A Note on Your Divinity: The Natural Condition of Love

10 November 2009 by blog.

Greetings, gentle readers and Divine folks everywhere. We have taken some serious time off recently, pausing to ponder so many world changes at hand. Well, let us reconnect once again, this time to consider the innately loving and Divine nature of the Human species.

A universal behavior – from the high tech societies of the east and west to the villages of the last indigenous peoples everywhere and in all cultures across the globe – is the response that adult humans have when a baby smiles. Try as you may, it takes a severe effort to respond to a smiling baby with anything other than a smile. Why? We are programmed to do so; it is in our genes, a miraculous encoding of human DNA that makes a smiling baby virtually irresistible. We have an innate desire to protect and otherwise nurture the baby bearer of the smile. We cannot help this for Mother Nature compels us to care.

Babies, likewise, are universally born with an instinct to smile (and as recent evidence proves, babies can be seen smiling even before they are born).  The myths and social developments of modern society seek to convince us that babies cry first, but the evidence suggest that in natural birthing environments, babies are born awed and wide eyed. And one of the first things they do is smile. Why? Because they already know – if they smile, we will smile back and be compelled to take care of them.

Let us form the proposition, therefore, that we are born loving and that we have an instinct to love back. It should be a strong assertion, following, that anything we do to each other besides acting on our instinct to love, care, and protect one another is learned behavior. We are not born with hate. We are born with love. We must, therefore, acquire hate by learning hatred from others. In our natural condition, however, it takes no learning to love, we just do.

This is, as noted, a cross-cultural, universal behavior – no matter your location, ethnicity, background, or condition, the babies will smile and the adults have an instinct to smile back. This innate reaction is a key component and natural marker of the social nature of humans which has allowed us to propagate and survive. Otherwise, we would have long ago hated each other out of existence. Indeed, the learned behavior of hatred – the fear of the “others,” the mistrust of peoples outside of our families, nations, and belief systems, may yet be the learned and unnatural undoing of the human species. We should know, however, that hatred is truly not our natural condition and we should see the madness and sadness of the continuing, pervasive, indoctrinated hatred that keeps us divided and in competition with each other.

I have heard, and we witness daily, the naysayers who would deny the universal truth that we are a social species naturally ingrained – literally programmed – to love each other. These people claim that the nature of humans is inherently evil. What a grim view and surely evidence that we have lost our way as we have moved from our natural condition of attunement and balance with nature. These people can only feel this way because they have been denied the pure loving that is the natural way of our species. That, gentle readers, is a pity.

It is time for a pause to consider that if we feel hate, we have learned it. Therefore, let us examine our belief systems and frankly assess the conditions that have allowed hatred to fester in our hearts, between individuals, and indeed between cultures and societies for so long.

Given the condition and state of the world today, it seems there is no time like the present to break through the indoctrination of division – to call out the haters and cast off the hatred – that leaves so many of us believing we are so different from each other. You, gentle reader, are born loving and that is truly divine. May the Healing Powers of the Universe guide us in realizing and celebrating the natural condition of love that marks our shared Divineness.

Peace to all and all the best,

blog

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A Note on Your Divinity: Divine Intelligence

22 May 2009 by blog.

Hello, gentle readers and Divine people everywhere! Revelations on our divine natures are ever-present. Today we pause to consider human intelligence as a universal marker of our divinity. 

A simple definition of intelligence defines it as the “capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.” (1)  This is what we do. Humans are an intelligent species. We are born with intelligence, defined as our innate capacity to learn, reason, and understand the truths, relationships, facts, and meanings of things in the Universe.

Every person, therefore, is an intelligent being. This simple fact – that we are all intelligent beings – is a marker of the divine nature of our species. We have universal intelligence, a point with spiritual resonations in awareness and understanding of our divine intelligence.

You, gentle reader, are an intelligent, amazing, and Divine individual. Just thought it would be cool to pause and thank you for your inspiration.

