Here come the clouds for a Southern California drenching later today.  In so many places, the coming rain indicates an interruption in "business as usual."   But, for me, when I know the rain is coming, I know that this usually dry area is about to get a little bit greener.

The rains we had at the beginning of the year helped Spring to open up in a beautiful way.  The continued rain insures that we have green that continues through the summer with growth aplenty.  Life can be viewed in the same way.  I like smooth sailing most of the time, but I know that when I hit an especially stormy spot, growth is not far behind.  It can be a challenge to remember this fact during the dreary and stormy spots in life, but the growth that follows is always undeniable.  So, come on clouds, come on rain, come on growth!!!

Tonight I will be joining friends for Passover Seder --- a meal filled with ritual and social interaction.  I really enjoy this holiday tradition and the friends who invite me entertain those of Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Agnostic, and Atheist beliefs.  It is a night for all to enjoy.  

The Brown's always host and celebrate this holiday with an equal mix of tradition and fun.  It is an inspiring night because I know the Browns to be philanthropists of the highest order.  Their giving nature is not reserved only for high holy days or special occasions.  They consistently give back to the community and lend a hand up to those who need it.  This never seems to be from a need to impress, but truly from a spirit that enjoys giving and sharing.  

I smile even as I write this because I can imagine tonight's proceedings as the Browns read from Biblical texts, play the customary games, make traditional toasts, and generally fill their home with warmth and love.  They keep a true spirit of celebration that excludes no one.  I am honored to once again be invited to share this special night with them and with the friends who will join in tonight's festivities.

When I sit down at my computer in the morning, I often do not know what I am going to write.  I sit for a few long moments, breathing deeply, looking out the window, letting my mind wander.  Eventually, something outside catches my eye or my mind follows a path to something that I find interesting, poignant, or amusing, and I begin to write.  This morning I sat longer than usual.  

The natural landscape outside of my window changes ever so slightly everyday.  The same familiar pattern of the sun inches across the hill in front of me.  I hear the ticking of the clock and I see the same inspiring pictures of friends, family, clients, etc.  Today, I noticed that the moment of inspiration for something to write about did not hit me right away.  I enjoyed the warmth of my coffee and the smell of the jasmine.  I saw the hummingbird zoom in and out of my periphery.  Then, as my mind and my body grew calmer, a tug of inspiration finally came to me.  I wondered about my personal process of getting words out of my head and onto the page and I began to write what you read here.  It may not seem so revelatory or mysterious in the reading, but to me, as simple as it may be, I am more fully understanding the process of creation.  For me, the joy is not so much about the medium (words, music, movement, body language, brush strokes, etc.) as it is about the act of creating itself.  Every morning I have an opportunity to let words flow from my mind through my fingers onto a keyboard and, through the magic of technology, into the blogosphere for anyone interested enough to read.  That's what I found inspiring this morning.  All too often, there is a need for my creative endeavors to have life beyond the moment of initial creation.  With this daily writing, this blog, that need is absent.  There is only the simple joy of showing up every morning (Monday through Friday) and putting moments of feeling and thought into words.  Every morning there is a discipline of clearing my mind and allowing a space so that some form of inspiration can flow through me.  The content is secondary to the act itself.  And that, I find inspiring.

I've been forgiving myself a lot lately.  I believe that forgiveness is a cornerstone to healing.  In equal parts to love and acceptance, forgiveness opens a doorway inside of us that may have previously been blocked by regret, guilt, shame, blame, justification, or even vengeance.  Forgiveness allows us to take responsibility for our own feelings and have new perspectives about the stories of our lives.  The interesting thing about forgiveness is that often we do not know how deeply the layers of revelation are buried inside of us.  

Recently in my forgiveness work, I found myself letting go of some guilt I felt for enjoying certain pleasures in my life that I had judged as being decadent.  As the guilt faded, I was left with a feeling of gratitude for the opportunities and experiences I've been given in my life.  Gratitude filled the spaces where previously guilt had been.  What a change.  What a difference.  I found it invigorating to experience this shift in perspective.  

Daily, I am tapping into feelings and thoughts that no longer are serving my optimal best.  And, with each thought or belief that doesn't lift me up, I forgive myself and make an adjustment in my thinking.  Then, if the thought comes up that I should have done this sooner, I forgive myself for that.  How much deeper can this exercise in forgiveness go?  I'm willing to find out.

