December 23

Holiday Wishes
In the northern Hemisphere, new light now comes to the earth. In reality, new light is coming to everywhere on earth.

It is the holidays. The Solstice was two days ago, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, and the New Year are all upon us as well.

Here are my holiday wishes for the planet Earth -

1) Bring on the Light! From all that I read from energy readers, astrologists, people who are deeply in touch with Mother Earth - 2007 is going to be a year of true new birth of Light here. It will be a year where great supporting energies will arrive to support our individual paths. I hold the intention that this light will come. I welcome it with open arms. In this year, much will be revealed on the planet. I hope the new light will help many to more fully realize just who they are and what they are here for. And I hope each can find their true unique gifts and bring them all to bear so that we can be more unified and joyful. If you are interested in following along with that - I recommend reading the energy alerts from Karen Bishop on whatsuponplanetearth.com.

2) Joy to the World! This planet is not meant to be a place where everything is so difficult and stressful. We are meant to live in joy. We are children of God, and She and He support our living in a place of deep joy. Find joy in silence. Joy in nature. Joy in your family. Joy in your work (or change jobs to something that IS joyful). Joy in your dream state. Joy in your friends, pets, what you read, what you eat, in your physical activity, in your breath. Find joy in rain and snow and sunny days. Joy is everywhere. Live in gratitude!

3) Peace on the Earth! For peace on the earth to become a reality, we must first find peace within ourselves. When we do we realize there is no reason for war. It doesn't mean there will never be conflict, but we are creative beings who can solve conflict in peaceful ways. Honor yourself. Honor others. Find similarities that tie you and not differences that bind you. Find blessings in others opinions and different cultures. All of us have the gift of love in us. Even those who commit the worst crimes imaginable. Have compassion for others - even if you disagree with them. Find the Face of God in every creature. There is no more need for us to kill each other and build more weapons of destruction. Let's build better schools, cure disease, clean up the earth, care for the aged, work on reducing violence in schools, heal the sick instead. It's a lot more fun to do that than putting money into war machines. We have the resources for peace. Both in money and in spirit. Let's get to it.

4) Good will toward women (and men)! - The Mother is on the rise. We have for too long been in a state of patriarchy. Men have ruled the countries, the religions, the military, the businesses for thousands of years. It's not working very well. Let 2007 be a year when we bring the state of male-female energy on earth into balance. This perhaps is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. It doesn't mean men have to give up power, it means sharing power. And we will find, when this happens, that we are all more powerful than we have imagined. Just perhaps in a different way. We've had enough time now to prove that the system of a male dominated planet is not in our best interest. Now we are at the tipping point of deciding either to change this and bring balance back, or eventually face living on a very different planet. Or not being able to sustain ourselves on the planet at all. Let us choose balance over extinction.

5) Happy New Year! - as you look at 2007, I urge you not to make New Year's resolutions but to set your intentions for the year. Resolutions seem to go away by about January 15th, but if you ponder your intentions are for the year and give them to the Universe as a prayer, and just sit back and pay attention to the little things that happen to you during the year, you may be amazed. Be heard, speak boldly and from your heart and not your head. Seek and you shall Find. Ask, and you shall Receive.

Happy Holidays to All!

December 13

Fruit Flies and my Father

Today is the two year anniversary of my father's death. And I find myself celebrating and grateful for him - as I have learned, he's not really gone at all - I experience him all the time. His death was one of the great gifts of my life. As was his life.

I've learned that people who have lost love ones sometimes experience their presence in interesting ways - through nature, birds, dreams, actually seeing them, flowers, coincidences... the realm of spirit beyond the human body is fascinating, comforting, and wonderful. My dad has chosen a unique way of making his presence felt to me and increasingly to members of my family. Through fruit flies.

About six months after he died, I began seeing one fruit fly at various times around the house. Perhaps it was at times when I was thinking about him - I don't know how I made the connection - but once I did, I told my wife and kids. My wife started seeing them to, and the kids reported the same. Once, in fact, my son saw one on the kitchen table and squished it and then was in horror that he'd killed the fruit fly - fortunately, it flew away. Then the fruit flies started taking the show on the road. I began seeing them with some of my friends, at coffee shops, restaurants. It was always one fruit fly. I was with one of my best friends who was in from Cape Town and with my mother - and explaining to them my stories. Just as I was explaining this (and thinking I was crazy), my friend looked down and guess what had landed on his thumbnail?

