“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”

-Benjamin Franklin

Writing is something I have–like most people–been doing since grade school. Only recently, however, I’ve begun to take it very seriously. I can’t believe how long this has taken me, but the other day I discovered a trick which will help anyone who ever writes.

Unless you are illiterate–which you mustn’t be if you’re reading this–then this post will apply to you. Let me begin with some basic physiology about the brain, and how it operates during writing, and then I will give an analogy to better illustrate the point.

The basic distinction I would like to start with is writing vs. editing. When writing we are using the creative aspect of our brains. This is the right hemisphere for those familiar with neurology.

During editing we utilize the logical part of our brain, which is the left hemisphere. These are two very different processes, and it is almost as if you are an entirely different person when performing these two tasks.

Perhaps you’re saying, “Big deal, how does this apply to me”? Well, the simple fact is that when writing and editing at the same time, we slow ourselves down drastically by switching back-and-forth between the two separate processes.

I have been guilty of this for my entire life. I am a very analytical person, and I enjoy living in the logical portion of my brain to interpret the world around me. It bothers me to no end when I see that little red line appear beneath a word, indicating that I have misspelled a word. I have to go back and edit it.

There are myriad distractions we can find on our computers besides spelling errors. Social media is one of the worst, which is why I have a free extension called “News feed eradicator for Facebook.” It gives an inspirational quote in place of your news feed, but is also fairly simple to turn off if you consciously choose to scroll through Facebook.

Often, I also get distracted by things on my computer; for example the time. This is why I have found a way to turn all of these things off, so that I can write in an uninterrupted stream of consciousness.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

-Ernest Hemingway

I’ll conclude this post with the exact method I have developed for doing this, but let me first introduce the analogy I promised to drive this point home.

Imagine that your writing is like a car, and the gas pedal is the right hemisphere of the brain, while the brake is the left. Conveniently, this is how the pedals are situated in America, so this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch of the imagination.

Now, in order to get the car going–or to get words on the page–you need to get some speed. This occurs by utilizing the gas, or creative process. By stepping on the brake–or editing–you slow yourself down.

Switching between braking and accelerating in the car analogy should be fairly apparent how this slows you down. But this also occurs in your brain when you switch between the two hemispheres.

The only way to get any momentum going with either aspect is to stick with one. As you continue to get more in a stream of consciousness the processing becomes faster and faster, because you aren’t slowing it down.

Perhaps you’re wondering right now, “What if the brain doesn’t operate in a binary system (on or off) like he’s describing? I can have both at the same time; I don’t need to choose one”!

Okay, let’s consider that for a moment… What would happen if you were to apply the gas and the brake simultaneously in a car? Granted, you might be able to move forward if you gave it enough gas, but you would be holding yourself back with the brakes.

This is analogous to how the brain operates as well. By giving your attention to both hemispheres simultaneously you are essentially giving only a percentage of your brain power to each process, thus slowing yourself down.

Hopefully it has become clear now why when you are writing, you want to focus all your consciousness on writing. And when you are editing, you are only editing.

Now let me explain my process I have found for doing this. I began by researching programs that do this for you, and the best one I found was OmmWriter (which costs a minimal fee; they ask for a minimum of $4.11). The problem is, I have a Chromebook laptop, that doesn’t let me download programs like that.

What I did discover was that Google Docs can do everything I was looking for, and is absolutely free. To do this all you need is a Google account, and Google Chrome installed on your computer (this would probably work with Internet Explorer or Safari, but that’s not what I use).

Once you have opened up a new document, you need to do 3 simple things:

Turn the spell check off in Google Docs, by going to “View,” then click “Show spelling suggestions” so that it is no longer checked.

Hide the toolbar on Google Docs by once again going into “View,” and select “Full screen” (to get out of full screen, just press the escape button).

Finally, turn Google Chrome into full screen also, by simply pressing F11.

At this point, you will have a blank document with no distractions, so that you can write to your heart’s content. This has drastically improved my writing, both in quality and speed.