Cheers,

blog 

(1) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intelligence

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Earth Day Reminder to Claim Abundance

22 April 2009 by blog.

People everywhere are celebrating the Earth today. If you want to contemplate your divine nature — that is to find the goddess, or God, or convene with the Spirit as described in various ways across cultures and traditions — consider going outside to say hello to a tree or talk to some plants, while keeping in mind the following points:

• The Sun gets its energy because of its creation as a star in our Universe. We have observed and theorized about the origin of Stars and so far the evidence shows that Stars are wondrous.
• The energy from the Sun streams through space and especially in the form of light provides energy to the trees and plants.  The plants take sunlight and convert it through photosynthesis into substances — oxygen, water, sugars, fiber — without which there would be no life as we know it on Earth. To find God here, know that after thousands of years of modern science, we still have not cracked photosynthesis and all we can say regards the conclusive big picture is that photosynthesis and what plants do is  through mysterious, miraculous, and Divine processes. This is direct evidence. Is there any additional proof needed?
• Take time to pause for a deep breath. You will have just, explicitly in this focus, taken in oxygen from the plants, which is energy from the Universe, from the Sun, that has been converted from one form (sunlight) into another. This energy is a life force - without it, life as we know it would not exist.
• Remember that as each other breathes, we are taking in the same substance - the same life supporting energy - that drives the spark of Divine life we share, that same life force which started in us when our parents united to procreate. We are connecting to the Universe and since everyone is doing it, since everyone is connected to the Sun and through and beyond that to the Universe, by extension we are connected and connecting to each other. Take a breath and find God in that - it is miraculous to consider.

Divine energy is in us, of us, about us, and around us. We are all connected to each other, whether considering that we are human because of the DNA of our species or observing the patterns in Nature (such as the imagery of our connectedness through breathing or propagation of a life force that is the same through billions of people). This is the miracle of Mother Nature and Earth Day is a great time to pause and consider this.

Humans are of the Earth and of each other. We are inextricably linked to form a global family, seen in infinite  patterns that prove we are all the same while we simultaneously exists as unique individuals expressing thousands of shared characteristics (such as eyes for seeing) that are expressed in spectrums (dark brown, hazel, gray, green, blue, golden, and other individual beautiful colors) as we adapt to our place on Earth and the people and environments around us.

On Earth Day, let us celebrate our connections to the Earth and each other!

Finally, let us pause to consider a serious and central point of Earth Day as well - that the Architecture of Fear, which has led to massive pollution and imbalance, is not sustainable and is not right for a magnificent planet. The Earth is abundant. Earth Day is a chance to remind ourselves that the Architecture of Abundance is all about people coming together to protect the Earth and creating a world of unity and prosperity befitting of the glory revealed within.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

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Revelation on the Healing Powers of the Universe: Miracles

21 April 2009 by blog.

Hello, World! This greeting is sent to everyone, simply and with hope that no matter where you are or what is currently going on in the World, you will be uplifted as we pause to consider ancient knowledge in this Revelation:

The Healing Powers of the Universe are in and with us all.

I present myself in joining people everywhere, all of them radiantly spiritual and Divine, in sharing the story below. The comments that follow my testimony are representative of the emails, cards, calls, or visits that people have shared, delivering their support and love for me, while creating a process of mutual inspiration that is uplifting, healing, and miraculous.

I Believe in Miracles

One thing which many of my newer friends have noticed is that often my postings refer to “the accident” or “my recovery” or “a miracle.” This note is to provide some history as to where this comes from and is a compilation from messages that I have shared with my friends in the past.

In November 2007, while I was on business in NYC, I had a devastating fall. The circumstances are unclear as the accident was traumatic to the point of amnesia. The forensic evidence suggests that I had worked a long day (fourteen hours between the first and last emails for work), so perhaps I was exhausted and alcohol was involved. As a person used to a fast paced life - working hard and partying hard - those are just factors, in the end. Maybe I slipped; could have been hit by a car; or perhaps I was pushed. Whatever happened, I was in a weakened state that left me vulnerable to a negative attack (and I have reason to believe this was the case, even though it does not appear that I was robbed).

I was found by the NYPD at the bottom of a stairwell a few blocks from my apartment. It appears that I went down face first, sustaining severe facial injuries that took a lot of skin and left me bloodied on top of three far more serious internal injuries — a collapsed lung, a traumatic brain injury, and most critically, a spinal cord injury between discs C3-C4 in my neck. Whatever happened, I was essentially left for dead. But by the grace of Divine intervention was I found in time before deathly rigor set in.

The spinal cord injury left me paralyzed, essentially from the neck down, in a state of quadriplegia. This was caused by a spinal cord contusion (bruising or ‘pinging’) and edema (swelling) that resulted when my head snapped back. Further, the edema was exacerbated because I have congenital spinal stenosis, a condition that occurs at birth in about 10% of people where there is a marked narrowing of the spinal canal at certain points. I snapped my neck in potentially the worst of all sections for me, the narrow part, and there was nowhere for the swollen cord to go, complicating the injury.