I was at my last board meeting as Chair of the Minnesota International Center at one of the most prestigious law firms in town weeks later. As soon as I closed the meeting, I was talking to the President of the Organization (my father had also been on the board and had gotten me involved), this little fruit fly scooted right past my eyes. A few weeks later I was at home singing the song Courage which I played at my father's funeral. I saw a fruit fly. As I began playing, it landed right next to me - sat there the entire time until I was finished an flew off.

I gave a copy of the album to my friend Tim Frantzich who produced the album - he took it home and as he was picking it up to play it for the first time, he noticed a fruit fly on the cd case. I saw a fruit fly at the top of Maccu Piccu in Peru. My kids saw them on the bus home from school. My daughter reported one as she was practicing for the school play. I saw one at my Dad's high school when one of my best friends was speaking at my 25th anniversary. At lunch with my brother in law.

My mother started seeing them - at home getting ready for our family Thanksgiving trip to Arizona - she was packing games to take along (my father loved games). A fruit fly cruised by. She was with my Dad's three best friends for dinner in Vermont - a fruit fly landed on her wine glass and just stayed there. She was at one of their favorite charities recently and was given a kids book on love, and flying right above the book...you guessed it.
I stopped writing these experiences down for months because it just became commonplace. I thought my family thought I was nuts. But then my sister reported seeing one - and two nights ago she and her husband reported seeing two fruit flies at their dinner table.

What does all this mean?

Who cares?

What I take from it, is that the Universe has a sense of humor, and so did (does) my father. Our loved ones don't leave us. They are just not here in the physical form which we experience. It also means that if we pay attention and be present to circumstance and synchonicity, funny things happen. Just at the right time. It's so easy to miss these things - what possible relevance does a fruit fly have to me? Now I realize every living creature has relevance to me, because we are all One in the end.

Do you have a story like this? I was talking to a friend of mine who lost her father last week. She told me some amazing things about his visits to other places before he died. He lucidly reported seeing relatives that had passed away years ago - she explained to me that she was sharing it with me because I was one of the few people that would understand. That made me sad - if you have a story like this, share it! It will touch other people. Even if they think you are crazy, in some way it will open them to the realms of possibilities beyond our understanding. Heck, nothing could be crazier than seeing fruit flies and relating them in some ways to my father's presence in my life. Just tell them about my crazy story first, and yours may seem a little less crazy than mine. And just maybe, they'll believe you. If not, send me an e-mail at charliehartwell@mac.com - I'll believe you!

To my father, who I adore, who loves me beyond my ability to understand, I honor you on this day and I thank you John Hartwell for your presence in my life. I could not have come up with the fruit fly thing - thank you for your creativity and humor.

December 7

HOLIDAY GIFTS AND YOUR GIFTS

It's the holiday season, an appropriate time to talk about gifts. Many people are out shopping for them. However, it seems a worthy time to ask not what you are giving this holiday season but what you ARE. What are your gifts to the world?

Putting the pocketbook away and finding and claiming your own gifts can be much more difficult than shopping for others.

We're not used to talking about our gifts openly; someone has told us that it is egotistical to claim them. It's really hard to be honest with ourselves and to live in our own treasure. We're used to wrapping presents for others but keeping our own Divine gifts wrapped in ourselves.

Take me for an example. Several years ago one of my close friends called me a visionary. When she said that, it triggered a deep desire to run and hide. That was too big for me. If I claimed that, it would be seen as egotistical. It was so uncomfortable to hear her say that. The terrifying question wasn't "What if I'm not a visionary?" but "What if I am?" It was exceedingly difficult to get the words "I am a visionary" out of my mouth - for months.
Finally, in a place of owning this visionary, there was another insight. At a lunch meeting with a corporate recruiter, I claimed this visionary. He was very uncomfortable with my owning it. His point of view was that it was not correct to claim this gift - it was only if other people called me visionary that I actually was one. Leaving that meeting and pondering his comment deeply, there was a realization that my truth was different than his. My truth was that it was time to live in and claim my gifts and not have any expectations that others would agree with me. The great Master once said something to the effect that "What good is it if you hide your lamp under a bed stand?" Was it for others to take my light from underneath that table so that it could shine or was it my responsibility?

Slowly, I began to understand that hiding my own gifts was not for the highest good for myself or the world. It was hiding my own light - as the Master spoke about long ago. My own light IS; hiding it did no one any good.
It is a vulnerable place for many to live in this place of claiming what we already are. As I help others to bring their gifts out from underneath their own bed stand, there is deep fear and reluctance to even talk about it. One of my clients (such an incredible person) was looking to make changes in her career. We explored possibilities and I asked her to tell me what she felt her gifts were. Her response was "I am a Catholic. We don't speak about our gifts." My heart felt for her. Who was she not to live in the gifts that she is? This incredible Divine soul - not able to be what she already is.

