1. Do not be guided by fear.

There is nothing more detrimental than making decisions out of fear.

2. Seek not to be loved, but to be loving.

My clients are generally single men and women in their thirties and forties. And most of them are unhappy. The rest of my clients are in relationships, and guess what? Theyre unhappy too. So whos happy? Well, I know a few and their happiness has nothing to do with a partner or lack thereof. We have been programmed to believe that if we just find the right partner our problems will be solved. But Im sorry to say it is an illusion. Sure, you can be fulfilled with a partner but you can also be fulfilled without one. What you seek is within. Everyday my prayer is the same, “Help me become more loving.” Let go of the need to be loved and seek instead to be loving. Only then will you find true fulfillment.

3. Pick a spiritual path.

And stick to it. All of our problems would disappear if we committed to daily spiritual practice. Truth is simple. You can read about this in an earlier post.

4. Read great writers.

Studying people who are smarter than us is crucial because there is nothing more important than realizing we may not be right. Here are some books I like.

5. Listen to music.

Crank up one good song a day. Start with this video of Unity by Trevor Hall featuring Matisyahu. I just saw his show the other night. He glows. He said he was headlining a tour in February so be sure to catch him when he comes through your town. You won’t regret it. Buy his music here.

6. See a hypnotherapist.

Release your past. Clean yourself up. And don’t spend a ton of time and money trying to do it. Hypnotherapists can help you do that. The best way to find one is through referral. E-mail me if you cant locate a good hypnotherapist and I will be happy to help you. Check out these interesting statistics on my website.

7. Surround yourself with people who can teach you.

This is easy and the pay-off is huge. Wise people push you. They hold you accountable. They dont necessarily coddle you, they elevate you. Theres a reason a lot of enlightened people have gurus. Every smart person had a teacher.

8. Give away what you don’t need.

Good feng shui and good karma. Your house is a reflection of your mind.

9. Maintain integrity.

Your self-respect is all youve got. Treasure it.

10. Become vegan.

Becoming vegan is like volunteering. Thats how I see it. There seems to be a sacrifice involved but its really a gift that comes back to you a hundred-fold. I have not experienced a single choice that has had such beautiful and far-reaching effects, not only into the world but in my own life as well. Start small.

11. Don’t procrastinate.

The world awaits your gifts. We need your vision, your talent, your perspective, your ideas. I guarantee you, depression is inevitable if you don’t apply yourself. Reread number 1.

12. Be of service.

Adopt a pet, or a child. Volunteer. If there is no love or joy in your life it can only be because you are not giving love or joy.

All of these keys have one thing in common: they are challenging. In this world of complacency and complicity, we have gotten lazy. And it shows. I understand the huge pull towards indolence, I fight it on a daily basis, but it is a battle that must be fought. It is only through challenging ourselves that we heal, that the world become a better place, and that we achieve greater things. If not you, who? You are the who we are waiting for.

I’d love to hear your keys to life.

12 Keys to Life by Cynthia Morgan.

The art of going green is as simple as rethinking the every day things we do (often without thinking). While many have the recycling basics down to a fine art, now it’s all about taking it to the next level for the sake of the environment and your wallet.

“Before you hop into your car, pull out your wallet or use three napkins for a spill … think!” says Kim Carlson, founder of the EarthSmart Certified Sustainable Product Standard.

Kim’s aim to is to encourage everyone to precycle, which involves reducing waste by not acquiring it in the first place. Purchasing with waste reduction in mind is a simple way to be eco-friendly, she adds.

“Precycling saves precious natural resources. It helps with greenhouse gas reduction and saves you money.”