Then after you’re finished writing, you can go back and turn on the spell check and start editing. I normally like to take a break by walking around for a few minutes before I begin this, however, just to allow my brain some time to reset (a good time for a bathroom break!).

You can even give it another round of spell checking by copying and pasting the document into Microsoft Word or any other writing program you have, because that will pick up different grammatical errors.

I personally like to go through 3 rounds of spell check with my posts; first using Google Docs, then Microsoft Word. And lastly, when I’ve pasted the text into Prose, a free extension I have installed called “Grammarly” will go through and find even more errors.

By going through and reading the text at least 3 different times, in 3 different formats, I’ve found I pick up on a lot more errors than if the words always have the same style. Now, I’m not saying I’m perfect–in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you found a grammatical error in this post!–but this is the most effective way I’ve found to write.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot; one last thing: coffee!!! Writing without caffeine is like running on fumes with an empty gas tank.

“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.”

-Wayne W. Dyer

I literally have tossed hundreds–if not thousands–of pennies onto the street, because I never felt like they were worth keeping.

At least that’s what I did until recently. The other day I was having a conversation with a coworker, and she excitedly showed me a penny she found lying on the ground.

We’ve had many spiritual conversations, so I knew she was familiar with terms like “abundance” and the “law of attraction,” so I wanted to learn more. It seemed strange at the time that she was so enthusiastic to have found a penny, so I asked her about it.

She didn’t have to talk for very long before I realized that I’ve had a blind spot in my life. By passing up the opportunity to pick up a penny, I am essentially telling the Universe, “No thank you. I have enough.”

I have tossed so many pennies into parking lots, stores, and streets that I can’t even count them. Now, when doing this, I usually had two motives: One was that I didn’t feel like the pennies were worth keeping. The second was that I wanted to gift a stranger with a penny that might find it lying there.

The first habit of disregarding pennies is the one that I will begin writing about today, and is the one I hope to change. The second is one of generosity–which is equally important–and I will come back to explain that later.

To make this shift really count, I put some serious thought into my habits. The act of tossing a penny is insignificant in itself, but the lack of concern regarding money is what I intend to shift.

I am beginning to say "Yes!" to any abundance the Universe wishes to throw my way. In the past–by saying “no”–I was limiting what might come next.

Abundance is like the flow of a river: If you dam it up by declining even a trickle from the stream, that may block a greater flow that was heading your way. The stream will always find the path of least resistance, and will pass right by you.

The path of least resistance is exactly what I want to become. No longer will I dam the stream of abundance. I intend to let the stream of wealth flow through me!

“Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive.”

-Bryant H. McGill

This brings me to my second motive while throwing away the pennies. Giving away wealth is an admirable quality, and by no means am I saying I plan to become selfish with my money now. In fact, that is the only way it can flow freely through you, and I plan to keep this habit.

The abundance stream must go both directions–in and out–or else it will get blocked up on the other end. Both blockages will cause similar problems. If you become stingy with money and keep all of it for yourself, it is similar to the parable of having a teacup that is already full.

Probably most of you are familiar with some variation of this story, but if not, let me briefly explain. The student (usually a Western-educated male) comes to the master (from the East) seeking to learn about enlightenment.

Being overly educated, the student has a mind that is full of preconceived notions. The master immediately recognizes this and tells the student that he can’t teach him anything.

There is no way to teach someone who thinks they know everything already. It is like pouring tea into a cup that is already full–it overflows and is not captured.

In order to receive we must be empty, like a teacup. Otherwise the abundance will simply overflow. By selfishly holding onto wealth, we don’t allow ourselves to be filled again and again. We don’t realize that we are blocking up the other end, and limiting our abundance.

Either way–by saying “no” to pennies, or by saying “no” to being charitable–we dam the stream of wealth. Obviously though, we can't simultaneously keep all of our money while at the same time being generous.

What I discovered is that it is the motive behind the action that is important. If we are going to be charitable, we can't feel like what we are giving away is worthless.

Only by giving something away of value to us can true generosity occur, while continuing to appreciate all that we have. This is the secret to keep the abundance in our lives flowing.