What if we all were living in and claiming our gifts - just being these treasures to the world? Not from a place of ego and trying to impress people (we do that pretty well) but from a place of authenticity. What if we have multiple gifts? And lived in and claimed all of them?

However difficult that is - today it seems appropriate to tell the world what my gifts are. To just be honest. In that honesty perhaps others can have a greater permission to sit in their own gifts and live them. We are all Divine gifts - children of God. How can we not be and live what we are?

Being seen is not always comfortable - even as I write this there is a part of me asking if there's something more productive I could be doing with my time this morning - like going and wrapping Christmas presents. This is not learned behavior. At the same time, as they are stated it's not important that anyone agree with me. Nor is it important that other people call me these things. It is not my goal to be known as these, it is my intention to live these gifts with this one precious life that I was given. I choose to own that responsibility - and when I do it is a place of wonder and joy.

In my work, I see others with great gifts that I do not have - and I marvel at how wonderful it is that every one of us brings wonderful, Divine gifts to our collective experience. My gifts are no more important than theirs. How wonderful that we all bring our own unique gifts here.

Here are some of my gifts. I keep wanting to claim that I'm a great hockey player, but as I continue to find on Wednesday mornings as I play against younger guys who played Division One hockey in college, I can only claim that I'm an avid hockey player. Not a good one - but getting better.

I am a visionary
I have the ability to be a guide and help for others to uncover ways of bringing their gifts to the world
I am gifted at seeing how ideas can be brought to reality
I am connected to Christ Consciousness and share that with the world
There is much wisdom within me
I am a natural leader
I am a trustworthy friend
I am a great collaborator with others
I connect deeply with nature
I am in a deep place of self-love - in being that I am in a deep place of loving others - loving All

What are your gifts? It is my hope that we can all claim our gifts and then use those gifts to create a better and healthier planet.

Happy Holidays

December 1

What's the answer to Iraq?

Last week, I was in a conversation of whether we should get out of Iraq or whether we should stay. There was no firm answer by my relatives who were debating the issue over Thanksgiving dinner. The path forward did not seem clear to them. And to be honest, I thought the answer was in itself somewhat irrelevant because I don't think the right question was being asked.

The question is not whether we stay or get out of Iraq. Certainly it is important. I honor those in different armies who are trying to promote peace and stability in Iraq. I have such compassion for the Iraqi people who are living in what NBC now describes as a Civil War.

But it seems the greater question for the human race is how is it that we will evolve to where we do not need to have war anymore. This is the question that is not stirring enough debate. We are no longer in a place where conquering land or resources is tolerable. We live increasingly in a world that is becoming one - and living with technology that can destroy us all. We have to progress where bombs are no longer the answer to our problems. We need to focus on how we can live with each other, respect each other, tolerate and honor different ways of thinking.

We will either evolve to a point where our global leaders, and those that elect or support them will say no more war, or we will face extinction at some point. We are evolving to a point where more and more nations can destroy each other with nuclear arms. Our answer seems to be to outdo the other so that our weapons are more and more sophisticated than the other. Truly, is this security or does it put all of us at a greater risk of being destroyed by what we have created. Either in an accident, terrorist attacks, or nations using these weapons against one another. We are very creative - we know how to continue to build better and more powerful weapons. But the issue seems to be whether we are more and more creative as to how we solve our problems in a peaceful way.

To have peace with the world, we must first have peace with ourselves. Perhaps it is more difficult for us to have peace within ourselves than it is to have peace with others - but one does lead to another. When we truly have peace with ourselves, how could we spend hundreds of millions of dollars on new weapons systems when our sisters and brothers around the world are starving? It is not possible.

In the tradition I grew up with, we followed a Master who preached peace and love. Above all else, that was his message. Love one another. Yet, it seems that message has been lost even by those within our country who claim to follow the faith and teaching of that Master. We hate our enemies. And war with them. And seek both economic and military power over them.

Perhaps the weapons of mass destruction that we never found in Iraq are actually to be found in our own hearts. Maybe we need to look deeply at the part of us that would make war. Perhaps the answer is to get rid of those weapons of mass destruction so that we could, 200 years from now, look back and wonder why our species ever considered building a weapon that could destroy millions in the blink of an eye. We are all Children of God. And God is Love. So how can we consider building a weapon that could destroy millions of our own, or wipe our entire species from the earth? How could we invade another country leading to the death of hundreds of thousands?

