchant Planet Earth (cause it does have its own life force), the wiser I become, the more fearless I am, the more I connect with nature, and the more intimate I became, the more I know that these are meant to be shared. We are each responsible for the outcry for such possibilities.

I know as you do that being bodacious, joyful, honest, and a great explorer and life adventurer attracts more of the same. People love to be around that, feel it, and enjoy it for themselves as well. It’s contagious.

My real problem with writing these blogs is what do I write about. The moments are so profound and numerous, and in the moment, that I am having difficulty transporting them here.

So I am just informing you that what I guess I have to do is write bits and pieces of these experiences often. That is the only sane way for me to define them and get them out. So check back often and travel with me and please share yours. Let’s share them with as many people as possible. That is my commitment. Commit with me. The more we share our experiences with heaven on earth, the more heaven on earth there will be.

I started reading probably one of the most luscious books. I would say that I am someone that was born with a positive attidude/persoanality. The work I am doing, discovering that heaven is on earth. really enhances my overall feelings greatly. It allows me to gallop through and see the realty of what I know pretty fast for that matter.

The book, “Mama Genas’s School of Womanly Arts’ by Regena Thomashauer has been a trip. Creating an appetite of passion, pleasure, joy, and intimacy is right up my ally. This book focuses on women and their appetite for desire. Opened up the flood gates for my pleasures I can tell you. And I say, can you only imagine a world where both men and women desire pleasure and fun and are not afraid to show it. I am talking about heavenly fun.

I know we can. Since I began reading this book, 30 pages only, things/life looks very different to me. Everyone should read this book and savior it like the yummiest pieces of chocolate.

I have decided to run for public office. Funny huh? It is really cracking me up. But I am serious. My problem is I don’t like offices especially public ones. And my other issue is I don’t know which one I would run for or want. I don’t have any specific one in mind. What I do know is that if you get enough people behind you, you can create your own office. I say make it up and build a network of supporters and you can make things happen. Whose says you can’t? We the people can do anything. So that is my creation from 30 short pages. Can you only imagine what will occur when I finish the book? My telling you that desire is scary and makes me vulnerable. So what!

When allowing passion, zest, intimacy and boldness into our lives, one joins life’s magic. When we fuel our human nature to connect with the laws of nature there lies rhythm.

The first piece of art shown here is  by Meera Goyal and is entitled At Peace with Nature. Our second featured painting is called Touches by  Rob Bryant Jr. Both artists can been enjoyed at www.reenchantplanetearth.com.

Then The Next – Blog 2

by Marilyn

So through the eyes of a religious day the excitement begins again for me. The vision clear, the focus, this blog, the discovery.

I am not a social worker, a therapist, a psychologist, or psychiatrist. I am a Jewish woman from NY that moved to North Carolina 30 years ago, now with menopause. That being said what I am, is someone that will document, log, and share, in this continuing blog, the discovery of “Heaven on Earth” day by day.

The religious experience came to life for me when I looked at the day and saw more than me, a hand guiding the outcomes, bigger than me, looking back and seeing reasons why things happened, things happening now. It all makes sense in this moment.

Here goes what I saw on the porch, ReEnchant Planet Earth is a portal, a door, gate, and an entrance of imposing appearance to “Heaven on Earth”. It is there to help open up possibilities, and the energy. It is not going to judge your writing or the way you express yourself, it will share your enthusiasm for new ideas and help you grow them. Won’t that be heaven!

A free space, a safe space for people to come to share their experiences, art work, programs that inspire, ideas that rock, education that empowers, fears, ideas, creativity anything that shows the magic all around us. Anything goes as long as it is reenchanting. If need be we will help find a way to build on our site whatever it is to help you.

I along with the help of my husband Mark and many others will share our vulnerabilities, oops and toots. We will show that by breaking the spell, this living planet, really is Heaven on Earth. Let’s go together into the nooks and crannies, the subtleties and move the energy so we can discover heaven. Sometimes those nooks are going to be thin sometimes thick, it’s OK the magic is there.

Please add your comments, send us your thought, ideas, stories to marilyn@reenchantplanetearth.com.

Let’s learn together how to ReEnchant Planet Earth.

Art by Dr. Natalie Winters http://www.reenchantplanetearth.com/shoppingcart/art4.html

UP TO US TO MIDWIFE AT OUR OWN REBIRTH – THE BEGINNING

by Marilyn

The Discovery for me begins!

Today I have had a religious experience that about brought me to my knees with excitement and gratitude.

Yesterday a friend confided in me that she was not as inspired by her work as she thought I was with mine. This got me thinking because I knew that I also felt that I needed a jolt of something for my work to stay inspiring. It was time. So maybe I was not as into it as I once was. This got me thinking more.

Today I awoke with a head ache which I don’t usually have happen. There was probably something going on in the universe and the atmosphere I told my self since I am susceptible to feeling shifts like that. I passed it off and continued my morning, 3 Advil’s later, another thing I don’t really like to take, and I felt better.

Here is what happened next. I began talking with my husband Mark, on the screened in porch and as I am doing that, I begin having an amazing experience. To me anyway. I began connecting with the trees and the sounds of the birds in a way that I had not done before. It was so perfect and clear to me now. Beautiful sunny spring day. The wind blowing a perfect example of the vision. There it was the connection, what I have been waiting for. Praying for. The jolt I acknowledged the day before.