Kim’s Top Precycling Tips

Read your news online instead of buying a newspaper;
Use a video service like Netflix instead of owning movies;
Give a gift of an experience rather than a thing – movie tickets, dinner gift certificate;
Buy music online rather than on a CD;
Buy rechargeable batteries;
Compost organic waste rather than throwing it away;
Rent or borrow whenever possible rather than purchase;
Share a lawn mower with several neighbors rather than each household owning their own;
Use a lawn service so that you dont need to purchase lawn equipment;
Bring a re-useable coffee mug to the corner Starbucks instead of taking the coffee in a paper cup;
Use a re-useable water bottle on the go rather than buying bottled water;
Bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store or any store;
Store left-overs in durable re-useable glass containers;
Buy in bulk whenever possible;
Avoid disposables and choose re-useable or refillable products – a refillable razor;
Buy local because not only less transportation is involved but less packaging too;
Use a permanent coffee filter;
Use a sponge instead of paper towel;
Use a bar of soap (made from 100% natural ingredients) instead of liquid soap that has a container;
Shop at a Farmers Market where there is minimal package from the farm to your table.

With the success of the recent WorldFest-a healthy living, vegan, music festival held annually in Los Angeles-The Green Dove spoke with Media and Marketing Director Bettina Rosmarino to get a recap on the festivities.

THE GREEN DOVE: How did WorldFest begin?
BETTINA ROSMARINO: In 2001, members of the current production team were involved in the first WorldFest. It started out of a desire to bring compassionate living to people in the form of a fun and relaxed music environment.

TGD: How has it grown?
BR: We’ve had 6,000 attendees in the past, but the 2009 festival was very successful and we hope to build on that to make it larger and even to roll WorldFest, in its current form, out to other cities.

TGD: Have you heard of any cases where non-vegetarian people have completely changed their lifestyle due to WorldFest?
BR: We have heard from previous festival goers that WorldFest had a big influence on their eating habits and that they changed them in one form or another.

TGD: For those who didn’t go what did they miss out on?
BR: People who couldn’t attend WorldFest missed a rousing speech from Capt Paul Watson, star of Animal Planet’s Whale Wars. They also missed some incredible food, just because it’s all vegan, does not mean it isn’t spectacular. And finally, they missed the adorable baby pig who was running around her pen at the Animal Acres tent. Too cute!

TGD: The biggest misconception you think people have about veganism?
BR: That it’s not tasty. In fact, I think that flavors of vegan food are much tastier and fresher and more palatable than the bland, colorless food that’s typical of SAD (Standard American Diet). Also, that vegans are inflexible bores. The environment of WorldFest puts that myth to shame.

From food vendors to eco-clothing retailers, get the lowdown on the latest green goodies that were on show at WorldFest 2009 here.

Bettina Rosmarino has been a tireless worker for animals and the environment for almost 20 years. While animal rights is her passion, she feels that it is inextricably linked with issues involving the environment and social justice and that work in any of these fields benefits them all. Bettina also has a passion for music and educational empowerment that has the power to inspire on an individual level.

The upcoming Raw Spirit Festival is literally heaven on earth for those whose focus is health and wellbeing.

Visitors from around the world attend to hear from the greatest minds in healthy and eco-living, such as raw food guru David Wolfe, raw food chef Juliano, naturopath Dr Jameth Sheridan, performer Tonya Kay and others. Starting next month, the festivals will be held in Santa Barbara, California, Washington D.C. and Prescott, Arizona respectively.

Set amongst nature, each festival features music, educational booths, an organic farmer’s market, creative children’s program, raw restaurant food court, raw vegan demonstrations, art gardens, dancing, poetry and theatre, yoga and meditation. There’s even a job fair.

Santa Barbara, CA: June 5 – 7. Washington D.C.: August 29 – 30. Prescott, AZ: September 26 – 27.

Find out more at www.rawspirit.com

WorldFest, a solar-powered, vegan, and sustainable music festival is set for May 16 in Los Angeles.

The event is expected to be celeb-central-especially for those interested in animal welfare, the planet, and a healthy lifestyle. Tippi Hedren, actress and founder of the Shambala Preserve, Kathy Freston, bestselling author of Quantum Wellness, Captain Paul Watson from Animal Planets Whale Wars will be guest speakers.