I pray for Peace in Iraq. I hope we can remove our troops and that the country can one day be at peace with itself. But even more strongly, I pray that we can remove from ourselves the consideration that war is ever an option for us in the future. We are capable of doing that. It is within us.

October 31

Racism

Today, for the first time in 43 years, someone called me a racist. And I feel blessed.

Details of the story and participants are not crucial. Basically, someone had asked me to become involved in a new organization - which I had explored. When I did, I found that I didn't trust the person running it or the intentions behind what they were doing. And in the best non-judgemental way that I could, I told them. The response was that they called me a racist.
That allowed me the blessing of saying, "am I a racist?" To which my answer is, yes, I am.

When we dig deeply into ourselves, we become aware of the racist, the tribalist, the bigot, the elitist, the sexist. In this form we live in as humans, it is part of us. It's part of our shadow side. And the more we understand it, the less power it will have over us. Until it has none.

I read a story recently of someone who accused someone else of being a racist. In the paper, a friend came to the side of the one being accused and declared "He doesn't have a racist bone in his body." I laughed - the truth is we all have racist bones in our body. Whether or not that person acted out that racism in that situation is probably still in debate.

The person who accused me of being racist today used an interesting tactic. He had asked me to do something for him and for my name to be associated with it. I had explored it, I had found some very deep flaws in what he was intending to do. In telling him the truth that I didn't trust his intentions, he turned to the racist card - in truth we are of different ethnic backgrounds. My truth had an impact on him - and one way of dealing with his frustration was to use the racist card. When he called me a racist, I at first really took offense to it - this was a new experience for me. I didn't like being labeled a racist. But I took a few deep breaths and stated, "if you need to feel that I am a racist, then you must." I didn't try to convince him I was not racist, but it was sorely tempting. That would have quickly dived into a blame game.

The funny thing is that the deeper I go down my path, the less and less color I see in every one and the more beauty I see in each. But I still have "racist bones" in my body. And every time I catch myself consciously seeing someone of another background and making any inference about them, I try to check myself and notice. I pay attention to that.

I am blessed by the man who called me a racist. For I am finding that those who do things that might irritate us the most are actually many times blessed gifts. They are our teachers. I learned something today.

I am dedicated to helping us to evolve to a place where there will be no such thing as racism. I am passionate about uncovering any and every form of racism, tribalism, bigotry, sexism within me so that it will have no power over me. And hopefully our species will evolve to a place where none of these will have a place in the world.

October 19

Charlie announces his new career as a Vision Coach - Call the A.P.

I used to be in the business of sending out press releases to announce new product launches, new expeditions, great stories. In fact, my great friend Stan Oleson (who actually designed this web site and helps to post these updates) and I got into a huge debate when Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen completed their expedition across Antarctica in 2001. I had heard by satellite phone that they had arrived at the end point, but it had not been confirmed by other sources. I very much wanted to call the Associated Press - who was waiting to hear from us so they could be the first to tell the news to the world. Stan thought I was ridiculous to call the A.P. because we hadn't heard from Ann and Liv that they had arrived in McMurdo Sound where they were to meet the ship that would take them to Australia (where Stan would be meeting them with a Fosters beer in his hand). Stan is a combination of a wise Buddhist Monk, a curmudgeonly lawyer (that side doesn't come out much), a Sage, a creative writer and designer, and a wonderful human being wrapped into one (and a darn good bocce player). That night, Stan was a curmudgeon and I wanted to call the A.P. - at the time I was the boss so I just called the A.P. We argue to this day about what are the facts of the story and who was right.

Now I'm announcing a new career path, and I'm definitely not wanting to call the A.P. But I am as excited (without all the adrenaline) about what is next as I was about Ann and Liv safely making it across the frozen continent.
I have been a Vision Coach for years without knowing it, knowing what to call it, or how to describe it. I am still limited by words to describe my gift and how I use it to help people to develop, understand, and implement the vision for their life, career, or organization.

Now I am claiming this gift and gently telling people about my new practice. Instead of calling the A.P., it is my intention that the universe will have the A.P. call me (the Appropriate People) - or that the appropriate people will tell their friends to meet with me, either by phone or in person.