The brain injury left me in an abyss. In addition to amnesia, common in these types of neurological injuries, there was serious seepage of fluids deep into the tissues and brain matter was damaged. The facial lacerations were consistent with being dragged over concrete or, as a lot of people who saw me afterward would say, it looked like I went through the windshield of a car face first. As one friend said when she saw me first in the hospital, “it was rough.”

The prognosis was bleak: 98% of people with similar injuries end up with some severe paralysis or physical deficit. The doctors prepared us to expect the worst (quadriplegic) or less worst (paraplegic). My family and friends were devastated. When I arrived to the hospital for rehab a week after the accident, they had a wheelchair and slider board with my name, literally, on it.

Sine then, I have had a miraculous recovery. Starting near two weeks after the accident, I regained some movement in my legs (it was the left big toe that moved first) and shortly thereafter I regained movement in my arms (I could not lift them more than a few inches, but they moved). When I left the hospital in December, I was, incredibly, able to do it without primary (i.e., no walker) assistance (but I did have my nephew’s arm). I was too weak to travel home until February, 2008 but I made it back to Chicago and started a program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago that has been critical in helping me regain my faculties.

The essential components of my recovery, the ingredients in the recipe for this miracle, are as follows:

1. A deeply spiritual belief and determination that I would recover along with a determined, positive attitude. This started when, days after the accident, some of my friends were in the hospital and I noticed how distraught they were. The only thing I could think to say was, “Don’t worry, I am going to have a miraculous recovery.” If I had said anything else, I believe that the outcome would not be as it is today as I received a great blessing.
2. Adoption of macrobiotic principles (see the book “The Macrobiotic Way” by Kushi, Blauer, Esko) in eating, exercise, and attitude. We believe “you are what you eat,” so I ate healing foods. Likewise, we believe that, “one attracts energy based on what one exudes,” so I radiated positivity. I was so optimistic that a close friend gently said one night, “You know, it’s okay to grieve.” True on that, but when you can only move your eyelids, there is something that clicks about being alive and I was happy for that so that is what I stuck to.
3. Aggressive physical, occupational, and speech/language pathology therapies. I had PT and OT 3X week, each, for months, went to the gym as much as I could, and moved at every opportunity. SLP was for my brain recovery as I lost significant higher level cognitive stamina (although, fortunately, not too much cognitive faculty).
4. Incorporation of western (i.e., medical therapeutic massage) with eastern (i.e., acupuncture) medical practices with a view towards holistic health (i.e., also including spiritual development which is a part of all points listed here).
5. Opening myself to the energy of the Healing Powers of the Universe, being particularly receptive to the thoughts, prayers, vibes, energy, etc., of so many people who reached out and provided support. This cannot be overstated - without the love of people everywhere I would not have had a fighting chance.
6. Recognition that my return from the abyss was driven by an internal healing power that is a gift from God (or the goddess as I like to remind myself that the Divine feminine is the source of life for us all and that the concept of God is larger than most of us and our religions frame it).

My official goal is to be 118% - I am not there yet and I have some work to do but I have reached a point where this is realistic in a shorter-time frame now than at any point since the accident. The advantage I have is that everything moves (and I like to quote Data from the show Star Trek: The Next Generation, “I am fully functional and programmed in multiple techniques.”).

I have a great chance to overcome the weakness from residual muscle atrophy. I moved from Physical Therapy to Physical Training at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, commencing their Functional Fitness Program in March 2009. For relative comparison, in March 2008, I could barely curl a 2lb dumbbell. In March 2009, I could curl a 10lb dumbbell. Now, I am happy to report, I was able to complete a set to failure with a 25lb dumbbell this April. Not all of my gains are 100%-ing, but from five times to ten times stronger from that 2008 baseline in a month is exciting. Dramatic gains, this far out, are atypical. Then again, so is the miracle, and as the recovery continues I still refuse to accept the “medical expectation.”

It may take me longer than an average 40+ year old male to finally re-develop normal strength, but I am blessed to be on the way!

The Universe gives us challenges that we are capable of handling, we just have to find our way. This is not always easy, and as many have experienced, often difficult and painful. We must stay strong and know that we are not alone.

We all have a miracle inside of us. I look forward to sharing with as many people as possible the lessons I have learned and the mission called by this experience as life presents a second chance to make a difference. Extra thanks and love to all who rallied and still stand in support. May the Healing Powers of the Universe be with you as they are with me!

