Welcome to springtime. Along with cool days, rain and bursts of sun, flowers are blooming, trees greening and the miracle of new life bursts forth once again. We, too, come back to life over and over, despite sorrow, disappointment and lost love. We, too, can taste the miracle of springtime.

This newsletter is dedicated to those who wish to learn the simple laws of love, how to practice them in all their relationships. Combining Eastern and Western teachings and practices, it will also offer psychological, spiritual and practical wisdom on handling all kinds of upset constructively so that everyday can be a truly new day for you.

Centuries ago, a physician, faced daily with death and suffering, sought out the guidance of a famous Zen Master, living quietly, inaccessible, in a mountain hut. The physician climbed the mountain, searched for the hut, and after many days, found him raking leaves at the side of his tiny house. The teacher did not look up when the student arrived, but kept raking slowly.

"I have come to understand the essence of life," the physician proclaimed.

The Zen Master looked up for a moment, his eyes piercing the student.

"Go home and be kind to your patients," the Master replied. "That is it."

Finding Your Miracle

Most of us find life to be complicated, filled with questions we cannot answer. We address these questions to our rational mind, seeking information we can get our hands around, answers to quench our thirst. We yearn to know and do what's right in the the unending complications life presents. Then we search for authorities, assuming someone out there has our answer This search can become a mania, as we run to teachers, doctors, psychologists, Priests and Rabbis in the belief they have the answers we hunger for. Wars have been fought and lives sacrificed in the effort to discover and protect the "right " response.

However, our true answers to life's questions cannot be found by thinking, talking, strategizing, or finding an authority upon whom to rely. A true teacher will simply prod, kick, yell, cajole, love and shove you into realizing that no one else has your truth. To find the answers to your life questions, you must look within. Nothing less will do. Nothing more is needed.

As we look within we learn to honor the head on our own shoulders, the heart that's beating inside of us, right now. As we turn our search around, we learn how to trust the wisdom that waits for us within.

"Don't put a head on your own head. What's wrong with the one you have?"

By stopping our mad search in the external world, by turning within we take back all our scattered power and energy which we have given to the thousands of "authorities", we begin to realize that our head is on our own shoulders. We do not have to look for it anywhere else. Then we are finally able to walk on this earth with our own two feet, to live the life given to us and see the miracles waiting for us everywhere. We are able to laugh when we laugh, cry when we cry, become whole-hearted and without deception.

Eat When You're Hungry, Sleep When You're Tired

Rinzai was the founder of one of the main schools of Zen. He said, "When I'm hungry, I eat, when I'm tired I sleep. Fools laugh at me. But the wise understand."

Being able to eat when you're hungry and sleep when you're tired is itself a miracle. How many of us can really eat when we're hungry, or sleep when tired? For many it is difficult to even recognize hunger for what it is. When we're hungry we talk, search for love, diet, or gobble down all the wrong food. When we're tired we push ourselves to work harder, run, dance, or fall into bed and toss all night with difficult dreams. How many can really taste the food they are eating, appreciate and digest it? How many know sleep that truly refreshes, innocent sleep like a little child?

When we reclaim the basis of who we are, let go of external projections, learn to look within and accept what we find, our life unfolds on a different basis. We then can resume our natural rhythms, know what we feel, who we are, and live a life of wholeness and simplicity, refreshing all we meet along the way. Then every moment becomes a miracle to relish and unnecessary questions fall away.

This is article is based upon Zen Miracles (Finding Peace in An Insane World), by Brenda Shoshanna, Wiley.

Living by Zen (Timeless Truths for Everyday Life)

But mother's day is also a day for you. Spend a few moments and truly realize who and what is a mother to you. Where does your nourishment come from? What have you given in return?

The earth is our mother, dear friends offer mothering, teachers, lovers, unexpected helpers. Without all the mothering we receive continually, we could not survive.

Send a special thank you to all your mothers. Find a way to return the gifts you have received. Spend time acknowledging specifically that which your mother(s) has given that you are thankful for. That personal time spent may well mean more than many costly gifts.

The infinite Source asks nothing, it is mysterious, healing and filled with endless possibility.

On The Stoop

If you want

To find Rosie

Look for her first

Under the boardwalk,

At thirty-second street

Singing her heart out

With the bad boys.

How ya doing

Rosie?

Rosie Retreats

Deftly, deftly

Rosie blinked,

Wiped her eyes,

Turned her wide

Purple hips and

Climbed backwards

Into the sun.