Originally published on my blog here:

http://www.deanhurtt.com/tossing-pennies-making-change-count/

While everyone may not want to be a spiritual author like myself, many of the things I have gone through are similar to those of us that grew up in this time period. It is the insights I have found–not on the top of a mountain or in a sacred monastery–but in the heart of our civilization that I desire to share with the world.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a spiritual author. For too long I’ve thought that if it was meant to happen, it would happen on its own accord without me actually putting any real effort into it. I had hoped a publishing deal would basically fall into my lap. Perhaps this is the case for some aspiring authors who are well connected, but unfortunately, my uncle is not Deepak Chopra.

Surprisingly, although I spent a lot of time waiting for the book inside of me to be miraculously published, I’ve unknowingly been on a track leading me towards the fulfillment of my dream. It is only by looking back in hindsight that I can see this now–at the time it felt like I was totally lost. Now I am beginning to see the gradual steps I must take in order to actualize the life I desire. Although sometimes I wish I would just win the lottery and have my life completely altered, I can see that would leave me utterly unprepared for the life I have planned. So, what are my qualifications for writing a book, and why do I think my life has been taking me down this path?

I have immersed myself in a very “normal” culture while always feeling there was something more I was missing. These spiritual inclinations have been with me for as long as I have memories. I’ve always wanted to know how the Universe began. I would say that was the beginning of my metaphysical search. My inquisitiveness didn’t stop there, however, as I’ve always been curious to learn about everything life has to offer (both seen and unseen).

A poignant example of me learning to think for myself was when I was told by my mother that Santa Claus doesn’t exist. Both my sister and I were seated on the couch at the time. She stormed out of the room, accusing my mom of lying to us. I sat there for a moment, and the first question I asked her was: “Does this mean there is no Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, or anything else?” For some reason I didn’t think to question God at the time–that wasn’t until a few years later.

Around the 6th grade, I started to lose faith in God and started to believe in Science (with a capital “S”). Perhaps not coincidentally, this was the time I stopped going to Catholic school. All through the rest of middle school and high school I became more of an atheist. I would vehemently debate religious people, and looked down on them as superstitious and simple minded. I still deeply desired to know how the Universe began, but I thought science had all the answers.

Once out of high school, I joined the military because didn’t really know anymore what I wanted to do. This is when I really began studying for myself. I started voraciously reading books on everything.

While in school I had no real desire to learn, because it was being imposed on me. Once out, however, I realized how much fun it was to learn!

This is when along with reading a myriad of different genres of books, I also started to study a little quantum mechanics and particle physics to better understand how matter was created. I searched and searched through science books, but was never satisfied. All during this time, I was meeting new and interesting people in the military that were broadening my mind. I found myself studying philosophy and religion more. Coming from a Christian background, I initially began only studying that.

I genuinely wanted to believe in God again, but couldn’t find anything that resonated with me about traditional Christianity. Somehow the idea of a God outside ourselves that judges us, and only allows Heaven to a select few based on having blind faith never appealed to me. My mind was constantly racing all the time though, and I was generally angry inside, although I tried to hide it from the world. This is when I found meditation in a book and decided to try it out for myself.

Meditation exposed me to Buddhism, which immediately appealed to me. With this opening into religious studies, I began to think other religions might have something to offer as well. Initially, I began with more of the Easter religions, but I gradually made my way back to also study my Abrahamic roots.

While still in the military, I was stationed in the Middle East. During this time, I was able to interact with many of the local people. I started to see they were just like us (Americans) and I didn’t see why we were at war with them. I wanted to learn more about their religion, Islam, to see if that was the basis of the hatred. But the more I learned about Islam, the more I saw the similarities with Christianity.

During my entire search, there is one fundamental reason I actually get anything of value from my scholarly pursuits:

I look for the underlying similarities between religions, not their surface differences. It is easy to see minor cultural discrepancies between each religion, but there are threads of Truth that run between them. Especially in the mystical traditions, where God (or whatever name you want to call It) must be experienced for oneself, and less emphasis is put on what you outwardly profess to believe.

