Happiness…

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
Dalai Lama XIV

Brewster Magic

The tide approaches and gently flips the waves on to the beach.
Trees rustle their leaves to greet to the day.
Soft breezes whisper in my ear as I lay against the bluff
Warm sand dances among my toes
A cricket resting behind me, occasionally arises to sing a song
Soon the flats will trade their fish for codders.
The world is still and perfect if only for this instant,
as I slowly drift into what I now know to be “Brewster Magic.”

by Geoffrey Swetz

Written while on vacation in Brewster, MA in 1993 with Shane Rossiter and family.

What do I want to contribute to the world?

What are Words For?

This is a list of words that I find useful in writing materials…coming from a marketing background.  This is obviously just the beginning.

• Revitalize
• Exceptional
• Wondrous
• amazing
• enthusiastic
• passionate

what are some of your favorite moving and inspiring words?

Thinking is the hardest work…

Thinking is the hardest work there is – which is probably the reason so few engage in it.  Henry Ford

My Understanding of “the Relational Space” – and How to Celebrate Hedy’s Birthday

August 4th was my birthday.  As with each year prior, Hedy and Yumi invited me and my partner, and the office staff, to a birthday dinner celebration.  What was immensely different this year is that my mother was invited as well.

One of Hedy and Yumi’s teaching principles, attributed to Martin Buber, is “our relationships live in the space between” and “the space” is sacred.  As human beings, we often automatically pollute the space by putting in it a snide look, a criticism, a complaint…  Being on the path towards Relational Maturity, means constantly being conscious of what we put into the space of our relationships, and choosing to put positivity into the “space” with a smile, a compliment, an appreciation…

 A ritual during our company’s birthday dinners is for everyone at the table to say what they appreciate about the person whose birthday it is.  Knowing that my father passed away this past October, Hedy and Yumi recognized the importance for my mom to be present on this birthday of mine.  For the first time, my mom got to hear all the appreciations of some of the important people in my life, and also my appreciations of myself.  And for the first time, my mom was there to tell everyone, including me, what she appreciated about me.  The “space between” us all was full of appreciation.

Within this space, my mom became a bright, energetic, involved, alive woman.  Or rather, we discovered so many facets of her life that have been evolving over the last eight months.  You see, where the space is clean and sacred, your true essence and passion naturally bubble up and electrify the conversations and the people around you.  My mom talked about everything she has been doing and living; what a powerful, amazing life she is living today, in the service of other people in many arenas.  I am clear that she would not have been able to say all that she said, and I would not have been able to hear all that I needed to hear, if the relational space between us had been polluted.  Knowing about, and understanding “the space” is a very important concept in assisting all of us in our relationships, whether they be personal or professional, local or global.

During her TEDtalk, in her unique fashion, Hedy shares a story about her and her mother which illustrates “the space” and the importance of keeping it sacred.  Please watch Hedy’s TEDtalk, in Our Videos, to gain a new understanding of the relational space that lives between us all.

A GIFT FOR HEDY’S 67TH BIRTHDAY:

The gift of having my mother present during my birthday dinner has inspired me to give Hedy a gift in return for her 67th birthday.  Hedy’s burning desire is to see the number of views of her TEDtalk grow and grow, furthering our mission of 90 million couples who are “crossing the bridge”, in order to create a tipping point in consciousness about the power of connection. Our vision is a relationally mature planet where all couples, organizations and nations cross the bridge to each other and honor the relational space as sacred.

Join me in celebrating Hedy’s birthday with the gift of her TEDtalk reaching at least 50,000 views by her 67th birthday, Friday, August 19th 2011.  Please share the TEDtalk with at least 2 people.

I look forward to having Hedy jump with excitement and feel deeply nourished on her birthday!

With Warm Regards,

Geoffrey

Geoffrey Swetz

Operations Manager

Office of Hedy + Yumi Schleifer

The beach, the sun, and the moon

The beach is quiet this morning as the gentile breeze warmly carries the sound of the waves breaking against the sand.  The sun is smiling on my face as I watch two boys laugh in the distance as they soak up her energy.  The moon behind me starts to fade into the distance as if to say ‘good-bye for now, but I’ll be back again to light up the night.’  Cruise ships inch along the horizon encouraging everyone to come out and play.  I know the world to be as it is, perfect in every way including me… ready to step up and make a difference… to make today the only day I have.  Because it is.

WHY do some people not put the new toilet paper roll on the spool when the old one is finished?

Image via Wikipedia

I often wonder why people don’t take 5 seconds to put the new toilet paper roll on the spool in the bathroom when the old one is finished.

If you are the person who uses the last sheets of a roll, and opens a new roll, is it that much trouble to put the new roll on the spool??  Sometime a new roll is almost 1/2 used already, and still it sits on top of the toilet, or on top of the dispenser.  Is it that much trouble to remove the cardboard tube from the spool and put the current roll on it?   Does it take too much time? What else are you sitting there doing that distracts you from this simple 5 second task?  Do you do the same thing in your home?  or are you still living with your mother and she does it for you?

I just don’t get it.

Education’s purpose

Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. Malcolm Forbes

Waiting for the time to be right…

Most of us go through life as failures, because we are waiting for the “time to be right” to start doing something worthwhile. Do not wait. The time will never be “just right.” Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. — Napoleon Hill