It’s a brand new day, a new start – where do you begin? The place to start is where you are right now.
It’s easy to feel lost and confused when you expect a clear master plan to unfold. In actuality, the master plan does exist, with every small step you take. The actions you take right now are your new beginnings.
I have been a spiritual seeker all of my life. I took up meditation 25 years ago because I wanted to become enlightened. I wanted to know the mysteries of life. After reading countless books about enlightenment, I became a vegetarian and tried to control all aspects of my life with a desire to become the best I could be. I would spend long hours in meditation and self-inquiry.
Throughout this process, I’ve discovered that enlightenment is about subtraction. Removing impressions, ego, desires, negative thinking, judgements, etc., in order to allow the True Self to shine through.
It’s dawn and the world is waking up. Eyes open, still drunk from sleep, we stretch and prepare for the realities of the day. As day follows night, we move in tandem with the cycles of nature.
Birth and death, creation and destruction – these are the cycles of life. These cycles reveal themselves in nature, fashion, economies, civilizations, and in the life and death of a star. These contradictions support and relate to each other, in that one cannot exist without the other.
When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~Catherine Ponder
Forgiveness is your response to an injustice either toward yourself or others. It is your conscious turning toward the “good” in the face of a wrongdoing.
It is the generosity of a compassionate spirit, where you make a choice to give the gifts of non-judgment, mercy and love.
I have been a spiritual seeker all of my life. I began practicing meditation twenty-five years ago because I wanted to become enlightened. After reading countless books I would spend long hours in meditation and self-inquiry. In the stillness and silence of meditation, a new understanding bubbled up and revealed who I really am — an individualized unit of pure consciousness.
I’ve discovered an integral part of enlightenment has a great deal to do with subtraction rather than adding more ideation or knowledge. Peeling away subtle layers of conditioned responses, negative self-talk, judgments, compulsive thinking patterns, and expectations, I learned to clarify my awareness and experience my real true Self. Enlightenment is simply waking up to the truth about who you really are. (more…)
I am a long-time meditator and I am extremely aware of the thoughts I think. Spending time in a “no-mind-content” awareness serves to heighten my consciousness of the thoughts I think on a daily basis. It is like fully experiencing the new, exquisite taste and texture of food after a long fast.
I am the product of my thoughts. My thoughts determine my emotions and feelings, and equally important, they ultimately become how I see myself. Since I am responsible for the creation of my thoughts, I must be intentionally mindful of the thoughts I allow to enter my mind field.
People travel to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering. — St. Augustine
The ancient Greek aphorism “Know Thyself” was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Uncovering who I really am has become the surprise of my life. After years of introspection, observation and self inquiry, I believe I’m beginning to realize who I really am. This is new to me, and it’s exciting!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2008
Asheville based musicians Ken and Amy LaDeroute, of the band LaDeroute, are proud to announce the release of their latest album titled Soul Affirmation—Music For Better Outcomes. In 1980 the couple first![LaDeroute Releases \](http://www.affirmationpower.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/postcard-for-web1.jpg "LaDeroute Releases \")
met when Ken LaDeroute’s band was in search of the perfect singer. Amy LaDeroute’s powerful, soulful voice was an instant hit during her audition and this began a personal and musical relationship that toured the United States and Canada for fourteen years.
This musical duo has performed together in several different bands, with many renowned musicians and in a variety of musical genres over the last 28 years. With musical backgrounds in jazz, funk and rock, Soul Affirmation is the first album they have released as new age music artists under the band name LaDeroute. Inspired by years of meditation and study, LaDeroute’s goal is to pioneer a new genre of meditation music called Affirmation Music.
Want to work with me?
404-NOW-MIND (404-669-6463)
Skype: kenlad1
