The release of Star Wars: Episode I introduces the phrase “May the Force be with you” to a new audience of young people. Why is George Lucas’ story-telling so popular? Lucas will tell you that he’s not telling a new story—rather, he is simply retelling very old stories in a way that we can best enjoy, …
Author Archives: Tony Cecala
Compassion
Our mainstream media do a thorough job of indoctrinating fear of strangers into our world-view. Secure in our locked homes, we watch atrocities on television and wonder how our world has become so insane. Our response to these fears is to construct walls, fences, borders, and prisons to keep away anyone who isn’t quite like …
Synchronicity
Have you ever been in just the right place at just the right time? Do you ever feel unseen hands guiding events for you? These rare experiences of good fortune are examples of “synchronicity.” Carl Jung defines synchronicity as “a meaningful coincidence of two or more events, where something other than the probability of chance …
Personal Responsibility
All parents hope their children will grow up to be responsible adults. Do you ever consider what the word “responsible” actually means? My favorite definition is “the ability to respond.” Most people are able to respond to challenges at home, at work, and in their community. Broaden the domain, and the picture gets fuzzy. Are …
A Titanic Message
Why is James Cameron’s Titanic such a colossal success? I believe that the wizardry behind Cameron’s storytelling is his ability to make us feel deeply about ideas and concepts that we rarely dare to examine. Cameron uses the movie theatre as a modern-day spiritual center, a place where people can experience a deeper sense of …
Power and Empowerment
What is your definition of power? Unfortunately, when the subject of power comes up, the context is often negative: abuse of power, power hungry, etc. The use of power in our civilization has been linked to war, corruption and other atrocities. Power is neither positive nor negative, it simply is. Consider my favorite definition of …
Emotions: good, bad, and ugly?
Have you ever been annoyed because something wasn’t working out in your life? Do you remember how you felt? Did you develop a tightness in your chest, pain in your neck, or even a headache? When you set out to do something in the world, obstacles sometimes arise. How do you deal with obstacles? Do …
Higher Purpose
Do you ever wonder about the purpose of life? Why are you here? What would you like to accomplish in this lifetime? Dr. Wayne Dyer, in his book, Real Magic (ISBN: 0-06-109150-2) points out that our personal evolution occurs in three stages. In the first stage, which he calls “enlightenment through suffering”, you feel like …
Creating Time
Do you remember the future scenarios that we imagined back in the 60’s? These sketches usually showed how new gadgets and robot maids would make our lives so much easier in the 21st century. Well, for the most part, the gadgets have arrived. Dishwashers, microwave ovens, the remote control and cell phones have greatly expanded …
Life Review
Do you ever wonder about the purpose of life? Why are you here? What would you like to accomplish in this lifetime? Dr. Wayne Dyer, in his book, Real Magic (ISBN: 0-06-109150-2) points out that our personal evolution occurs in three stages. In the first stage, which he calls “enlightenment through suffering”, you feel like …