You Are The Monkey

Look for Yourself

2011-09-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

The Intention Experiment starting 9/11

2011-09-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here is some true Monkey Business - a global intention experiment that needs some action on your part - from home or work - using meditative time each day. Said to be the biggest global intention experiment toward world peace ever attempted. See what it's all about HERE

One mind - one heart

Check it out.

Story Tellers for Good

2011-09-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

I found this awesome website through my connection to Wiser Earth where I am a member of The Social Network for Sustainability. Wiser Earth is a global community organization and I highly promote their education, action and community.

Story Tellers for Good is a team of passionate journalists and photographers who seek to use their skills to inspire optimism and change. They aim to tell and promote stories of people and organizations making a positive difference.

Here is one of their videos from The Random Act of Kindness Foundation. Check it out for a wonderful way to spend your day paying it forward..

Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: Kindness 101 from Storytellers For Good on Vimeo.

What are you doing today?

Astrology Points the Way if We Listen

2011-08-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Personal growth = planetary health

Like astrology, we are connected to more than the eye can see. Just because we can't see a blockage that stands in our way doesn't mean it isn't there (as we have learned throughout history over and over again.)

So...it is time.

Astrology Points the Way if We Listen

Hundredth Monkey Controversies

2011-05-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

I did a recent search on "The Hundredth Monkey" to see what good things others folks are sharing. I found all sorts of uses for the name such as a blog on lifestyle change called The Savvy Vegetarian and an art studio in Portland Oregon "Where creativity is contagious." Wonderful!

I also found more controversy than I ever expected! You can read a well crafted repudiation of the whole effect from the Skeptical Inquirer written back in 1985 that is wonderful food for thought! And there's lots more where that came from.

Then along came more information from the Ken Keyes Jr. camp reiterating it as a phenomenon.

This is all great reading if you're interested in the he said - she said on the subject.

In the end, I like this quote from Elaine Myers in The Hundredth Monkey Revisited the best when she says -

"What the research does suggest... is that holding positive ideas (as important a step as this is) is not sufficient by itself to change the world. We still need direct communication between individuals, we need to translate our ideas into action, and we need to recognize the freedom of choice of those who choose alternatives different from our own."

This sounds like the road to good communication and greater peace if you ask me. Worth the controversy if this is where it goes...

May peace on Earth prevail!

Where do you weigh in?

Gael

Photo credit Bob Alba

Blessed Earth Day

2011-04-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Today is officially Earth Day and a wonderful mindful celebration across the globe the we are called to be respectful of our home and protective of our assets for ourselves and for generations to come.

Here's a link to EarthDay.org a website dedicated to sharing options and education and good exciting stuff you can get involved with including how you can make a pledge to do something on your own at act.EarthDay.org.

Go be the Monkey and have some fun being green!!

What does that look like for you?

Enjoy :)

Blessed Unrest

2011-04-13T12:45:00.000-07:00

Beautiful and inspiring video from environmentalist and sustainable living advocate Paul Hawken called Blessed Unrest and WiserEarth.

"It is up to us to decide how will we be,

who will we be..

It is about solutions.

Humankind knows what to do..."

Click here to view the video of Paul's speech and here to join the web community Wiser Earth.

I'd be honored if you joined me there as well - let's see what we can do. Gael Chiarella Alba

Blessings today.

Healing the Waters of Japan

2011-04-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Do you know the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto? You can find out more about his research and view some amazing pictures on his website Welcome to the World of Water.

Through his research into the nature of water and crystals, he has photographs documenting the difference between a "thank you" water crystal and one that embodies "you fool." Powerful stuff, since we ourselves are mostly ... water.

The human body is more than 60 percent water. Blood is 92 percent water, the brain and muscles are 75 percent water, and bones are about 22 percent water.

Essentially, the capturing of water's 'expressions' is what Dr. Emoto has done. He developed a technique to photograph newly formed crystals of frozen water samples. A powerful microscope in a very cold room allowed this to be done.

Through his work with water Dr. Emoto advises us "We have learned that our human consciousness is related to water at deeper level through water crystal technology. And this fact has resonated with different people in different countries. However, this fact has not been taught at any school. The words, “Thank you” have positive vibrations and the words “You fool” have negative vibrations and to ignore is to deny the existence itself and this will give the most negative effects."

Moving into current world events, this is a You Tube link to his frame of reference for the waters surrounding the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Here too is a link to his blog so you can keep the action going.

He suggests the simplicity of the following prayer for the waters of Japan.

"To all people on the earth, we are water.

Let’s become one by offering love and gratitude to water...

Water is what connects everything.

(Say to yourself)
I’m sorry,
Please forgive me,
I thank you,
And I love you."

By doing this you will be joining with people from all over the world who are doing the same thing. Originally scheduled as a single prayer, Dr. Emoto has called for the addition of ten days of joined intention.

What an astounding thing to know how you can use the power of your mind to affect change in this situation - just as Ken Keyes suggested in his work on The Hundredth Monkey Effect.

May you always know the power of your own consciousness, and find peace for yourself and the world.

Namaste.

The Power of One

2011-02-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the beautiful video "The Power of One" yet?
Take a minute and be empowered.
Take a breath and be inspired!

You matter. They did...

The Power of One

http://www.oneearth.org

Photo credit: GCA by Bob Alba

The Address We All Need To Hear

2011-01-30T07:31:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow Monkeys!

