Newsletter Archive

Fear: a scary tool

2011-02-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, I went to some Sales and Business Opportunity Seminars. For the most part, they were free, except for time, parking and an expensive lunch in or near the hotel. I heard many things at these seminars, but one of the few things I heard several times that stuck with me was the use of the word FEAR as an acronym for False Education Appearing Real.

I was reading an article awhile back that really brought this to mind. The article claimed that human children are born with only two natural fears, falling and sudden loud noises.

January was a very tough month for me as I spent it becoming intimately acquainted with my fears on several levels. As difficult as it was, I really learned a lot from it.

The specifics of the situation are not really that important, but I will tell you that there are very few things that can put me into a state of near panic and paralysis like where this was centered. I had been put in a place where not only was this hot-button issue directly affected, but I also ended up with so many options and no clue as to which my best choice was. After nearly two weeks of floating from choice to choice, getting nowhere and driving myself nearly crazy, I had what Oprah would call an “ah-ha” moment.

My problem was not the choice, the plethora of available options, or even the assorted financial considerations, but simply that I needed to make a choice, just that.

Often we avoid making decisions for ourselves because what if we are wrong? If we can get a friend or friends to make the choice for us, they are the ones that may be wrong and “I” now have someone “I” can hold responsible.

Have you noticed the number of times
that I have used the word choice yet?

The “False Education” in this particular situation was that there was a “right” or “wrong” choice to be made. It was just a choice, nothing more and once I became aware of this and resolved to make “a choice” I began to have a space to have peace in.

Simply put, the choice was mine to make, did I make the “right” choice? That remains to be seen and judged later by someone else. After taking another look at my options I made my choice, would you make the same choice? Maybe, maybe not, does it matter?

If we take the time to look at fear, we will almost always find that the source is some misconception of the situation we want to avoid addressing and the rest of the time we are just attempting to avoid the responsibility that will come from our, or often our friends and family, judgment of our choice in comparison to what they would have done in the situation.

If we look at fear in this way, then fear becomes yet another tool in our arsenal of growth and personal advancement no matter how scary it may seem at the time.

If you have content you would like to pass along or to submit your own content, a question or comment on this newsletter, please send it to: editorial@spiritgeek.com or go to the online version of the Zeitgeist Newsletter.

Calendar & Announcements

Meetup Group Closing

Feb 18, 2011

The Meetup Group “Where Life and Spirit become One” is being discontinued as of February 18, 2011. It was an interesting idea that never really got off the ground so I have decided to terminate it.

To all the friends and family of the group, please keep in touch at either the Spiritgeek website, Facebook or Twitter. I hope to see and hear from you all soon.

2011: A New Year and Mission

2011-01-01T03:57:00.000-08:00

First off, welcome to 2011 with all the joy and hopes of your heart! May the New Year bring Peace and Happiness to you and yours! May your life always show you blessings on your path home to Source.

I have been doing a lot of thinking as of late, yeah, better late than never. LOL

I have recently decided to close the Life-Coaching aspect of Spiritgeek, at least as the central object of its operation, I was feeling a bit mercenary about it. I love doing the coaching, but Spiritgeek was never really about making a living for myself but as an outlet for an awakening of Spirit for those it touches.

While I thought about this in general, trying to figure out why I was so unmotivated in the business aspects of the practice I was putting together, I started thinking of a scene from the TV film “Jesus” with Jeremy Sisto, Gary Oldman, Debrah Messing and my fave actress Jacqueline Bisset.

The scene is the films interpretation of when the Canaanite woman came begging Jesus for his assistance with her daughter that was being tormented by a demon. One disciple says, “Send the Canaanite away, she has no place here.” She continues pleading for Jesus to show mercy on her daughter.

	JESUS You’re not a Jew. I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. CANAANITE WOMAN (runs and throws herself at Jesus’ feet) Jesus, have mercy Lord! Please! Please! JESUS It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. CANAANITE WOMAN Yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.
As he has a moment of recollection and awakening he raises the Canaanite Woman to her feet:
	JESUS Woman, great is your faith. Your daughter is healed. Go and find her. CANAANITE WOMAN Bless you Jesus! DISCIPLE Master, our God is for the Gentiles? JESUS I saw a dying girl.
Disciples pause in disapproval
	Would you rather I let her die?
Disciples shy away from responding
	This woman has taught me that my message is for the Gentiles as well. If I can learn, so can you.

I felt so like this. I had pretty much convinced myself that I knew what direction I wanted to take things. The Universe would let me of course; it is not the Universe’s job to make those decisions for me, but to fulfill what I place before it. Remember that old expression; “Be careful what you ask for, you might get it.”

I have never been comfortable in the position of trading Spirit for cash. I understand that there is a need with many people to pay money. It took me a long time to realize people do not often appreciate what they get for free, I could give many people the best Coaching as a gift and they would do nothing with it, but if I charge them, they will be nearly unable to wait to put the Coaching into practice.

So 2011 is going to start off with some transitions here at Spiritgeek.com and in my life. I want to return to what I originally saw the site and practice as, about fulfilling the original tagline of the site.

