One year ago today I published my first post here, and to celebrate I'm giving away some love, with your help.

Nominate somebody you know for their contribution of love to the world. It's not just about what they do, it's who they are. When you are around them, you can feel the love radiating from them. What is it about them and what can they teach the rest of us? Let's acknowledge and thank them for being who they are. Write and tell me about them. One lucky lover will receive a "life of love" award. Also, the person who is chosen and the person who nominates them (that could be you!) will receive a "be love" shirt and some other surprise be gear.

You can nominate someone until April 30th by leaving a comment on this post or email me at leslie@thebeline.com


The "be love" shirt is a very soft and stylish tee made from bamboo and organic cotton. The word "love" is printed on the inside. You can see details here.

so cliché

I recently came across a list of the "Top Ten Spiritual Clichés" with the heading "Even timeless wisdom has a shelf life."

Two quotes about being were in the top 5:

#2 - "Be the change you wish to see in the world" from Gandhi
and
#4 - "Be here now" from Ram Dass

Since these two bits of wisdom have become mini-narratives of my life, acknowledging them as clichés rubs me the wrong way. First of all, they are not clichés, they are aphorisms. A cliché is more of a clever play on words, such as "the early bird gets the worm" and "rubs me the wrong way," or is that an idiom?

Whatever. The bottom line is, so much truth is encompassed in those statements that they are repeated and overused until that particular arrangement of words loses its meaning, at least at first glance. Before a cliché is a cliché, it is a great, thrilling possibility. Not to make a mountain out of a molehill, but like all things that are great and thrilling when new to us, it becomes more about what we bring to it, rather than what it can bring to us. In this case, it's about going beyond the surface of the words and contemplating the layers of meaning there because you can't judge a book by its cover. (too far, I know).

Curious about what made #1 on the list? It was not "Follow your bliss" (which I couldn't believe did not even make the list), it was : "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." from Margaret Mead

source: Enlightennext magazine

This little notebook showed up in my mail as a gift and made my day. I had never heard this quote before and it is my new favorite - so simple, yet says so much.

Thanks Amanda!

Are you watching, reading and/or listening to news about the economic crisis 90% of the time and contemplating the prosperity that surrounds you 10% of the time? The be prosperity challenge is to flip those numbers, tip the scale, and allow yourself to spend only 10% of your time and energy listening to news sources. The other 90% gets focused on what is right now, in and around your life, evidence of prosperity. In other words - what is working? where are you succeeding and thriving? What do you have an abundance of? Where do you see growth and expansion? What makes you feel good? Is there plenty of food to eat and air to breath?

This is an opportunity to see how focusing on an authority outside of yourself can leave you feeling afraid and powerless. Remember that all of your power exists within you - you create your own thoughts and your own being. Never underestimate that who you are being creates your world. The next time you feel like a victim of the economy, turn off the news and start a list, in your head or on paper, of the evidence that you are prosperity.

SOUL PANCAKE

SoulPancake.com is a new website started by a group of people that includes the actor Rainn Wilson (from the tv show "The Office") and proposes to be "where spirituality and creativity meet." There are video clips of people answering questions such as "What does your soul smell like?" and other opportunities to participate such as this cheesburger challenge:

Step 1. Eat a big fat cheeseburger.
Step 2. Grab a napkin and doodle a message to yourself 10 years from now—a little flashback to how you're feeling at this exact milli-moment in time.
Step 3. Snap a photo or scan it, and paste a link to it below.

An opening page video clip shows Rainn Wilson singing a sentimental song and then smashing up his guitar while saying "I am sick of spirituality being airy-fairy, hippy-dippy and precious. I want to have a debate about life's big questions and 'de-lamify' talking about God and religion."


It's a hip and cool multi-media site focusing on spirituality which, to me, is a wonderful addition to most of what is targeting the hip and cool young audience on the web. You can see the site here.

it's what's inside that smells so good

LIGHT comes from within (spirit), PEACE comes from within (mind), BEAUTY comes from within (soul), JOY comes from within (emotion), LOVE comes from within (heart)

I stopped in my tracks when I saw these perfumes at Anthropologie and stood there, smelling each one, touching the well designed packaging, and savoring that feeling of discovering something that resonates as brilliant and inspired. Hoping to love the smell of LIGHT most of all, I could not deny the beautiful fragrance of LOVE and PEACE, and so, undecided, I did not make a purchase.

I was still thinking about it after getting home, so I looked on line and became more smitten when I read about Sarah Horowitz-Thran who created the perfumes and says "Finding the perfect fragrance for you can bring you into the moment and remind you of who you are."

What an idea. And what if somebody had bottled and was selling the present moment, you could spray yourself and stay awake and grounded in your true self, giving you access to the potential that surrounds you in each moment? How much would you be willing to pay?

The irony is that it is free and available to us 24/7 if we choose it. But, while we're working on that, a brilliantly named beautiful scent couldn't hurt.