It is my intention to help individuals and organizations in whatever place they exist on the scale of bringing a vision to fruition, something I call "The Vision Continuum). A range of services for clients include helping to

- Identify/define a vision
- Ideate/understand what is possible
- Provide knowledge or resources on how to implement the dream
- Ensuring major stakeholders understand and embrace the vision
- Understand how to better package and sell the vision
- Discuss career choices that can help move towards attainment
- Be a resource – providing support and reinforcement on the path

I offer the wisdom of experience from working in 11 different industries, being on the board of directors of organizations in five other industries. That combines with the education of an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a Harvard M.B.A. as well as an ability to deeply LISTEN to a client. Added to that is my intuitive senses. I can't describe those. But truly, it is the reason why I am a Vision Coach. People don't come to me just for my words, it is just part of what I offer. People come because I offer a place to hear them at a deep level, because they can sense that I believe deeply in their abilities, because I can hold a container for them to dig into their own place to find the answers to questions posed. I don't have any answers. I have questions. And in the space of partnership that we hold during a meeting, I support their finding out how to get to their vision.

When I meet with clients, I am in such a space of joy. It is not work, it is my work and my joy. It is who I am. It is how I am here to be of assistance to the people who are drawn to me.

So this is my version of "Calling the A.P." Unfortunately, this time Stan is the boss because my announcement won't get posted without his help. I know he won't agree with my version of what happened on Antarctica, but I'm asking him to go with it. He might put a counter blog with his version of the events on his blog http://www.natsnoselo.blogspot.com/ (which is worth reading) I do want to publicly thank him for the work he's done on this web site.

If you're interested in having me as a vision coach - you don't need to call the A.P. - you can just e-mail me at charliehartwell@mac.com or call me at 612 860-7964.

Charlie Hartwell
Vision Coach
612 860-7964

Helping individuals who are seeking guidance in developing, understanding, or implementing their personal, professional, or organizational vision.

 

October 11

Nuclear Blame Game

I am struck today by humanity's continued need and desire to blame each other. It is so ingrained in humanity - and it is time for us to find a new way (or perhaps it is a very old way).

Let's see - the country which exploded the only nuclear bomb ever above ground is now blaming the North Koreans. Making the North Koreans wrong when now many countries on earth have nuclear technology. The blame game. North Korea - evil. The United States - saintly. We right, they wrong. Our making them wrong and calling them evil - how does that help humanity?

The earth has discovered nuclear technology and it is spreading at a rapid rate - what we do about it matters. It matters for our children. I do not fear a nuclear bomb going off - if it is meant to go off, it will. If we blow ourselves up - we will. The universe will go on and in a blip of an eye as far as time goes, cells (if meant to be) will start evolving again on earth. Life goes on, here, there, in places seen and unseen.

What disturbs me isn't that North Korea has a bomb. What disturbs me is that we can't resolve our problems and we have no path to real peace on earth. What is problematic is that the most powerful country on earth has no plan to reduce the use of nuclear technology nor seemingly the amount we spend on deadly technology. Heck, we can't even lead on an environmental agreement that most countries on earth desired - Kyoto. We spend a great per cent of our GDP on war technology and our politicians laugh at and haven't ever voted on establishing a Department of Peace.

Pakistan has it. The Brits have it. China has it. Japan I'm sure has it. Russia has it. India likely has it. North Korea now has it. Israel has it. Iran's going to have it. Others will soon haveit and I'm sure I'm missing some. So we've got this thing - and it's pretty destructive. And maybe we are MEANT by God to have this, because it's not a nuclear test we need worry about, but the human test we need to worry about. How do we ensure this technology is never used again like WE, the United States, used on Japan?

I loved watching Star Trek as a kid. I remember Spock relating to Captain Kirk a story about how once we humans we in the nuclear age (a dark point of human existence if I recall correctly) - and in Star Trek we got past that point and the Earth lived in peace. We need new leadership that is resolved to lead the Earth to peace. To get to the point where we can evolve so perhaps we too can go out in space- united as a people vs. divided as nations. War isn't going to get us there. Nuclear technology isn't going to get us there. Peace and love and respect of our neighbors WILL get us there. And a firm will to disarm, to take risks for peace vs. escalating our risks of war.

I say to the collective will of humanity - peace, love, harmony, respect, compassion. Let me say it more loudly - PEACE, LOVE, HARMONY, RESPECT, COMPASSION. These are all so much more powerful than nuclear bombs, which bring fear, destruction, death, pain, and suffering. They are more powerful than a war in Iraq in which 600,000 Iraqis have died.

Let us find a way to get past this nuclear blame game, and look to the future with a firm commitment to peace. To reducing the amount of guns we buy and investing ourselves in living in harmony with each other despite our differences. Why can't we turn our eyes from war on Iraq to war on hunger, poverty, disease? We could eradicate all of these if we had the will. Instead we are focused on nuclear technology, which can eradicate all of US.

