Dear friends,

I would like to share with you part of my Holidays.  My boyfriend and I traveled by train five hours to my parents’ to celebrate Christmas with them. I was very excited to see my parents and my brothers with their families and to celebrate the Holidays with them. During our journey I listened to an episode of Ariel and Shya’s radio show titled: Transforming the Holidays. Days before as I downloaded the radio show on to my ipod I was already very curious what I was going to experience while listening to the show. During the show I often got a smile on my face and was very inspired by what Ariel and Shya said in response to the brilliant questions that were asked. There was one sentence that especially caught my attention: the suggestion to speak and interact with our parents not in their function as parents but as people.

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Dearest Friends,

Today we have been so productive and everyone we have spoken with: client, coach, stranger, friend  have all been touching to speak with. We are off to record a radio show now but find ourselves wanting share with you what we have been feeling which is that: Life is Grand!

We posted the video of our Boston Television interview from last week on Facebook (a social networking site that is really great and you may want to join if you are not on already) but realized that many of you may not have seen it so here it is again: http://tinyurl.com/6yhkrg

Thanks for being in our lives and part of this great community.

Love,
Ariel and Shya

I attended the Creativity & Intuition workshop this past summer in New York – and I was reminded there by a friend how I love to cook. This was news to me because I thought that I didn’t like to cook at all.  My story was “I don’t like cooking, that I’m not passionate about it, and that I’m not good at it”.  Ariel pointed out to me that cooking is something that reminded me of being a housewife, and that was the last thing that I wanted to be given my story.

But lately I have been noticing, as I stand in front of the stove, cooking, that I am having fun!  Yeah!  I never decided to have fun, it just happened after I came back from the workshop.  This is what is so cool about Instantaneous Transformation!

And a lot more neat things are happening every day, I feel so rich!

-Antje A.

Here’s another great article written by Ariel & Shya .  I find it very refreshing to see that enlightenment doesn’t have to happen on a mountain top in a meditition pose, but can happen right here, right now, at home, at work or anywhere.

Enjoy,
David H

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Let’s talk about being in the moment. Let’s talk about enlightenment or Self Realization or transformation. Most people see these things as esoteric endeavors that require thought, intentionality and work that is arduous and difficult. The prevalent idea is that Self Realization can only be approached at special times under special circumstances and in special environments, such as in meditation centers, workshops or retreats. However, there is the possibility that these esoteric pursuits can not only be engaged in, but also achieved in the ordinary course of our lives, during every day activities. Since most of our days are occupied by our professional careers or work, it is possible to use this time to discover how to be in the moment and live one’s life in a transformed, Self Realized way. It has been said that it is easy to become enlightened on a mountain top but difficult in the marketplace. In today’s world, the office can be equated to the modern day marketplace. We are of the opinion that Self Realization need not be difficult and that it is possible to become aware doing the ordinary activities of our lives. Many people approach this moment as if it is not “it”. They see this moment only as a stepping stone to something else. This moment is “not what God intended”. People don’t realize that this moment of now is the only way their life can be and that whatever is happening in this moment is all that can actually be.

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Something became very clear to me at a weekend workshop I recently attended called, The Art of Listening. A significant portion of the participants in the course, more than I’ve seen in a long time, were new people who came in from all over the country. The workshop was vibrant, alive and fresh in a way that was very new and exciting to me!

I had heard it said many times before at other workshops I’ve attended, that the new people attending are the “lifeblood” of Transformation. This time, it became a very real experience for me to hear that. Like all of us at one time, they never knew this possibility existed for them and are intrigued and excited by it. They remind us of how rare it is to discover living in the moment and how we each make a huge difference. Those of us who regularly attend Monday night seminars and workshops “live” transformation as a lifestyle. The new people we invite are the fresh air, spark and fire that keeps it going and reignites the excitement of discovery.

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Our friend Joe S. was collecting toys for a toy drive to benefit needy kids from a section of Brooklyn, New York called Bedford-Stuyvesant. Shya and I donated toys to Joe at a recent Monday Night Alive, but it didn’t feel like “enough”. First of all, we really feel an urge to give to others – and secondly, we absolutely want to support Joe in expressing his passion for taking care of others. So, with the encouragement of parents with small kids, I was reassured that Play Dough was in fact a great gift, I headed back to the local WalMart.

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Hello Everyone,

I am happy to report that the Toy Drive I have been organizing was a huge success. We shattered last year’s numbers and collected over 800 toys! The pastor of St. John’s Parish, who is responsible for distributing the toys, spoke at the event to celebrate the Toy Drive. He was filled with emotion as he explained that, with the help of everyone who contributed, the Parish could reach its goal of donating to 500 underprivileged families.

I want to thank everyone for contributing and supporting me in this event. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will translate to joy for many families that are going through tough times. A Judge I work for, who asked me to assist him in organizing the Toy Drive, personally sends his thanks to my “extremely generous friends.”

With Love,
Joe S.