This is the most awe-inspiring speech I have read in a long time. Not since Randy Pausch's Last Lecture have I been so moved to share...this is a snippet from Paul Hawken as he addressed the graduates of 2009 at The University of Portland:

"You are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring. The earth couldn’t afford to send recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating.

Take the hint. And here’s the deal:

Forget that this task of planetsaving is not possible in the time required.

Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible.

Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.

When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand the data.

But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse."

From The Commencement Address by Paul Hawken to the Class of 2009

Take a moment and a deep breath, or make yourself a cup of tea and click on to read the rest of his words. An inspiring call to action. An awesome recognition of potential.

You can also joinWiser Earth, the organization he co-founded and get in on more of the conversation. I did.

The Social Network for Sustainability

Blessed be.
Gael

Photo by Bob Alba

Jack LaLanne Was One For Sure!

2011-01-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

The Jack LaLanne Show

"Before there was power yoga and Tae-Bo, there was Jack LaLanne, who devoted his life to making Americans fit and healthy. LaLanne, who died Sunday at age 96, became the fitness conscience of the nation after his daily TV show on exercise and nutrition debuted in the 1950s. Although the show aired for more than three decades, he is a distant memory for many Americans, a quirky part of cultural history. But up to the end of his life — he died of respiratory failure from pneumonia at his home in Morro Bay, Calif. — he remained as dedicated as ever to getting the country in shape"

This is the first paragraph of today's NPR article that highlights the man and the mission.

I remember him well - first because I used to watch his TV show with my beloved Grandma as we held the backs of her kitchen chair to maintain balance as he barked commands out at us and we giggled. She, teasing me because I was so young - she, teasing herself because she was not so young anymore. Perhaps a memory like this (which surfaces for me again and again) helps to account for my 30-year career teaching people how to move their bodies and enjoy the process.

Second came the opportunity to see and hear him live as the closing keynote at a fitness convention in California...a spry old man who leaped upon the stage and inspired everyone in the room with his deeply authentic no-holds barred presence. 2,000 young, fit, sleek aerobic stars rose to their feet and gave the man the longest standing ovation I have ever witnessed anywhere - ever. It was awesome.

Today I salute this Hundredth Monkey.

He challenged an entire Nation to get fit and stay fit. He followed his muse. He shared the good news. He lived his truth. He made a huge difference.

May you all be inspired to follow your own, and to share who you are with the rest of us.

Blessings,
Gael

Thirty Days of Gratitude

2010-11-12T06:15:00.000-08:00

This is a most inspiring post From Rev Ken's Thirty Days Of Gratitude Blog. Take a moment to watch the all out inspirational video of the Opera Company of Philadelphia singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" in Macys. Perfect setting for sharing large.

Thirty Days of Gratitude: Twelfth Day

"Right this moment, as I remember spiritual giants I have been privileged to meet Mother Teresa, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, His Holiness the Dalai Lama - I can still feel the life energy they radiated. But how did they come by this vitality? There are no lack of surprises in this world, but such radiant aliveness is rare. What I observed was that these people were all profoundly grateful, and then I understood the secret...."

Click the link to enjoy both the practice and the video. You'll be glad you did :)

Namaste in this season of Thanksgiving!

In Praise of Twitter

2010-11-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

I was speaking to a couple of friends the other day who insist they "hate twitter."

I'm no big tech person and I know quite well I could be "optimizing" my presence there giving it all sorts of attention. I'm not into that yet. What I am into is good news and inspiring people. In true Monkey fashion I find myself going to twitter to find news worth reading, and once you start filtering there is more than enough of it to go around. I love the grass roots finds that are inevitably there, and the action I see with individuals reaching out and finding their potential to affect others.

Maybe there is something in it for you too if you "give peace a chance" and check out what some folks are saying...

Here are just a few links I picked out just to get you started. Each is a person I found on twitter and decided to read up on. It took me all of 10 minutes to find out what they were up to today. Enjoy :)

Eleesha and The Inspiration Daily featuring articles, stories, health, education and more.

The Documentary Channel featuring the film The Youngest Candidate directed by tweet master Jason Pollak. "The Youngest Candidate is not just a film about running for office. It is the coming of age story of four idealistic young adults who dare to dream."

I have followed philanthropist Lotay Yang since my beginnings on twitter. He says "Merely a vessel. Give more, expect less. Peace is inevitable." Check out his website here.

There are also some of the biggie spiritual leaders who need no introduction like Deepak Chopra and you'll enjoy their daily bites of inspiration. You can also find your own favorites by using the search feature.

Hashtags will get you into areas of interest such as #yoga, #inspiration #green #charity and whatever else interests you. Find your peeps and lighten your day. The news is all good all the time once you know where to look.

You can find me there too - anytime - @Yokibics.

Be The Hundredth Monkey and share the good stuff.

Blessings galore to you today!

Community Building. It's Party Time!

2010-10-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to a site called Daily OM. Sound soulful advise. See for yourself.

This week a post about community caught my eye and fit into the Hundredth Monkey Effect perfectly...

Communities thrive on the talents of their members...consider what you have to offer and find ways to bring that into your community.

Anything we do on a small level will automatically ripple out into the larger system. If you have a special gift when it comes to bringing people together...find ways to bring that into your community.

You might agree to throw a party or event once a year that includes the whole community. Even a small open house in an apartment building can accomplish a lot in terms of making people feel more connected and comfortable with each other.

Becoming the Hundredth Monkey is joyful stuff. Have fun with it!! A party sure sounds good... Feel free to invite neighbors you know and more neighbors you don't and share the love :)

Namaste

It's Monkeytime!