 

September 10

Africa Rising:

The first time I remember playing music to a live audience was at a Christmas Eve service in Kitui, Kenya in 1988. It was a six hour Christmas eve service and I was the first mzungu (white man) that had probably ever played music at that church. I was playing the harmonica with a live African band - and I learned that Kenyans have the ability to turn a four minute song into a 20 minute free for all.

I just returned from Nairobi, celebrating the 20th year anniversary of an organization I co-founded 20 years ago called Provide International. Provide started as a feeding organization in 1986, where sponsors paid $144 to feed one child a nutricious lunch five days per week. Jimmy Jacobs, a friend of mine from college, Jonah Kitheka, a Kenyan, and I started Provide in 1986. In 1988 I got married and my wife Robin and I lived in Nairobi for six months where she started the health care program. Approximately ten years ago the U.S. Board turned the organization completely over to the Kenyans.

The organization has flourished. It provided the first maternity wards in Kenyas slums. Provided some of the first dental care for the community. Eye doctors. It's ambulance was one of only two on the scene when the U.S. embassy was bombed several years ago. Was featured on CNN when it had the only fresh water for the slum residents during a cholera outbreak in the 1990s. It helps AIDs patients, and people with many infectious diseases. It now operates five rural programs in Kenya as well, helping empower women and children and providing fresh water projects in some of the more arid areas of the country.

At the three day 20th anniversary event in Nairobi, I played live music to an audience of about 200. The highlight for me was a song I performed for the first time called "Africa Rising." The song had come to me several weeks ago as a way to speak to my dreams for Africa, this beautiful, rich continent that has suffered so intensely over the last hundreds of years. Provide's story is a good story in Africa. One of Africans rising to a challenge without outside interference. In a place where everyone has their own tribal language, I sung this song in my own "tribal language" which I channel from another place. The same language that is on my song "Love and Beauty" on the Crossing Over album.

It feels like it is time for Africa to rise. From the poverty, corruption, tribalism, AIDs epidemic, overpopulation, which are just a few of the things that have wreaked havok on the continent. It is a continent of beautiful, wonderful people, a place filled with so much resource. So much hope and loving people. Provide International is playing its part in Africa's rising - hopefully my song plays some small role as well. When Africa rises, we all rise.
You can learn more about Provide International at http://www.provideinternational.org.

August 2

Dream Answered

If you read the last entry, I referred to a dream I had about _____ Lake, this place where my buddies and I have gone fishing for 27 years. I just returned from the trip - which was by all accounts again an incredible experience. It was not particularly good for me personally in the gambling department - I lost my shirt in gin rummy, fishing contests, Yahtzee, golf (it's a card game).

I never judge the trip by how well I fish. People ask "How was the fishing?" and the true response it "It doesn't matter."

I had an intention that my dream would be answered during this trip. My dream of how I get up to the lake and see there are people all over, that the place is developed. It's a recurring dream and I know until I understand the message, it will keep happening.

The last night of the trip I was sitting down on the dock. Alone. I was gazing up at the sky and noticed these flashing lights. Not heat lightning, not lightning, not northern lights. My friend Steve came down to the dock. We started chatting about life. Normally, we have a wonderful discussion the last night of the trip, going late until the morning.

Steve was beginning to see the lights as well. We were in a pretty intense discussion, but he finally asked me "Do you see the little circular spot in these lights after they flash?" It was so strange what we were seeing that both of us needed to just confirm it with each other. Around that time we heard a WHAM in the water - the big splash of what had to have been a beaver tail. However, after five days we hadn't seen a beaver. We always see beavers at _____ Lake. I am convinced it was a message to us - to pay attention. We continued to look at the sky - and were just amazed by what we saw. These flashes of light - and at the center were these circles.

I am currently not "a seer." I have many friends who see people, energy, angels in other dimensions. I do not have that gift. But I believe that for my friend Steve and I, the universe was telling us that we are surrounded by others. We are not alone. Each of those flashing lights of energy was another spirit that we know that was sending us a message that answered our dream. We are supported, loved, guided, and assisted by many others. And while I may not be able to directly see into other dimensions, these beings were able to find a way to show themselves in this dimension. It was a gift.

At 2:00 a.m. it was time to call it quits. But there was one more small sign for us - we reached the cabin door to find a dragonfly. One would expect moths or flies to be trying to get to the light inside the cabin, but this dragonfly was the only bug on the screen. It was very adamant that it wanted to get in the cabin. Dragonflies are the symbol of transformation - and I believe this evening ended on a perfect note. The universe was asking us to allow transformation into our lives. It wanted us to open the doors that we keep lock so that we can find what is truly inside us.