You see, I have had this knowing about ReEnchant Planet Earth for a long time. Throughout my bones and cells I knew what it meant, how it worked, and how simple the idea but what I did not have was the thread for explaining it. In my heart, ReEnchant Planet Earth, began as a community, turned into a movement (what else could we call it) a poem put to life.

And it’s up to us

To re-enchant this planet Earth

We are the elves and the giants

We are the shining ones

Daughters of the Moon

And Sons of the Sun

We are the shapeshifters

We are the mysterious light

Shrouded in mists

At the dawn of our time

And it’s up to us to Re-enchant

This living planet

Up to us to midwife

At our own rebirth

Up to us to send out dead

Along their ancient pathways

To the future

Up to us to re-enchant this

Living planet Earth

It’s up to us to break the spell

That steals the colors

From the world

And leaves it lifeless

It was our spell – we can break it

It’s up to us to break the spell

That steals the magic

From the wind and rain

It is our spell – we can break it

We will dance the magic dance

And our bodies will remember

We will sing the magic songs

And together we’ll remember

How to live together

How to love each other

How to ride the eagle

How to call the deer

Home

Will Ashe Bason

Not to belabor the point but we live in an aquarium, a sanctuary, a haven. The beauty surrounds us all the time and yet we pass it by and cut it down. Now I got it. My religious experience turns my day into the reconnect to reenchant, like the re-reenchant of planet earth. It begins to become even clearer. Now I get the environmentalist, the animal lovers, the good Samaritans, the people who want to make a difference, and above all the simplicity of life, the beauty, ReEnchant Planet Earth. I get what ReEnchant is now and how to bring the poem to life.

Thank you to my new friend Cawanua for her beautiful photo of a

Washington Sunset

www.imagesbycawanua.ifp3.com

Green Lovin – What is it?

Welcome your hosts are Marilyn and Mark Shannon

Because of all the talk about “green”, “being green”, “going green”, and “sustainability”, “homes”, “jobs”, “planet earth” etc, I was with a friend the other day talking about Earthday and our state of being when the words “green lovin” came to me out of the blue. I know where it came from I just don’t know what it means. So I laughed and thought is there such a thing. Hopefully you are smiling right about now. What I do know is that it is something. So I decided to blog about it. I am going to write what I think it is and I ask everyone reading this to add your thoughts and comments. Let’s keep this thread going.

To me green lovin is good pure love. A love that is coming from the earth. It’s natural and organic with spontaneity and joy.

What do you think?

Warmly,

Marilyn

Want to know what we mean by ReEnchant Planet Earth?

Every day we are reminded of the beauty that surrounds us. The magic of music, the wonder of flowers, the awe of love, it’s amazing. Yet it does not seem to be our focus! It is in plain sight but we don’t believe it’s real. I ask you how can it not be real? It is right in front of our eyes and seeing is not believing? Like the famous author guru Wayne Dyer said, “You will see it when you believe it”.

ReEnchant Planet Earth’s cause is to make it believable.

ReEnchant is a platform with heart, the focal point for ideas and actions that put the power to change the world in the people’s hands. Here we will inspire each individual to be an independent, responsible, creative and powerful member of the planet earth community.

Here people can interact and become educated global citizens contributing to the conscience shift of human energy towards love and respect for all life on earth. We are reinventing the wheel and the steps to get there. We are calling all citizens to a new level of participation. It is going to take a new level of creative leadership to rise above where we are to where we can be.

We call these citizens reenchanters. Their job is to live life as reenchanters. With every breath and action taken reenchanters work the land, live their lives, raise their families and remember to love.

The ReEnchant Planet Earth Institute is an on line learning experience that has only rule. The rule is that everything taught and shared through this institute is creating heaven on earth. This blog will continue to share up and coming programs, services and progress and welcomes your participation. Stay tuned for more

Mark Talks Out

Since this is my first foray into blogging I guess I should start by introducing myself. I’m Mark Shannon and I have something to do with the creation of Re-enchant Planet Earth. For Marilyn and I Re-enchant formed from a re-birthing of our energy toward supporting higher planetary consciousness, our own included. It’s amazing to me that after several thousand years of modern Human civilization, (geologically speaking) and far greater capacities of our brains to understand the nature of this creative event, we call life on Earth; the empirical evidence is that we don’t live like we know how we fit in. From our hubris of our dominate intelligence, we are bringing about the very destruction of the life force on the Earth, that supports us.

All this comes from a misconceived story of who we are and in what our purpose is. It’s time to get our story of who we are as a species aligned and in sync with the fundamental dynamics that support life on Earth. Re-enchant Planet Earth is about spreading the information fellow citizens of our planet need, to make the best informed decisions to have a healthy living Earth and Human society. To support activities that re-store the damage we’ve done to our environment and change damaging practices. More self awareness and personal empowerment are Re-enchanting. More understanding of our true connection to the Earth and each other is Re-enchanting. Disconnecting from wrong minded consumption and destruction of the web of life that supports a healthy life for all is Re-enchanting.

Taking matters into our own hands like those that birthed this nation is Re-enchanting. We can’t wait for government or corporations; we have to take them with us.

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