God bless,
blog

 

Devastating spinal cord injury sustained in November 2007. 98% of people with this type of injury suffer debilitating physical loss.

Comments  @ Facebook.com

Wesley and Vickie like this.

 

Chris

Truly inspirational. You are a miracle, my friend.

Krishan

Thank you for sharing this, Dennis. Thank you.

Marla

Wow! Thanks for sharing your amazing story. You are an inspiration to all!

Steve

Thanks for sharing your Traumatic story and giving the positive message. We touched base on your severe accident a while back but I didn’t realize the traumatic nature. I was thinking that you fell down the steps. You are an inspiration to me and I’m glad your sharing your story to help others.

Joan

Thanks for sharing, Dennie. You made my day.

Toni

Your truths can raise the consciousness of a nation. Please continue to go forward valiantly… the world is waiting. I love you till the end of time.

Dennis

Chris, Krishan - thanks for being there first and compelling me to want to come back; Marla, our paths have crossed presciently; Steve, without our re-connect exactly as it was, where would I be?; Joan, much appreciation - your attention to the children reminds me constantly of what is most important in life; and Toni Tee, thanks for being my best friend since day one.

Eleanor

You are a walking miracle Dennie and I am so glad that you are doing so well. Can’t wait to see you in June.

Michelle

Wow!! You are truly blessed by the hand of God! Thank you for bringing this positive word. It is something I need to hear from time to time especially when life’s hiccups come around. To go through such a trama and to have such a good outlook, I am proud to call you my friend! Keep on going Denny!! You can do anything through Christ!!

Vickie

U better bet it, Dennie T is additional proof that God is able when spirit and body is willing to take that risk

Tammy

I am truly moved and thankful you are able to share this with us. I also know that you know The Secret….

Katie

Dennie - I had only heard bits and pieces of what happened and had no idea how serious your injuries were. It sounds like such a scary experience and it is so great to hear that you have come this far in beating the odds. Thanks for sharing the story and I look forward to hearing the next update on your continued successes.

Valerie

Dennie,
What a moving story. I had no idea that you had gone through this. Wow. You are a survivor. May God continue to bless you and may your testimony be a blessing to others, on multiple levels. Peace and blessings - Valerie

Lisa

I am truly touched by your story. Literally but for the grace go I…. God Is Good…ALL THE TIME..and ALL THE TIME…God IS GOOD!!

Andre

Thanks for sharing. You’d shared your story about the accident and paralysis with me in previous posts, but I wasn’t sure if you were were still a quadriplegic or not and was a bit hesitant to come out and ask directly. This is an amazing story Dennis. God is good. I pray that you continue on your successful road beyond full recovery. Best, Andre

Erin

Dennis - thank you for sharing your story. It is pretty amazing, and I wish you the best on your road to 118%!

Mark

Buddy, you are the embodiment of courage and determination. Thanks for sharing.

Rick

We’ll have you tailing a winch in no time.

Stephen

Thank you for sharing your courageous and inspiring story.

Patrice

To God be the Glory!! Dennis, keep on keepin on, your testimony is truly inspirational and I am going out to find the book by Blauer. Thanks so much for sharing all of this.

Herman

Hey Dennis, Long time brother. I just read your note ‘I believe in Miracles;’ thank you for sharing it, and I am enriched from reading it and will remember you in my thoughts and prayers in an effort to add further momentum to the positive forces that have ushered you down the road to recovery. Yours in friendship and in kinship of spirit. Herman

Janny

Inspiring!! You are an amazing person who lives up to what you believe!! I am so blessed to have met you. When you are at 118% Hank would love to go for a walk with Uncle Dennie.

Amy

Thank you for sharing not only your story, but your guide to healing. It’s truly amzing as God is amazing! May you continue to grow stronger each day in mind, body and spirit.

Yulette

Thank you Dennis, your story comes to me at a time that I myself need some inspiration…. You have inspired me to stay strong as I face a very small difficulty (in comparison to what you have faced). I pry for you and may God’s grace and blessings keep you strong and headed towards 118%.

Carolyn

Thanks for sharing your story. I pray for your continued recovery.