I honor my friend _____ Lake, who over the years has provided me with so many wonderful memories, messages, and inspiration. And for helping this year to finally solve this dream I've been having for years.

July 24

_____ Lake -

This week we celebrate the 27th annual ritual of our annual fishing trip to a little lake somewhere north (the lake will not be revealed). For five days, we will play cards, fish, canoe, have a cocktail or two, sit around a fire at night watching stars (except this year there is a fire ban). We will tell tall tales, embellish stories, watch mother nature, jokingly poke fun at each other, play Yahtzee for hours, and remember all of the stories from yesteryear. It's a fishing trip - but as I have learned, the fish have little to do with this trip.

This little lake is a paradise, a small little part of creation. It's small enough that we have been able to name the bays, the good fishing logs, the islands - after ourselves. One of the best fishing spots on the lake is called "Hartwell's Haven." Every guy on the trip has real estate on the lake named after him. "Jim's Rock," "Stevo's Stretch," "Lund Bay," "Scott's Back Pocket." There are also places named after stories that happened there, like "Double Crazy way," "Tierra Del Fuego," and "The Undiscovered Country."

I look forward to this trip the way I used to look forward to Christmas. The logistics of the trip are incredibly fun to pull off correctly. Any deviation from the perfect logistical plan normally get roundly criticized. For years. The stories of the lake do not revolve around the fishing as much as they do about the little mistakes people make which turn into monumental, historical lore. The time my friend Dick brought a two piece rod that didn't fit together, the time when Steve tipped over a canoe, the time when the elder statesmen "Shoulders" forgot to bring the eggs, cheese, butter from his refrigerator at home. Or when we got 1 1/2 hours north on the drive and realized Steve forgot the keys to the cabin on his living room couch. There have been nets dropped into the lake, steaks dropped from a frying pan onto the kitchen floor.

We have a 100 page book that has been written called "The ____ Lake Chronicles" (any serious fisherman is not going to reveal the name of the secret spot, that is why I have not named the lake here.)
What makes this trip special is not just a wonderful guy trip, complete with beards, beer, gambling, loud snoring. For me, this is a Pilgrimage to what I consider one of the most sacred places on earth. I've been to sacred places around the world and felt their blessed energy. This little lake is full of it. Every year, the energy opens just a bit further if one is looking. Last year, I had an experience watching the northern lights at 4:00 a.m. that was one of the most profound and emotional experiences of my life. You can hear about it on the song "September's Evening Sky." on my new album Pilgrimage. http://cdbaby.com/cd/hartwell

I've had this recurring dream for years that we arrive at this lake only to find that it has changed, that more people are there, that it is not what we expect that it will be. Two nights ago I had the dream again - this time we found a camp up on a hill that we'd never seen before. I've learned that some dreams repeat themselves until they are resolved, and I've spent much time attempting to understand what this dream means. I thought for some time that it was my subconscious dealing with the overdevelopment of the earth, the loss of open spaces to our increasing population and our penchant for second and third homes. I kept having the dream.

Perhaps I've finally understood the dream. What I think it is saying is that there actually are a lot more beings in this sacred place than I have ever imagined. And it's time to pay more attention to them. Perhaps the revelation of them is part of my journey in some way. I have friends that are seers, who see beings most of us can not see. I remember being at a cabin and having a friend go into the basement - coming back exclaiming "There's a farmer in the basement." Another "seer" went down and described the exact same man, a man who used to farm the cabin and who was afraid we would see him and ask him to leave. Another time a group was up on a hill and one woman described seeing an indian family gathered around a camp fire just 100 feet from where we were gathered. I saw no one. And no smoke.

On last year's fishing trip, I did feel just incredible energy from the heavens. One night, we saw a white northern light shaped as what I can only describe as a donut. It made me think of my father - so I sang the song that I played at his funeral. I watched that donut - it faded out during the song and its last flicker of light went away as I finished the last word of the tribute to my dad. Later, I felt a presence in the sky of many beings. This may have been a precursor to a deeper understand revealed in my dream. That actually, there are beings everywhere on this lake that I have never seen. I will go up this year with an open mind and an open heart. Something is always revealed in this place. And perhaps to all of us, if we open our mind to possibilities that seem impossible, we will find that something is always being revealed to us - in dreams, in circumstance, in our imagination.