…where Life and Spirit become One!

Life Coaching will still be available for those who want it, it will just not be the primary goal of either the website or Robert Burgener.

I want to hear from you, my readers and the people that my readers care enough to forward this newsletter to. What do you want, what would make reaching the goal of our tagline a reality in your life?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Mastering Reality

2010-10-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

Coexist

Here in Los Angeles, I have begun to see more and more of the “Coexist” bumper stickers. If you have not seen them, they spell it out in the symbols of major religions. I do not know who originally thought of it, but bravo!

The other day I was on Facebook surfing through one of their applications called Flair. “Flair” are electronic buttons and I have been collecting buttons for a while, electronic and otherwise actually. I came across this one to the right.

It really saddened me at first since it really displays the hard-core divisions that have become so prevalent in this day and age. We have become a world of “you're either with us, or against us” with no grey areas in between and little to no interest in cooperation or negotiation, no wonder change has become so slow.

The part of this that I find so ironic is that most of the people who believe that this is a valid excuse to kill or destroy others tend to be the same ones that wave their flags or books of worship, Bible, Koran, etc, and in this country claim to be defending “American ideals” and values while throwing the Constitution and Bill of Rights out the window (I hear similar statements from other nations and cultures).

If we judge others as being beyond hope or help, why should we be surprised if they feel the same way toward us? It is not about changing people, but in changing how we relate and think about them. Look for the best and if you cannot find it, project something good and uplifting onto them. Patanjali, in his “Yoga Sutras,” addresses this so directly in one line.

By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy and joyful, compassion for the unhappy and sorrowful, gladness for the virtuous and non-judgmentalism towards the wicked, the mind acquires and maintains its undisturbed calmness.

Yoga Sutras 1:33

A Thought for Your Practice

As humans we have a natural tendency to judge everything around us. In my experience, it is not really the others we are judging, but ourselves. We judge ourselves VERY harshly and project it out into and onto the world.

So here is a quick exercise:

When caught pointing at someone, I had a schoolteacher that would say: “Remember, you have three fingers pointing back at you.” Judgment works in the same way, you think you are projecting out “there,” but you are actually looking within and apparently not real happy with what you see.

In L. Ron Hubbard’s “Church of Scientology,” they use a technique called “clearing” in an attempt to get at the base causes of their reactions to what happens around them. The basic idea is that by knowing the initial cause of a reaction, you cease being at its mercy and begin to be able to choose how you will respond. That is the big difference, responding to what happens rather than reacting blindly.

When you find yourself having reacted to some happening and wishing you had done it differently, look into yourself and see where that reaction came from. Look into it all, the emotions that came up, the history that it relates to, the “story” that you have told yourself.

Very often we will find that we have blind spots in these areas and surprisingly often we will find that we placed those blind spots ourselves to avoid something or justify what we thought or did.

As Gandhi said: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Part of becoming that change is to see yourself for what you are as well. Watch and learn about yourself.

Try it…

Mastery through Judgment, sort of…

Have you ever actually sat down and looked at what ideas and thoughts are programmed into your head, often to the point that they seem as if they are natural responses? Fears are an excellent example of how this works.

Psychologists say that at birth, a baby has only two fears, falling and loud noises; all other fears are learned along the way. Now if you suffer from another fear, you are likely to believe that it is not only natural, but also that you came into the world this way. If that truly is the case, are you willing to address it? If it is not the case and you learned it in the process of your life, do you want to remove it?

Every month there is one aspect of this newsletter that never changes, the necessity to look at yourself and to become intimately aware of whom and what you are and how you function. It is through this self-familiarity that you truly find what your issues are and what areas are in need of being addressed.

Looking at others can be of help also, but most tend to use their assessments of others as validations for their judgments and to increase their egos. If you want to incorporate the outside world into your self-analysis, remember that what you harshly judge “them” to be is actually where you are lacking in yourself and that you are projecting that lack onto them.

The more you can learn about yourself and how you relate to the world around you, the more you see your reality for what it truly is, making you its master! Mastering your reality then allows you to change it into what you wish. You will find that a surprising amount of that reality has merely been a projection of your own self-image and your judgment of your own perceived lacking. Now you have the basic tools to change it at will!

Enjoy!

Quotations

We either create our own reality or allow someone else to do it for us.
JJ Dewey
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
Carl Jung
If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
Mother Teresa
I regard Christian and Jewish fundamentalism, and all other forms of fundamentalism, as the enemies of God - and I hope you'll quote me on that.
Arthur Hertzberg
Want to know an excellent gauge of coming change? Watch the “conservatives” fight to keep it the same, the harder the fight, the closer the change.
Robert Burgener/Spiritgeek