In New York City alone, more than one million people are hungry, including nearly 350,000 children and more than 140,000 senior citizens. there are few better ways to help feed them than by providing oatmeal. At the top of the "most desired" food list, oatmeal is highly nutritious, light to transport (since it expands with water or milk), inexpensive and has a long shelf life. It is also a breakfast food, (often most desired), helps lower cholesterol and is healthy for children.

"Project Oatmeal" helps provide oatmeal for NY's only food rescue program, City Harvest, to distribute to its contacts at more than 600 emergency food shelters throughout the five boroughs of NYC. The food agencies then put that oatmeal directly into the hands of the hungry within a few days -- sometimes within a few hours--of receiving it. Project Oatmeal has cut a deal with Krasdale Foods (in the Bronx) to supply oatmeal at only $1.66 per 42 ounce cannister, which comes out to just 16 cents a meal. For a donation of just $1.66 you can provide over 10 meals immediately to help the hungry in NYC.

Go to http://www.projectoatmeal.org to find out more.

Find out more

Just because we forgive someone, let go of our anger and grievance towards them, does not mean we have to remain in a disrespectful relationship. You can let him go with love. Unless your boyfriend truly deals with his compulsion, takes responsibility and seeks competent professional help, it is likely that this pattern will repeat, as it may be out of his control. Just saying I'm sorry is often not enough. He must deal with the issues behind it honestly and diligently. If he doesn't, and the problem repeats, you can indeed forgive him again, but also learn to respect yourself, and realize it is fine to leave.

Probably the biggest need all of us have is to experience a wonderful, loving relationship where we can be ourselves, and share our lives with someone meaningful. This is exactly what you will be able to create when you begin to work with the unique program inside my e-book, Save Your Relationship.

In the program you will discover the common mistakes people make in relationships and how to turn them around. You'll see why it's impossible to fail at love, once you understand how to build a foundation that can weather any storm.

Why not throw away old relationship habits and start new right now?

To find out more and order a copy, go to the website, http:.//www.truthaboutlove.com

GIVE A GIFT

Give a session with Dr. Shoshanna in person or on the phone, or invite Dr. Shoshanna to talk or offer a workshop in your community. She speaks on many topics including:

Save Your Relationship (21 Basic Laws of Successful Relationships

From Upset to Peace of Mind : Letting Go of Anger Easily

Relationships As Spiritual Practice

How To Develop a Grateful Mind (The Miraculous Practice of Giving Thanks)

and more

Dr. Shoshanna's programs are available as talks, half day workshops, full day , or week-end workshops.Contact us for more information. topspeaker@yahoo.com

Or, perhaps you'd like to give someone you care for a copy of one of Dr. Shoshanna's books such as Zen and The Art of Falling In Love, filled with delightful stories,guidelines and steppingstones to love, based on Zen practice.

Get a copy of Save Your Relationship today.

Everyone wants to be beautiful, young, healthy, fit and to feel good about themselves. There is no end to available diets and workouts, but the most important diet has been overlooked.

This is a diet that releases stress, lets you sleep soundly at night, reduces cravings and brings new friends into your life. This diet gets rid of the number one toxin that destroys well-being - anger.

In Dr. Shoshanna book, The Anger Diet, you'll learn about the 24 forms of anger, the lies anger tells you, and how to stop it fast with the Emergency Technique. Each day you'll give up a different form of anger and replace it with a life changing antidote. The life changing effects of this diet will appear soon after starting.

There's no need to keep going the way you have been. Choose to feel good today. Get a copy of The Anger Diet and see how easy it is to say no to upset.

The greatest obstacle we have to feeling good, healthy and loving is anger which accosts us in many ways and camouflages itself.

Melt Away Toxic Feelings On The Anger Diet

In this revealing, intimate book, I ask the men themselves and they provide some startling and enlightening answers. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, I present men's own words and perspectives about the various reasons their relationships fell apart. You'll be surprised and relieved to hear what they have to say. Usually the reason men leave, has nothing to do with you. Some of the topics covered in the book include, The Fear of Committment, Ghosts of Past Relationships, The Mid-Life Crisis, The Repetition Compulsion, Competition With In-Laws, The Fantasy Woman, and many others.

Why keep going without understanding?Take new steps today to learn more about men and relationships, feel better about yourselves and findthe courage to love again.

Living by Zen (Timeless Truths for Everyday Life). www.livingbyzen.com

In this book you will discover the 2,000 Year Old Zen Secrets To Being Calm, Balanced and Positive, No Matter What Is Going On.

Probably the biggest need all of us have is to feel calm, balanced and positive no matter what is going on in our lives. This is exactly what you will feel when you begin to work with the unique program inside this e- book.

Living By Zen explores the things that steal your peace of mind, different ways you handle stress and why they do not work.

Download the book now and enjoy.

Living By Zen