2010-09-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

This post is my invitation to you.

That's right! You you you :)

What do you see, hear, and feel connected to that improves the world?

What makes your heart sing, your energy perk, your faith in humanity grow?

There is so much!

Music - dance - activism - service - stories - community - communication - new ideas - sacred vision - the neighbor's good deed - the silent hero. What can you bring our collective attention to? What makes your heart sing "oh oh oh I want to share!"

We totally want your perspective. We absolutely need your contribution. The world improves one smile at a time.

Spread the love and let us know! What's your smile about?

Award winning video on HUNGER

2010-09-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Monkey topics of late have been our related to our food system, from issues of soil and seeds to distribution and packaging. The challenge of our times I think. What in the name of heaven are we doing with our food??

Today my topic is hunger. What changes are we blind to when we take no interest and choose not to see?

To help call attention to the challenge of food insecurity, in early 2010 ShopRite teamed up with General Mills and launched a Caring Expressions of Hunger video contest.to bring awareness to the issue through song, poetry, dance, and dramatic reading. This is a post sent in by my friend Gerry about some folks from Trentin NJ who submitted a video..

Here is some good stuff - grass roots and local. A group of poets that met as part of a TASK literacy project and won a national contest - and the uplifting news is that they are now on the front of Cheerios boxes where more people can see.

More eyes. More knowing. More healing. More sharing.

Check it out.

Award winning Hunger Video

What can you do for others today? Whatever that is, do what you can.
Follow this blog and share it with others. Your comments are welcomed!

namaste

Do you know where food comes from?

2010-09-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Blue sky...children in the distance...birds singing...the land is flush with good living. How can one actually desire to get immersed in news that will rock the foundation of your world when the world seems so at peace, and so many other things are so pressing - at least in your own neck of the woods.

I credit Steven Covey with saying we so often opt for handling the immediate in lieu of the important...

This is a deep challenge and a quandary that drives to the heart of what our resistance is all about - the resistance we so often have to rattle the cage of comfort. Such is the importance of a sense of security even when the security is false. Will the world need your social security check when the issue at hand is global water shortage? Will your 401K matter when the evidence of Monsanto and others like them will have their way with your food? Will we ever be able to say we have done our best when our best is hidden from view?

We will seek change when it hits home. We will seek change when our level of discomfort is too great for the challenge of staying put. We will seek change when it is personal. We will seek change when we are in danger. Any other reasons? There are many and you will know some of them for yourself if you just think for a moment...

This blog is about seeing what is good in the world and making it known. The Hundredth Monkey shares a change in consciousness one step at a time - one person at a time.

Sometimes the need for change comes from adversity. The monkeys who first washed their sweet potatoes (see the initial post to this blog) did so out of the adversity of being cut off from their preferred food source.

Could this be happening to us? Must we wait until we get thoroughly trounced before we vote for better ways
to handle our resourses today?

We are in a time of change now that some say can be reversed - or stayed at the least - and others would say has no turning back and we have no choice but to watch the fall...again and again and again.

The Hundredth Monkey votes for clarity - honesty - and full awareness of the choices he makes in order to thrive.

It is in the spirit of knowing that I offer you the opportunity to educate yourself as much as you can about our global actions with regard to our most intimate currencies - food and water.

Perhaps the Hundredth Monkey can then make the personal choice that will tip the scales away from such disaster. Will it be you?

Watch FLOW: for the Love of Water available from Twilight Earth. Click here.

Watch The World According to Monsanto. Click here.

May we all grow in abundance and caring for our planet Earth and for each other.

Namaste

Thoughts of Peace on 9/11

2010-09-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Theologian Mark D. Thompson of Moore Theological College said of the famous photograph of the falling man tumbling through the air taken on 9/11 "perhaps the most powerful image of despair at the beginning of the twenty-first century is not found in art, or literature, or even popular music. It is found in a single photograph."

"The Falling Man" refers to a photograph taken by Associated Press photographer Richard Drew, depicting a man falling from the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:41:15 a.m. during the September 11 attacks in New York City. The subject of the image — whose identity remains uncertain, although attempts have been made to identify him — was one of the people trapped on the upper floors of the skyscraper who apparently was forced to jump rather than die from the fire and smoke. (Wiki file)

Today let us take a moment to honor the single thing that embraces the momentous change that 9/11 wrought for you - whether it is a picture, a word, a comment, a memory, an ideal or a lost friend - and together may we join hearts and minds that peace on earth can still be had as we honor what was lost.

Every thought counts.

The combined power of many thoughts create our experience.

The created space for peace is something we make real despite circumstance - despite devastation - despite heartache, loss and fear. As the tipping point of our united consciousness brings our highest vision to bare, may we all benefit from the thoughts you carry this day.

Namaste

Could your neighbor be starving?

2010-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today I am reading a blog called Take Part - Inspiration to Action and it stated that 49 million people in the US lack access to nutritious food.

I've been taken with our food challenges in many different ways recently (read previous posts on GMOs and other unsavory threats to our wellbeing) but this one just got me. I could say the topic is so depressingly sobering that rolling up in a ball and moaning is a possibility. I also highlight the name of the blog as it includes the phrase "inspiration to ACTION!"

The article offers additional information and links, but mostly I like the simple ending advise...

"take action - find a food bank event near you"

Simple. Sometimes it takes a simple shift to make big headway.