Last night I went to a seminar led by my friend, Lisa Brisse on behalf of her company, State of the Heart Fitness, www.StateoftheHeartFitness.com  I've known Lisa for years, since her days at the Pritikin Wellness Center.  She presented a PowerPoint Presentation and interactive talk that was inspiring and that got my mind thinking about my own state of health and well-being.  If you are in the Los Angeles area and are interested in Optimal Health, State of the Heart is a great place to check out.  And, like with all self-empowerment programs, a warning must be made.  If you want change in your life, change happens.  Change can be challenging, but also extremely rewarding.  State of Heart is certainly a place that facilitates creating healthy patterns in an individual's life.  Lisa, thanks for the information and the inspiration.

My friend and housekeeper, Marta, has a son named, Kelvin.  He is 13 years old and has won every major scholastic award his school has to offer.  He has never missed a day of school and he has a smile that lights up any room he enters.  Marta came this morning to work and she informed me that Kelvin has another honor to add to his mantle.  He entered the Los Angeles Marathon and he came in first in the 13 to 16 year old category with a finishing time of 3 hours and 21 minutes.  This was his first Marathon, but apparently not his last.  His goal next year is to beat the time that he set this year.  

With every achievement that I hear Kelvin earns, I can only ponder where his life is going and what accomplishments are still to come.  Certainly, his personality, his academic prowess, and his indomitable nature have all been greatly nurtured by the same traits that exist in his mother, Marta.  I feel extremely blessed to know this family and I am inspired by what great things they continue to bring into the world.  Congratulations Kelvin!  Congratulations Marta!  

Yesterday I appeared on MTV's "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory."  I had such a good time.  It was a lot of fun, we laughed a lot, and I really enjoyed the cast of characters that make up that reality show.  They ran on time.  There was no pressure on the production.  Everything was very good natured and I was impressed by how much the people over there really like each other.  They did not overproduce the segment and they let me do my work.  I rarely get the opportunity to work on something that is truly fun from beginning to end.  Usually, I deal with a lot of nerves, sadness, fear, etc.  Now that I've had a taste of how it is possible for me to work on projects where the overall aim is having a good time in a good-hearted way with a lot of laughter, I am hungry for more.  Hmmm, what does life have in store next???

There are many choices that can be made about the unknown, but the one I most enjoy is the decision to be excited about what is unknown.  I don't know what the day will bring.  I don't know what new opportunities or people will come into my life.  I don't know what new challenges will make me look at my life differently.  There is much that I don't know.  And, yet, when I think about my life up to this moment, it is all of those unknown moments that have brought me to this point.

Like everyone, I've planned out certain details of my life and created seemingly conclusive maps of how to get to where I wanted to go.  And, yet, most of the time life did not follow my plan, but instead surprised me beyond my own imagining.  So, when the voice in my head says, "you better figure it out," there is another voice that says, "trust life."  Given the choice, and I always have the choice, I am going to trust life and make peace with the unknown.

Traditionally, the 2oth (sometimes the 21st) of March marks the first day of Spring.  This is also my birthday.  As a boy, I took an unusual pride in my birthday being on the first day of Spring.  It has always been my favorite season (just look at previous blog postings to get a sense of my passion for new life, budding things, etc.).  If you are into astrology, I am 45 minutes into the beginning of Aries, the first sign in the zodiac.  If you know me, you know that I have a very "get things started" personality, a pioneering spirit.  I think a large part of who I am and how I operate in the world is reflective of the energy of the Spring equinox.  The days get longer and warmer and the flowers open up.  People get a bit more active and seem a lot happier.  School children become more rambunctious and lovers get a case of "Spring Fever."  Associating my personal energy with the energy that comes with Spring is a reminder to me to keep my eyes open for new opportunities, new ways of thinking and behaving, and new sights and sounds.  Even now, I look out my office window and a shiver of excitement runs through me in anticipation of what life is bringing.  It must be Spring.

I returned a few days early to Los Angeles and what a difference a few days away make.  I awoke this morning to a chorus of birds and when I stepped outside in the early morning light I smelled the perfumed aroma of jasmine blooming everywhere.  If you've ever been in Southern California at this time of the year, you know of what I am speaking.  The smell is undeniable, inescapable, and intoxicating.  I stood outside and breathed in deep for several minutes.  The smell is pure heaven and for those moments, I was completely present and desired to be nowhere else.  What a great welcome home.