While still stationed in the Middle East, I also took my first sojourn. I backpacked through Thailand by myself for 3 weeks. This was the first time I experienced life so deeply, and I began to really understand what it is like to genuinely experience life. It was a spiritual experience for me, just breaking my daily routine and exploring a foreign country with no itinerary. Since Thailand, I’ve done much more traveling, usually for less of a duration though–with one exception–I vagabonded across South America for 3 months solo. I went through Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. While on these trips I met some extraordinary people, and had some exciting experiences.

When I was getting ready to leave the military, I realized I was vehemently against war, and I wanted to take a stand. Since I enjoyed writing and researching, I thought I would make a good journalist. My plan was to become a foreign war correspondent, and report on the realities of war. This was in 2007, however, and there were still a number of journalism jobs out there. Since that fateful decision to major in journalism in college, the entire profession has been thrown into shambles. In fact, while I was attending university, my school canceled the journalism program I was enrolled in, and completely altered it for a new media. I was allowed to finish, but I felt defeated considering my degree was going to be basically worthless (in a dying profession).

I began to lose interest in journalism, and I started taking a lot of elective classes. Religious studies and philosophy were at the top of my list. I was excited to go to school and learn each day, and I took my learning seriously; especially compared to the students that came straight from high school to college. Because I had no real interest in journalism any longer, I ended up using all of my GI Bill without fulfilling my requirements for my major in order to graduate. To this day, I have enough credits for a Bachelor’s degree, but am a few prerequisite classes short of actually obtaining a degree.

Phew…that’s a long post. Thanks for making it this far! I will conclude this story in the next blog, “Why Finally Write?”

Sometimes the only accurate way to describe a thing is to define what it is not. Enlightenment is one of those instances, as every word to define it is more of a distortion than an accurate portrayal. Therefore, I am going to present the top 3 misconceptions I have found on my spiritual path.

Now, it isn’t a matter of lack of skill from the lexicographer attempting to describe what enlightenment is, rather it is fundamentally impossible to use words to describe enlightenment. The best minds have been attempting to point to this state of consciousness for millennia, and all have fallen short.

Certainly it is a worthwhile enterprise to attempt such an ambitious feat. I myself have been trying to intellectually master enlightenment for a number of years now. But I have come to find that the more I unlearn, the better my understanding becomes.

With that being said, I would like to start with a basic definition of enlightenment so that we are at least referring to the same idea.

Enlightenment is what every religion and philosophy since the beginning of recorded civilization is attempting to describe. Some call it Heaven, Buddha consciousness, the Tao, being one with Brahman, Illumination, and a whole host of other names.

Only by experiencing it for oneself can one truly understand it though. Many saints, sages, messiahs, and prophets throughout the ages have attained this state of consciousness, and they’ve tried to pass down what they experienced. Most of their writings we have today have been so distorted by translations both by benign and maligned intending translators that we have little to go on today.

This is why many traditions only passed this gnostic knowledge down orally by word of mouth. The irony of this is not lost on me as I am writing a blog about something which cannot be spoken of, much less written down.

However, let me now begin to explain what I’ve come to realize enlightenment is not.

1

One common misconception, especially in New Age circles, is that it is all love and light. Once you reach this state of consciousness nothing will bother you, and you will be blissed out for the rest of eternity. This is wishful thinking; you will still encounter ups and downs once enlightened.

While in physical form it is impossible to escape the duality of material existence. Perhaps once out of the body it is possible to transcend good and bad, but seeing-as-how I’m still on Earth, I can’t say with any authority.

2

Another idea people have is that all your problems will be solved once enlightened. All of your money problems, relationship dilemmas, and heath issues will suddenly be solved for you.

Once again, this is not the case. These issues will, however, become more clear and brought to the forefront of your consciousness. They will become nearly impossible to ignore, and you will need to make a conscious choice to live with them or deal with them appropriately.