Click the link. It is what any of us can do right now.

Grab a neighbor or tell a friend...you can be one of the ones who tip the scale.

namaste

The Future of Food

2010-08-12T17:30:00.000-07:00

I may be late to the game (can this possibly be true after 30+ years of bona fide hippie thinking, vegitarian living, yogi being, health food eating, organic shopping, health food teaching, consciousness raising living ?? ) but after viewing and agonizing over Food Inc. and the electrifying revelations that sparked my consciousness about the nature of the food industry in America, I realized that I'm no farmer. I hadn't the slightest idea what our basic food producing industry faces each and every day - and what that means to me - to you - to our children...so my revelations over Food Inc and the challanging issues of genetically modified foods and their relevance to our survival was disturbing.

I just now watched the documentary "The Future of Food."

Now I'm in "no shit sherlock" land.

No newcomer to the game this documentary - but rather a beacon of light that has been shining for a decade.

Perhaps I - like you - are simply newer to it's message.

Friends - family - students - followers - ALL of you who have a vote - and use your vote - and care for your vote... watch this, I beg you.

I am coming to know with every fiber of my being that our universal presumption that in two, or three, or four years, we can just keep sashaying into our local (USA) supermarket and presume we can nourish ourselves with our purchases is likely to be an illusion beyond measure - and based solely on present moment ignorance.

Look my dears - look.

www.thefutureoffood.com

It begs the question - who are we, really...and what are we doing?

To those of us in the USA who feel we are the "heroes" of the world...feeding the poor and sending relief to the needy, what are we contributing to the international food industry? Are we heroes to the less industrialized?? True supporters of the less fortunate??? Watch what we are doing with our rights over food and see if this matches who you think you are, and what you represent.

Ahhhh...we are so innocent.

I seek not to intrude on your dream state, but rather to empower you to DO what YOU can DO rather than believe that someone else is doing it for you - that you are being "taken care of" - that putting food in pretty packages means that you don't even have to think.

I encourage you to get your Starbucks now and stay wide awake as you watch the testimony in this film. Stay awake just long enough to feel something.

Then act.

You will know what to do.

You will know what and where your choices are, and how to vote with your consumer dollars.

You will know.

Namaste

"One Radical and Tactical Shift"

2010-08-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

Will is one of the many facebook friends I can now lean on to

post good and valuable information so that when I scan my

news feed I am enlivened with interesting possibilities and

informative opportunities. As I routinely selected and

eliminated the negative gripers and woe is me-ers from

my everyday interactions (yes I do indeed work my privacy

settings!) that news feed has become a source of information

that lightens and inspires me. I am now quite a fan of good

and judicious sharing through social networks.

Today I clicked on a TED video that Will posted about this

fellow who swam across a newly created lake on Mount

Everest...a lake created as the result of glacial melt.

At the end of his talk, Lewis offers a challenge to each and every one

of us - an opportunity to leave the world a better place for our children

as a result of our own choices today.

Highlighting the man, his acumen and his mission seemed

the right stuff for The Hundredth Monkey view.

Lewis Gordon Pugh loves to pioneer new swimming

routes around or between landmarks once thought unswimmable.

In 2006, he swam the drought-stricken Thames; also that year

he became the first swimmer to do a long-distance swim in all

five oceans of the world. The following year, he made the first

long-distance swim across the North Pole -- where climate

change made the ice temporarily disappear. Heading into the

second decade of his swimming career, he's regarded as the

greatest cold-water swimmer in history.

His swims have given him a sea-level view of our planet,

and inspired him to do his bit to help preserve it. He left a

career in maritime law to become a public speaker on

environmental issues with his group, Polar Defence Project –

and of course to plan more astonishing swims and treks.

In September 2008, Pugh and Robbie Hedgus kayaked

across the Arctic Ocean into the polar ice pack, to raise

awareness of the thinning sea ice and the dangers of

climate change in the Arctic and across the world. And at t

he end of May 2010 he swam 1 kilometer across Pumori,

a meltwater lake situated next to the Khumbu Glacier on Mount

Everest, at an altitude of 5300 meters, to draw attention to the

melting of the Asian glaciers. He completed the swim -- the

highest any person has undertaken -- in less than 23 minutes. He says:

"Glaciers are not just ice:

they are a lifeline,

they provide water to 2 billion people,

and we need to protect them"

Here's a link to the talk - an inspiring time out for you to view and ponder.

Lewis Pugh Mind Shifting Everest Swim

What did you come up with that you can commit to?

May it be a blessing to all,

namaste

Being known, heard and loved. Does it matter?

2010-07-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Tracey had a bright idea and she is acting on it by creating a business model around the topic of compassionate listening. She initiates her blog on the topic with this story:

"Known, Heard and Loved got its start when I was a twenty-three year old college grad working at my first job in health care public relations. I was in my windowless office having a down day when, no kidding, a clown walked into the room. You know, the red nose, white face paint, yarn-mop of hair and wacky clothing ensemble that looked as if it had been made from a melange of Mrs. Roper's muumuu castoffs (please tell me you're old enough to remember Three's Company? "Oh, Stanley...").

Do you happen to know anyone who is a fan of clowns besides clowns themselves (that is, if you actually know a real clown)? I don't, and I'm not a fan - but I am terribly polite. So I braced myself for the clown's unfunny antics and the laughter I'd force myself to muster.

The clown got my attention alright, but in the most subtle of ways: Silently, she pulled a tiny, folded piece of paper out of her huge straw basket, put it on my desk, smiled, bowed and left.