I look forward with joy to our 27th year at ______ Lake. I hope I'm able to see whatever is there before my other fishing companions - because if I do see them, I'm going to ask them what lure I should use and where is the biggest bass of the lake. For while there are other dimensions, in this dimension there is money and pride on the line to catch the biggest and most fish. And not to make the biggest mistake.

July 20

The Middle East

A guy once asked me a question - and my answer cost me a job.

In my youth, I worked as an archaeologist in Jerusalem. After college, I was interviewing for jobs in New York with commercial banks. I had stuck my experience in Jerusalem way down at the bottom of my resume (since I'd done it as a 9th grader). But I thought it made me more worldly. No one ever asked me about it. Until this Senior Vice President at J.P. Morgan asked me a profound question: "How would you solve the ongoing crisis in Israel." This was 20 years ago.

I was dumbstruck. I hemmed and hawed. I had studied the subject a lot. There seemed no answers. I finally had to say, "I don't have any solutions that seem workable. This has gone on so long - there does not seem to be an answer."

I didn't get the job.

Fortunately, I did get a job at another bank and spent two years in New York.

Unfortunately, the problem in Israel and Palestine still exists - as it has for centuries. There is still political crisis in Israel, and in the West Bank and as we read it has expanded back to Lebanon. Presidents have staked careers trying to solve it. Others have avoided getting too immeshed in it because they don't want to take political risk. People are still killed almost daily in either Israel or the West Bank.

I'm now led to ask the same question. And to think of how we can begin to build a more peaceful world. So how could this situation that spans centuries be resolved? My answers will seem simplistic, because the details of a negotiated settlement seem so complex that it seemed impossible to solve them. Perhaps the solutions ARE more simple than we have made them for so long.

1) The easiest way for it to be resolved is to take 10 Israeli kids under the age of 10 years old, put them in a room with 10 Palestinian children, and ask them to find peace. And to declare by law that the governments of both countries would abide by what they said. Yes, the children could lead this process to peace. Because they have not yet been programmed with the hatred that is created by all of the memories, stories of the past - all the horrors and blame on both sides, and the questions of who's right and who's wrong. The kids could solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But who would ever listen to a bunch of ten year old kids?

2) It will solve itself when the desire for peace and love is stronger than war and hatred. If this could ever happen, then perhaps it would be a model for the whole world and could lead to actual global peace. How many hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands must die before people say, enough. And just work it out.

3) Peace would occur much more quickly if religions could come together and respect each other. To have the Jewish community revel in the joy of Ramadan even though they don't participate in the festivities would do wonders for peace. Or for the Muslims to honor Roshashana - and celebrate that this holiday brings the Jewish faith closer to the Divine. Or even for the Christians in the West to have a deeper respect for the Muslim faith. Our extremists argue that the Muslim extremists are wrong. What if no one is right, and no one is wrong, and if all these faiths bring people closer to God? For ages, we have fought for territory so we can convert others to our way of thinking. If we got to that place of respect for each other, and realized that the God of all faiths is a God of Love, perhaps we would no longer need to kill each other over who is right and who is wrong. What if the leaders of all faiths made this a priority - to actually learn about and to deeply respect and honor the other religions?

4) This will sound the oddest of my solutions. But if we began truly loving ourselves - truly, deeply, loving ourselves, not only the Middle East crisis, but all wars on this planet would cease. For when we are in a state of true, deep love for ourselves, we can no longer tolerate destruction of others. We all become Ghandi. We all become Mother Theresa. We all become Martin Luther King. And we can no longer solve our problems with guns. If we do not blame others for wars but just find peace within ourselves, all wars will cease.

5) I recently wrote a piece about past lives. If enough Israelis realized that they were Muslims in other lives, why would they kill Muslims? If Sunni's living today found that in another life they were a Shiite, perhaps they would not be as interested in conflict with another sect. My truth is that we are not what we think. Those living a Christian life today are, at the core, not Christians. We are all one - we are all children of a Higher Power. When we realize we are all one, we may stop trying to kill each other.

I am no longer looking for a job at J.P. Morgan. But had I had spoken these words 20 years ago, I know I would have been offered a job. Because I had the job up until the point when that man asked me the question "How would you solve the Middle East process?" And I had no answers. I have changed, and while my answers may make no sense to some, they are answers. When the world changes and says "We must find answers so that we can live in harmony together as a global community," we will have peace. As a species, we are either much closer to finding these solutions than we were 20 years ago, or we are much farther away. I question if we can continue as a species if we do not begin to solve these problems over the next years. Our methods of destruction are increasingly getting more sophisticated and lethal to our earth, but our methods of peaceful conflict resolution do not seem to be keeping up.