3

Finally, here is the last misunderstanding: That you can MAKE yourself enlightened. Your ego wants to believe that it can become enlightened. That it will then become some kind of super-ego with special powers, and it will finally become satisfied because it will have everything it always wanted.

The ego is not what becomes enlightened. Rather, the ego is realized to not be your identity. You then realize your true self; this self I speak of is the witness behind the ego. It is the backdrop to the play going on in your mind.

This true self cannot be spoken of, because it is formless and doesn’t exist in time. Nothing out of the time-space continuum can be defined. It can only be experienced, and once your try to pin it down by rational thinking it slips through your fingers like trying to hold on to water.

There is a myriad of other things enlightenment is not, but these are some of the biggest delusions I have had to overcome myself. They are going to be different for each individual, but hopefully my understanding has provided some insight for your personal path toward enlightenment.

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.”

Abraham Maslow (April 1, 1908 – June 8, 1970)

No amount of fame and fortune will satisfy you if you aren’t doing what you really want to. The trick is to discover this for yourself, because no one else can tell you. People may be able to point in the right direction, but they are few and far between. Most of the time, they will try to guide you to what they think is best.

This isn’t bad news, however, because you can learn something from both types of people. For those who truly have your best interest in mind and know you well enough, it is obvious how they can show you something you might have missed. These people are generally mentors, teachers, and coaches in your life.

Other people may want you to be happy, but it is their idea of happiness.

For most of us, our family members are a good example of this. It isn’t that they want you to be miserable, far from it in fact. But they think they know what is best for you, and only you can know this. They are merely guiding you the best that they are able to at the time, with the consciousness that they possess.

The good news is that with these types of people, they may not be leading you towards your personal dreams, but they are indirectly. By this I mean sometimes it takes knowing what you don’t want, to learn what you truly do want. This reality we live in is based on opposites: up/down, light/dark, hot/cold, etc. To know one, is to indirectly know the other. The secret is to know this, and always fall back to what you think is right for yourself, and not allow yourself to be lead unconsciously.

When you do this, you will be at peace with yourself. It doesn’t matter what path you decide to follow, whether that be a musician, artist, writer, or any other line of work. Abraham Maslow makes it sound like perhaps the only way you will find happiness is to find some grand career, and this quote is romanticized a bit. But it makes no difference what type of vocation you find yourself doing, as long as you picked it for yourself.

We often think that society imposes itself on us, and we don’t have free will. This is because so few of us follow this inner calling and instead settle for less. There is also another stereotype that we need to be rich and famous to be at peace. True, there are a few people in the world doing this, but more often than not those people we envy are just as unhappy as us, if not more so. Think of all the young actors and musicians we see on the media who are seemingly wasting their talent and lives. They are either overusing drugs and alcohol to escape, or finding some other criminal activity.

On the converse side, I have met, and I’m sure you have as well, people who are doing the most trivial jobs that are completely content with themselves and their lives. These people are a true inspiration, because they learned to find peace with what they want to do, and are quietly thriving. Think for a moment if you know someone like this…

They rarely complain, and seem to be happy for no good reason. Perhaps you even pitied them when you first met them because of their outward circumstances. Then you got to know them, and realized they are better off than you are. If you could trade places with them, you would in a heartbeat. Even knowing they have far less than you, they are much happier. If you have traveled to a “third world” country, it is even more likely you know exactly what I’m talking about.

They love what they do, and aren’t stressing themselves out by wishing they were someone else. They appreciate what they have, instead of perpetually wanting more. This is how you find peace–no amount of material success of wealth will ever satisfy you without a shift in attitude. But you have to be willing to listen to your intuition, and follow what is right for you. Self-reflection is the only way to determine this.

Think about your life right now--are you doing what makes you happy? Or are you living the life someone else wants you to lead? Perhaps you are the CEO of a major corporation, making an exorbitant salary, with every toy imaginable. But if you aren’t following that soft whisper of a dream that has likely been with you since childhood, you aren’t at peace.