I opened this tiny scrap of paper, which was only about two inches long and two centimeters wide. In neat script, it said:

"You are known, heard and loved."

Check out her blog at Known, Heard and Loved to see where she is going with an experience that shaped her life.

Hundredth Monkey stuff for sure.

Namaste

Where's the monkey?

2010-07-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Just a question or two for you today...

Where do you go to get your "good news?" To be fed by what you see and hear?
Where do you go to see reflections that the World is a positive place in a sea of negative press?
Where do you go to learn new things? Old dogs and new tricks are required. The Hundredth Monkey is about evolving into new and better ways of being.
Where do you go to feed your soul? Are you well nourished this day?

For myself, I go to different and unlikely places these days as I have grown my technology muscle. No longer the news on TV but the choice-filled sharing on you tubes, among my facebook family, public broadcasting and newsworthy blogs.

Independent films draw me more than ever. I go to my neighbors - the ones that uplift me - and talk about what they are doing to improve. I find my yoga mat and have a chat with God. That's always interesting. I visit with my favorite authors - the ones who inspire me with innovative ideas and tales of societies that thrive. I go to the history books that I might know of mistakes that were made by those that did not - and seek to beware of the thinking that preceeded the fall.

Where do you go?

The Hundredth Monkey will rely less on complaining about world affairs and more on changing what no longer serves.

What does that look like for you today?

ahhhhh...may we all be blessed by your answers.

namaste

Watch The Girl

2010-06-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

I found this video called A GIRL on elephant journal posted by the wonderful Waylon Lewis. Check out this inspiring journal - always a great read that will give you plenty of monkey ideas.

This video is short and sweet and truly inspires us to know what one person can become once The Hundredth Monkey shows up.

Enjoy!

Do Animal Rights Matter?

2010-06-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

A Hundredth Monkey will see what is going on around him and speak out for peace.

It is often said that a society is ultimately judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members. If we were to extend that maxim to include the animals that rely on us for their care, we'd face a harsh judgment.

I took this clip from the Change.org Newsletter:

This week an undercover video was released showing employees at Conklin Dairy, a dairy farm in Ohio, beating cows with crowbars, stabbing them with pitchforks, and violently punching, throwing and kicking young calves. Then the workers bragged about torturing the helpless animals.

After watching the video, Dr. Bernard Rollin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, said "This is probably the most gratuitous, sustained, sadistic animal abuse I have ever seen."

The agriculture industry wants you to believe this is an isolated incident. But it's not.

On factory farms, animals regularly live out their short lives in confinement so extreme that they can't stand up, turn around, stretch their limbs, or lie down comfortably. It's an industry where abuse has become normal.

Sometimes it takes an extreme example of abuse for a critical mass of society to acknowledge a chronic problem that is otherwise easy to ignore. For the welfare of animals raised in factory farms, we hope that time is now.

You don't have to be an animal advocate, much less a vegetarian, to want to reform the way we raise our farm animals.

All it takes is a modicum of compassion and the acknowledgment that animals should not endure unnecessary trauma or abuse while in our care.

If you would also like more information about how to get involved in the movement for broad-based reform of our animal welfare laws, we welcome you to visit the Animals community on Change.org.

Namaste

One Man's Journey

2010-05-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

">WOW! Click here for Inspiration plus...

Amazing video of what you can be - do - have with far less than you might think. Check out the video above then go visit Nick Vujicic at his website. This guy IS a hundredth monkey for sure, and I am grateful to have a place to offer his message to you.

Namaste Monkeys
Shine-on :)

Science and Consciousness

2010-05-12T16:03:00.000-07:00

The link at the bottom of this post is to a short video by Dr. Larry Dossey who offers his wonderful and heartfelt support for the viability of change in human consciousness.

In 1993, I invited Dr. Dossey to be the keynote speaker at the Second Mindbody Health and Fitness Conference which I produced in Santa Fe NM. At that time he was available and enthusiastic about speaking out for the change in consciousness that was about to affect an entire industry and help bridge the gap between "mindless exercise" and "mindful motion." Since those days he has been razzed as "crazy" and "unscientific" in the way pioneers throughout history have often endured, as well as hugely applauded and generously awarded for his far reaching goals for humanity - and for the prolific body of work he has produced toward that end.

This continues to be in direct alignment with my own mission, and the fitness industry is only one of the communities that can be affected by expanded consciousness. Medicine, politics, education, health - from the individual to the global community, we all have something to gain by finding new ways to expand our awareness and express the consciousness of peace.

In this vid you will hear a bit of his spiritual view that "all minds are connected." He particularly addresses the power of music.

You can also click here for a series of short you tubes on the project called Peace Has Begun.

Enjoy!

Communities and TED

2010-04-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Big time sharing is what I see here...

Excitement and vision and growth.

I have been intrigued with the concept of the TED talks - "ideas worth spreading" - for quite a while now, and perhaps I'm just late in noticing, but there seems to be an EXPLOSION of opportunity to share insight and opportunity across the globe through this venue. Free access to videos, you tubes, blogs and written reports abound - AND - communities are stepping forward and hosting their own TEDx events and more, like the one right here in my own community at the old historic Colonial Theater in Phoenixville, PA in September (take a look!)

I feel so proud, and so hopeful for our world when I see community action like this! Soothes the soul I say...and the Hundredth Monkey gets closer and closer.

Could it be you? Please take the time to share what you see going on in your own space. The more we see the more we share.