Other speakers and celebrity attendees include actress Linda Blair who runs animal rescue organization WorldHeart Foundation, child actress Saige Ryan Campbell, and health advocate Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. Musical guests at WorldFest include The Chapin Sisters, Bonne Musique Zydeco, and others.

WorldFest is a much-anticipated by those who are active in the local community-and for those who would like to become more active. Fest organizers say they also welcome those who simply want to enjoy the music, food, sights, and sounds of the event.

“We have great exhibitors this year with some amazing food booths and the celebrities and bands are all energetic and fun to watch,” says WorldFests Exhibitor Coordinator Andrea Gullo.

While the film The Soloist brings attention to homelessness and mental illness, it also highlights the importance and impact music can have on our lives. In this exclusive interview, L.A. Times journalist Steve Lopez tells how his friendship with Nathaniel Ayers changed his life, how the film made him more self-aware and how music impacts him.

TGD: What do you believe firstly your LA Times article, then your book and finally The Soloist film has done for raising awareness of the homeless?

SL: I think the story raises awareness about who those people are out there and how they ended up on the pavement. We’d like to think, for our own benefit, that they all made a decision to be out there, or simply couldn’t pay the rent because they’re laggards. In fact many of them, including veterans, were hit with severe illness that is both terrifying and debilitating. On the west side of L.A. does it make sense to anyone that physically and mentally wounded vets sleep in Palisades Park and on the street just a few miles from abandoned VA barracks? One thing I’ve learned is that we know how to help people but haven’t made a big enough commitment to the right programs. On the west side (of Los Angeles), programs like Step Up on Second (www.stepuponsecond.org) and the Ocean Park Community Center (www.opcc.org) do both the humane thing and the cost-effective thing, helping people rebuild their lives rather than churning endlessly through courts, hospitals and jails. Anyone who wants to make a difference should check out their websites and either donate, volunteer, or learn what they’re about and spread the word.

TGD: Describe what it was like having an actor portray you? Did this experience make you more self-aware? If so, how?

SL: Its always a strange out-of-body experience, having seen the film several times. Did Robert Downey Jr. just say he was Steve Lopez? I guess he did. I joked with Downey that he doesn’t look like a Lopez. The joke of course is that I don’t, either. My grandparents are from Italy and Spain, and yet I’ve taken complaints from readers and journalists who are disappointed that I didn’t insist on being played by a Latino. Each time I see the movie I catch some new and different element of Downey’s portrayal. He accomplished something amazing: he created an original character, yet captured elements of my personality and drive and the essence of my journey with Mr. Ayers.

TGD: In the film, you were instrumental in adding richness to Nathaniel’s life. In what ways did Nathaniel add richness to yours?

SL: I learned patience, hope, strength, and passion. Few people are lucky enough to find their true ambition and to live for it. Mr. Ayers fights through his troubles each day and ends up in the embrace of music, which transports him to a beautiful, safe, sane world. In letting me know him well enough to tell his story, he has shined a spotlight on our public policy failures, he has helped humanize thousands like him and he has helped destigmatize mental illness. I’ve also learned to appreciate classical music and like Mr. Ayers, I now have friends in the L.A. Philharmonic.

TGD: Music changed Nathaniel’s life. How has music changed you?

SL: Few things in life are just inherently good, uplifting and therapeutic. Music is all of that. I envy Mr. Ayers’ talent and wish I could play something, but despite years of lessons on guitar, I’m a bit of a hack once I get beyond songs like Rainbow Connection and Eensy Weensy Spider. Fortunately, because she’s only five, my daughter thinks I can actually play the instrument.

To read more about Steve Lopez, see www.stevelopezonline.com. To see how music can help heal, head to www.musictherapy.org

Participant films and producers of The Soloist, have teamed up with NGOs nationally and regionally to launch The Soloist Social Action Campaign which includes a viral tool called The Art of Understanding: Humanizing Homelessness and Mental Illness. It will be available to the public and educational institutions nationally (US only).