Take some time to reset if you can. Travel to break up the routines in your life. If you have been moving from one thing to another your entire life as most people have, it’s likely you’ve never really thought about what you want. Perhaps instead of being a CEO, you would be much happier selling tomatoes at a roadside stand in Thailand. This might sound ridiculous, but it is certainly possible, and just one example of many.

Life makes so much more sense when we know ourselves, but especially in the Western world, we rarely take time to reflect. Instead it is one accomplishment after another, until we reach a mid-life crisis, and we realize we’ve been going through life completely unconscious. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge, talent, money, or even health we have if we aren’t at peace. It is only when we find “Heaven” within, that paradoxically we will discover it outside ourselves.

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds, your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”

–Patanjali

There is a natural harmony to the Universe, and life does make sense. The things that we are the most passionate about, are the things that we are the best at. This is no accident, as life is meant to be enjoyable for all. When we feel excited about some project or task, it is a clue that we are meant to accomplish it.

Naturally, we still have free will in the matter. There is always the choice to pursue our dreams, or to ignore our calling. The decision seems fairly obvious when stated like this, and yet the vast majority of us refuse to listen to inspiration.

There are a variety of reasons for this, and no judgement should be passed on those who don’t heed their inner calling. Fear is the number one reason people don’t follow the path which would make them most happy. Fear of failure, fear what others will think, and the list goes on. It is unfortunate that few have the courage to face these fears.

Another reason is our upbringing, and programming we received while growing up. We are taught to ignore our intuition, and look for external recognition and guidance. What others think becomes more important that what we do. Someone is always telling us what to think, whether that be our family, friends, or the media. But what no one is telling you is to listen to your heart.

We are capable of so much more if we would only stop trying to metaphorically swim upstream, and instead follow our natural aptitudes downstream. It is the path of least resistance to follow where enthusiasm may take us. And yet how many people do you know that are truly happy with the work that they are providing the world with?

Were we to actually have the courage to follow our own inner guidance, and have what others think be only of secondary importance, we would literally astound ourselves. This is what Patanjali is saying in the quote to begin this blog. We may not even be consciously aware of the talents we possess, and what we could accomplish. But if we don’t try, we will never discover how truly great we can be.

Words often hint at deeper meanings than we give them credit for. Enthusiasm and inspiration are two such words. The root of the word “enthusasim” comes from Greek, and is two separate words. “En” means “within,” and “theos” is “God;” therefore it translates to the “God within.” God is speaking to us every moment, if we would only listen to what makes us enthusiastic. Inspiration is similar, and means “in spirit.” When you are inspired, you are literally breathing in spirit.

Although this quote may make it seem like if you pursue your passion, you will unlock fame and fortune, this is not always the case. Results are not what hopes and dreams should be based upon–the actions themselves and the feeling you get while doing them is important. Each of us have different talents, and we are more or less suited for different projects than others. We should try to avoid comparing ourselves with what others achieve.

Not everyone wants to be rich and famous either. For some, it would be a nightmare to be in the public eye. Others can’t seem to get enough of it. We know what is right for us, and it only requires a bit of introspection. When we are inspired by something, that is the best way to tell. Perhaps you really enjoy cooking or cleaning, while someone else loves public speaking. What makes you truly happy should be your compass to guide you, not what will likely end up giving you the most recognition in the eyes of society.

Paradoxically, the Universe has a funny way of giving us everything we want if we only listen to our inner calling, and not base our actions on probable outcomes. Others would have us believe that certain things may make us happy, and if we’ve learned to ignore our intuition we tend to believe them. And yet when we follow our own inner guidance, we never seem to be lacking. We may not get the job our parents always wanted for us, or the car we know our friends would be envious of, but we will have everything we need.

Being happy is the most important thing, and no amount of external goods or recognition will ever satisfy us in the long run. Doing what we love is a reward in itself, and the results become of secondary importance. Somehow, however, we will end up with the exact results we always wanted! We may not even know what we truly wanted at the time, but when it comes it will become clear. Paying attention to when we feel enthusiastic and inspired is the only way to learn this. I encourage you to not take my word for this, but instead try it out for yourself–what have you got to lose?