Blessings to all....

Monkey Business

2010-04-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

This piece of monkey advise comes from Jack Cuffari of Jack Cuffari Consulting and Brand Smacks Blog from his guest article on DuetsBlog called In Praise of Folly: Rantings of a Right Brained Activist.

Check it out - especially if you are doing business in today's changing world.

Monkeys abound everywhere :)

Meanwhile here are some nuggets.

"In the Left Brain Only business world, all that matters are analytics, number crunching, logic systems and hard data...but as a society we are searching past information for meaning. And I for one, as a Right Brain guy and a champion of breakthrough, connective messaging, couldn’t be more excited."

"...this is especially crucial in branding, and it is high time for those of us in branding-based disciplines to remember that what drives successful branding is emotional connectivity, a very human thing. We must effectively engage all the juicy stuff:..."

"...to accomplish connectivity at this kind of vital level takes great, powerful narrative, an authentic amount of empathy and a degree of meaningfulness that simple data, technology and science can’t deliver alone. And getting to that place may require fun, a focus on aesthetics and altruism – all those soft, non-ROI-based values. And woe to the business that deludes itself into thinking that it can thrive in an optimum manner without fully engaging these attributes."

Ken Keyes Jr.in his book on the hazards of nuclear war said something similar about our entire World.

If you haven't already, you can click here for a free download of Keyes book.

Perhaps the Hundredth Monkey showing up in your own business could be the tipping point we all need to see...

namaste

Shift of the Ages

2010-04-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Inspirational...beautiful reminders of You and I and Earth and Time...

The Hundredth Monkey shares the good news.

The upcoming Shift of the Ages film shares the Mayan Cosmo-Vision and Prophecy through the wisdom and teachings of Grandfather Cirilo Perez Oxlaj, also known as Wandering Wolf, Grand Elder of the living Maya. The film will be released in 2010, first at film festivals, then theaters, then via DVD and digital media.

The National Counsel of Elders Mayas, Xinca and Garifuna of Guatemala has an important message for the world. Their leader, Grandfather Cirilo, the protagonist of the Shift of the Ages film, discloses previously unavailable visions, concepts and ancient prophecies.

Many people know that a grand cycle of the famous Mayan Long Count Calendar ends in the 2011-2012 timeframe, but they may be misinformed about its meaning. According to Mayan prophecy, we have entered a unique period of time during which it is both safe and necessary to share this information to the public.

The Shift of the Ages film is the first official Maya discourse to the world.

Check out the beautiful videos on this link at Shift of the Ages.com

Who is The Hundredth Monkey?

2010-03-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

The Hundredth Monkey

Just a little back-story - by Ken Keyes, Jr.

The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, had been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years.
In 1952, on the island of Koshima, scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant.

An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem by washing the potatoes in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers too.

This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists.
Between 1952 and 1958 all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable.
Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes. Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes -- the exact number is not known.

Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let's further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.

THEN IT HAPPENED!

By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them.
The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!

But notice...
A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet potatoes then jumped over the sea --

Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes. Thus, when a certain critical number achieves an awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind.

Although the exact number may vary, this Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon means that when only a limited number of people know of a new way, it may remain the conscious property of these people.

But there is a point at which if only one more person tunes-in to a new awareness, a field is strengthened so that this awareness is picked up by almost everyone!

From the book "The Hundredth Monkey" by Ken Keyes, Jr.

(THE FOLLOWING WAS TRANSCRIBED FROM A BOOK WITH COPYRIGHT INFORMATION AS FOLLOWS: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG NO. 81-70978 / ISBN 0-942024-01-X.)

AUTHOR'S DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the Dinosaurs, who mutely warn us that a species which cannot adapt to changing conditions will become extinct.

This book is not copyrighted. You are asked to reproduce it in whole or in part, to distribute it with or without charge, in as many languages as possible, to as many people as possible. The rapid alerting of all humankind to nuclear realities is supremely urgent. If we are wiped out by nuclear destruction in the next few years, how important are the things we are doing today?

Download the entire book The Hundredth Monkey. It's a free gift to all who want it from Ken Keyes Jr.

Click here for your free download!

Truth

2010-03-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it can be about something downright profound...sometimes just a bit of everyday business. Either way, what's already known to you can be big news to somebody else.

When it comes to truth, it can take boldness to do the right thing - especially when you have to stick out with your actions, or be uncomfortable, or "different." Take picking up someone ease's litter for example. Kind of like washing your sweet potatoes when the rest of your monkey tribe stands around scratching their heads.

Sometimes it's just so much easier to look the other way....keep things going the same old same old.

But then you wouldn't be part of the Hundredth Monkey Effect, now would you?

Of course, sometimes truth can cause an adverse affect you have to watch out for. Just check out Georgie at Being Five...

Click here for "Truth"

Carry-on!

Quantum Healing Revealed

2010-03-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

Quantum healing...theoretical physics...sounds impressive, doesn't it? And hard to understand. Yet perhaps this is where The Hundredth Monkey lives...and it's all just big words with something you are already doing, and something your soul completely understands...

Check out this vid with Dr. Shui Yin Lo. Short and sweet, you can learn from his research why your thoughts are so very powerful.

Blessings to you!

Click here and enjoy!

Namaste

Words That Work

2010-02-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

Words That Work

Words that work on us - words to 'work out' with - words that can deepen us on the issue of belonging...and asking the question "who are we?"

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

If I am only for myself, what am I?