Valentina

Dennie, thanks for sharing your story with me once again. I know that Keith is on his way to recovery and even though insurance has said that he is ‘CUSTODIAL’, he is proving them wrong by the new movements and way he tries to communicate lately. God is the ultimate and only one who has the power to bring Keith back to us. A brain injury is such…  Read More a traumatic and complicated situation… but with God, we will overcome!! I was told that Keith has the mindset of a 2-3 year old, but I didn’t receive that because I know that my husband is still in there somewhere and I need the energy and belief from folks that he is healed and he is on his way back.

You are an inspirational testimony to us all and i can only hope that we can do the same with Keith’s situation… for God is all and we know He can do it for us if we believe.

Take care and God bless!!

Angela

Incredibly inspiring. “We all have a miracle inside of us.” Thank you for sharing the miracle that is Dennie T. I’m glad you have a second chance to make a difference. You certainly are making one. :-> More blessings to you.

Marla

Dennis- You should make a documentary out of this. I know someone who makes movies like this for a living. Your would be an amazing story to share with other!

S.J.

Namaste. Thank you for sharing.

Geraldine

This is a most inspiring note Dennis. I re-read it several times today and now have a better understanding of your undeterred positive energy and lust for life. You will have no trouble reaching 118%; we will be rooting for you. Thanks for sharing.

Millicent

Dennis, I had not know the particulars of your fall before, though I was aware that a miracle had occurred. After reading the details, the miraculous looks even more amazing. But, then, I do believe that my God takes care of his own. Your resilience is itself amazing, and you are an inspiration to us all. How can I let myself be brought down by “…  Read Morethe little things” in my own life, when I read all that you have gone through and are going through? There is no real hierarchy of pain; however, and I know that what each of us has inside differs. Still … Onward and upward. And, consider, as someone else on this site has suggested, doing a book or a documentary. I love you.

Ken

Dennis, you continue to inspire me. I will continue to pray for your official goal of 118%.

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Brain Injury Awareness

13 March 2009 by blog.

Millions of people suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) every year. I had one in 2007 that left me in an abyss of amnesia, seeping brain fluids, and paralysis.  My brain therapy continues, following a miraculous recovery from the deep.

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Here are some links for those pausing for additional awareness:

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Wikipedia

Yahoo! (search)

Google (search)

Thanks,

blog

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A Note on Your Divinity

2 March 2009 by blog.

Following a recent discussion on Facebook with some friends, regards, as we were calling her, the Octo-Mom, I would like to share a thought about your divinity with the rest of the world. The thought is: You, gentle reader, are a Divine individual.

We use a capital ‘D’ to emphasize a nearly universal human belief, namely that all people are Divine. This is expressed in many cultures around the globe, particularly in the major religious doctrines and traditions. Most people have some local translation for the statement, “God is in us.” Let us, therefore, abstract up a level, ever seeking to relate an understanding that the greater commonality is what binds us, even as we get caught up in the indoctrination of division that permeates a world operating over an Architecture of Fear.

No matter where you are, what your circumstances, plight, outlook, or station in the face of what we have created in the world so far, I hope you do not mind if I take this time to pause and share with you how wondrous I find that just like me, you, gentle reader, are Divine!

————

The Octo-Mom is Nadya Suleman, a woman who gave birth to octuplets in 2009. The circumstances of the conception, the situation of Ms. Suleman, and the current state of the world, created a sensation. Many people took time for a pause. My two cents, in considering many issues and often opposing, critical viewpoints, follows below.

It is hard to judge God. On the one hand, if God put all creatures on the Earth and if God does not make mistakes, then who are we to judge God’s creations? On the other hand, as God is in us, blessing us with an innate sense of the Divine, it feels, and sometimes we know, that all is not perfect in us nor in the world.

The mother should know that no matter her inner urges or feelings of deflated self that leave her painfully reaching out in a manner, which by our norms and after 10,000 years of recent evolution, strikes many of us as sad, [the mother should know] that she is a Divine being. She is beautiful and beyond adequate, but her choices do speak of an inner pain that runs deep.

If we were doing right by and for the children already in the world today, surely adding 8 more would increase the universal joy. But we are not there and we have a monumental task with the children already here - 35 million children who live in poverty in the United States; an education crisis, particularly with boys; childhood obesity epidemic; and other things happening with kids that reflect how poorly, really, as a society we are with raising our children. Eight beautiful sparks of life have arrived in this world, it seems, where the deck is stacked against them.

We have our human tragedies but we keep evolving and the program seems to be moving towards perfection. Bless everyone, and thank you all for your time, consideration, and reflection.

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