If not now, when?

These are the words of Rev Ken Beldon in a juicy sermon quoting Rabbi Hillel who lived 2,000 years ago. You sure don't need to be religious, organized or opinionated to recognize perfect territory for The Hundredth Monkey.

Do yourself the favor and listen to the podcast!

Click here for Words That Work

Go to "If I am not for myself who will be for me..."

posted on 2/14/2010.

Enjoy -

Monkeytime for Social Media

2010-02-17T22:39:00.000-08:00

Social Media Revolution
wow!

This vid makes you realize just how fast information is traveling today.

You may have seen it already - 1,467,666 views as of this post - but check it out again given the context of The Hundredth Monkey and the amazing power of the individual to affect change.

Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? This video details social media facts and figures that are hard to ignore.

If we can shift the consciousness of an entire group by adding to it through new individual awareness, just imagine what we can do with the kind of tech we have in our hands now.

What's on your plate today?

Can Words Make the Difference?

2010-02-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

It is challenging to examine our habits in terms of the words we use to express ourselves, but it is also exciting. Language is an area where we can exercise our free will, creating positive change in the world around us by simply choosing carefully the words we use.

"Choose to be more conscious of the words and phrases you use in everyday life as words have power."

It may seem like a small thing, but our words have a rippling effect, like a stone thrown in a pond... we don’t need to actively try to influence people; it happens without our even thinking about it. All we have to do is choose to be more conscious ourselves, putting to rest words and phrases that are outmoded, insensitive, or harmful. We can also exercise our creativity by creating new phrases that carry positive and loving energy to replace the old ones.

This beautiful synopsis is from www.DAILY OM

a wonderful website for conscious living.

For more support on the use of Conscious Language, "Fundamentals of Emotional Freedom"
will help you move through the emotions that are defined by the language you use.

You can find this and other downloads from Yokibics by
clicking here.

Go be the Monkey!
Namaste

Share the Love

2010-02-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

For you today via JoAnna Brandi, author of

The Customer Care Coach

"At the deepest level, it's real love and care that people crave.

Give those things, and you'll receive them.

Through your caring deeds and actions, you'll truly make your mark on the world."

Doc Childre and Howard Martin, writing in The HeartMath Solution

The Joy of Dance

2010-01-26T09:23:00.000-08:00

Enjoy a great video!

click HERE

You will love this...Definitely worth watching.

Improv Everywhere causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places. Created in August of 2001 by Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere has executed over 100 missions involving tens of thousands of undercover agents. The group is based in New York City.

Could this be a version of what we are meant for? To be joy creators? and joy participators?
This one is great.

Joy to you today!

Does Positive News Exist?

2010-01-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

I am just one of a handful of people I personally know who love twitter.

I am a baby boomer so I didn't grow up having a media devise strapped to my wrist, but I have learned the value of human interaction through social media, and that enthralls me.

For many months I saw the visionary possibilities of grass roots social networking for good causes, but I had my epihany on the night of the Iran elections.

I was watching my twitter feed do it's thing while thinking how nice my bed was going to feel in just a few minutes, when I noticed the messages ("tweets") I receive starting to light up with personal reports from people inside Iran. They were describing what was happening in the streets. The reports were distressing. The tone was disturbing. Next came photos. Quickly individuals from countries outside of Iran began stepping forward and tweeting back...it was as quick as 1,2,3...strangers no longer strange to each other.

"What's happening there?"

"How can we help?"

"How can I help??"

How can I ...

hmmmm there are some good folks out there...

I jogged downstairs to my TV and clicked through every station. Nothing. Nada. Running back to my twitter feed online I saw that individual by individual, people had found each other and joined forces in all sorts of unexpected ways. I watched it happen right before my eyes. Some contacted their local media stations with breaking news. Others were online communicators themselves and just started posting. Still others became beacons of light simply by bringing awareness to their own groups and tweeting "HEY look here - look what's going on." Many changed their logo picture to reflect their participation in spreading the news.

Later - much later - mainstream media had it's own "breaking news" but in truth they took a whole lot longer than the folks I participated with on twitter, and I'm not really sure that what was offered was help.

Now I witness the devastation in Haiti. So many people have opened their minds and hearts to others who are far away. The Hundredth Monkey says "I can."

Some of us are here to shine the light on those who show up in action. This too is a way of demonstrating "I can." Mashable is one of my favorite online sources of information. I invite you to check out what folks have done for Haitian relief that will make you feel good.

Mashables Media Click Here

Do you have something else to add?

Namaste as the Spirit in Me Sees the Spirit in You.

Sharing Goodness

2010-01-12T15:06:00.000-08:00

The winds of change are coming.

Can you feel it?

Despite what we've heard about Nostradamus' predictions, global warming, deforestation, GMOs, human conflict, energy wars and those who would aspire to elevate horn honking to a fine art...the thing IS the winds of change are coming and they just might be in the direction of good.

My understanding of the Hundredth Monkey concept invites us to the awareness that change is happening all around us, and if we choose to notice we can add to that change in the direction of harmony and peace.

The thing is, it invites us to notice.

It invites us to notice.

JUST the act of noticing itself creates change. The amazing ability of human consciousness to bring awareness to itself adds something that was not there before the noticing.

It adds possibility...possibility that once seen can be amplified and duplicated and expanded and given power.

Recognizing what goodness is occurring around you not only counters fear but adds to the power of goodness itself. One tiny speck of recognition then might be all it takes to change the global initiative from fear... to love.

What good have you noticed lately?

I invite you to use this comment area to share. :)

Christmas With Grandma

2009-12-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Could The Hundredth Monkey be Santa himself??

A Story Submitted 12/20/2009 by Larry J Burke

I BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma.. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her. On the way, my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted..."Ridiculous! Don't you believe it! That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where Grandma", I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car."

Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note telling the teacher that he had a cough,but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat.

I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.

"Yes ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare, and FRIENDS that care...

And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

Give back - what you can, where you can, whenever you can.

A Hundredth Monkey in Wal-Mart

2009-12-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you too have a story to share...a story that can help others see for themselves what it is to make that one simple shift ...

The Wal-Mart Occurrence

A True Story Nov 20, 2009 by Nancy L Wolf

As always I am in a race against time.. Squeezing in my “ things to do” in the time frame of when the aides are here and when do I have to be back home and all that stuff. I knew Wal-Mart would be busy but had to get a few things including a Rx, so I raced over and did my thing.

I always go in the garden entrance as its less chaotic parking and less crowded.

So with 15 minutes to spare I get in a short line (only 3 of us) and figure things will be okay. Then I see the lady next in line and her cart is overflowing to the brim with a mountain of items and thinking oh boy this is going to take forever. The line behind me starts to fill up and everyone is complaining and moaning over how they have to wait and how you are not supposed to have that much stuff in that garden section etc etc.

I was starting to get annoyed, but something inside me (my yoga teaching mostly) said to myself” who knows what is going on with her? Why does she have so much? Maybe she has no other time to come, or lots of things, so I slowed my mind down and just observed. As she hurriedly put her mountain of articles on the small space I saw she had a companion who was coming and getting the bags as they were full and taking them out to the car. I observed they both looked very somber and nervous. I finally could see half way down her basket and saw all the Xmas stuff and she had also purchased a pre lit tree that she needed help getting to the car.

By now the people behind me were in a fit.. Saying things out loud and leaving.. Cursing life and turning red. I thought ” I am not going to freak out. Something here is just not right …" but then I had to be home for my husband on hospice so I was a little worried about the time.

Suddenly she turned around when she heard someone’s comment and looked so upset. She then came over to me and the lady behind me..I had been talking to the lady behind me and saying I needed to get out on time as my husband was on hospice and she said "go in front of me don’t worry…" so there we were chatting and this stranger comes over to us… leaving her pile of items… and puts her hands to her face and says ”I’m so sorry.. I have to get all of this to the house right away.. My husband is on hospice and he is dying" (my legs got weak and my mouth dry) I couldn’t say the words as tears were streaming down my cheeks. The lady next to me looked at her and said ”so is her husband” we both just looked at each other and time stood still. All I could picture was her racing home to try and set everything up for him so he could ”see Xmas “ before he passes. She looked at me and then she took my hands. No words exchanged… just tears.

Suddenly the line got very quiet..it was like no one else was there… just me and this stranger both sharing this deep sadness at this time of year and understanding each other. She had to be around 75? But there was no age in that moment. She finally went back to her stuff and paid. And then she turned back to look at me one last time. I opened up my arms to her as a signal... and she came over. We stood and hugged each other for what seemed a long time… both of us crying… and then she left and I was up next.

Fighting back the tears… all I could think was of all the uptight people who had been so impatient and I was beginning to be like that… but I am so grateful I stopped myself and calmed and centered myself and observed.

You just never know why people do what they do… take time to observe and time to be grateful for those busy lives you have.. I will never forget that event… Be ever so grateful, not just at Xmas but always. For your lives and if you have the luxury of being able to not live you life in segments of time, and if your family and yourself is healthy… then next time you have to wait… remember this true story that happened to me this November of 2009.
Peace, Nan

"Lately it occurs to me... what a long strange trip it's been!"

What's up with that?

2009-12-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

The hundredth-monkey effect is "a supposed phenomenon in which a learned behavior spreads instantaneously from one group of monkeys to all related monkeys once a critical number is reached. By generalization it means the instantaneous, paranormal spreading of an idea or ability to the remainder of a population once a certain portion of that population has heard of the new idea or learned the new ability."

The story of the “Hundredth Monkey Effect” was published in the foreword to Lawrence Blair's Rhythms of Vision in 1975.^[1] The claim spread with the appearance of Lifetide, a 1979 book by Lyall Watson. In it, Watson repeats Blair's claim. The authors describe similar scenarios. They state that unidentified scientists were conducting a study of macaques monkeys on the Japanese island of Koshima in 1952.^[2] These scientists purportedly observed that some of these monkeys learned to wash sweet potatoes, and gradually this new behavior spread through the younger generation of monkeys—in the usual fashion, through observation and repetition. Watson then claimed that the researchers observed that once a critical number of monkeys was reached—the so-called hundredth monkey—this previously learned behavior instantly spread across the water to monkeys on nearby islands.

This story was further popularized by Ken Keyes, Jr. with the publication of his book The Hundredth Monkey. Keyes presented the “Hundredth Monkey Effect” story as an inspirational parable, applying it to human society and the effecting of positive change therein. Since then, the story has become widely accepted as fact and even appears in books written by some educators.

The book by Keyes was a treatise on the effects of nuclear war on the planet and the devastation caused thereon.

Of course, the research goes on and on disputing everything from the monkeys to the study to the sweet potatoes themselves...but maybe - just maybe - there really is something here.

Maybe that something is YOU.