Calendar & Announcements

New Spiritgeek.com Website	Now Online!
The new and improved Spiritgeek.com is up and running for your convenience. A better layout with visual cues as to what the content is to make it easier to find what you are looking for. Additionally, Google™ Custom Search which has been added to the site and has been setup to search all our sites, including the blog, newsletter and the video transcripts from one single location.
Congratulations Kris Searle and Inspire U Records
Kris Searle of Inspire U Records have not only been nominated for their fourth award in three years for “Warning Signs” in the “Electronica/Dance” category at the 2010 Los Angeles Music Awards, but they won again this year! A special mention is due since I believe Kris Searle and Inspire U Records have won each their awards in four different categories, that is definitely worth a special mention!
“10 Secrets to the Secret”™ Book Release	Coming Soon
“10 Secrets to the Secret”™ is a guidebook for the practitioner to help them make the strides in their life they could only dream of before. After nearly 30 years of personal practice and teaching others how to make the Law of Attraction (The Secret™) work in their lives, I have realized that there are several places that seem to be the largest stumbling blocks in manifesting the life of their dreams.

Not this, not that

2010-08-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

In this Issue

"...it's all small stuff"
A Thought for Your Practice
Neti-Neti
Quotations
Calendar & Announcements

"...it's all small stuff"

I find writing my blog entries, of which there have been few as of late, and these newsletters that I have to keep an eye on my tone. It is easy to talk about some problem or issue and get lost there instead of finding a way out.

Life can often be like that, we allow some issue to build and without realizing it we have become lost there and often find it difficult to work our way out. The funny part of it is that the problem is not actually that large, it is our proximity that makes it seem so massive.

If I take a microscope and focus in on a microbe, I can give it the illusion of being larger than a house and if I allow myself to get lost in that idea, I may actually begin to believe, or live within, the delusion. The same thing has happened to all of us in our forgetting our true natures as eternal Spiritual entities and becoming lost within the illusion that this virtual reality simulator is our true nature.

Be it the day-to-day issues and events in our lives or the study of our actual nature outside the illusion of this creation, getting lost is all fun and games if you will let it. Someone once wrote, "Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff," how inspired is that?

Club Inspire U at Club Cobra	Sep 25, 2010
Spiritgeek.com has partnered with Inspire U Records in presenting Club Inspire U at Club Cobra in North Hollywood. From Kris Searle, the creator of Club Inspire U: I wanted to create a place where people feel like it's a 'home from home' where you refresh and vitalize and you leave inspired. A place you can come and not be judged. You are accepted for who you are and for what you do. They aren't enough places like this so this is going to be a place where ideas will thrive and natural talent rules. Whatever it is.
"10 Secrets to the Secret"™ Book Release	Summer 2010
After nearly 30 years of personal practice and teaching others how to make the Law of Attraction (The Secret™) work in their lives, I have realized that there are several places that seem to be the largest stumbling blocks in manifesting the life of their dreams. "10 Secrets to the Secret"™ is a guidebook for the practitioner to help them make the strides in their life they could only dream of before. While finishing "10 Secrets to the Secret"™ is set for later this summer, if we can get the publishing taken care of early enough, we are hoping to release it at the Club Inspire U event on the 25th of September. In keeping with the Club Inspire U tradition, all copies sold at the event will donate 20% of the profits to the American Cancer Society.

"10 Secrets to the Secret"™ Discussion Group	Every Monday^†
^† Every Monday except July 5^th The ongoing series of discussions on Robert/Spiritgeek's upcoming book, "10 Secrets to the Secret"™ due out this summer. Learn the 10 insights that have made the Law of Attraction come alive for so many and helped many more discover where they were unintentionally sabotaging themselves. From 3:00PM till about 5:00 at The Spot, 4455 Overland Ave, Culver City, in the back room. Come enjoy good coffee, excellent food and be part of the completion of the book. The tenth and final session of the series will be July 26^th.
Reputation Label's "NerveCast Friday"	Every Friday
Reputation Label's "NerveCast Friday" show with Johnny, Kris, the gang and Monkey on the internet live from 1:00PM-3:00PM PDT (4:00-6:00 EDT) from London. Music, conversation, some general mayhem and just a bit of Life Coaching from yours truly. From the Reputation Label site: We promote the great music through many media outlets and none better than Reverbnation.com. Come and join our site there if you are a band so that we can get you promoted and seen world wide..do it now !! Join us in the chat room during the show for another dimension of interactive radio.
Club Inspire U	Jul 24, 2010
Spiritgeek.com has partnered with Inspire U Records in presenting Club Inspire U at Club Cobra in North Hollywood. In addition to the always exceptional event of inspiring artists, there will be the addition of Inspire U Records founder Kris Searle's birthday and the release party for Kris' new single, "Warning Signs" featuring Darnell Swallow. There may be another release going on at the event, but that is not definite as of yet. From the Club Inspire U site: I wanted to create a place where people feel like it's a 'home from home' where you refresh and vitalize and you leave inspired. A place you can come and not be judged. You are accepted for who you are and for what you do. They aren't enough places like this so this is going to be a place where ideas will thrive and natural talent rules. Whatever it is.
Interview on Wake Up!
Ryan Ray and Fuz are the hosts of Wake Up! and recently invited me to do a segment on their weekly webcast. From the Wake Up! site: Wake UP! Explore your Passion is a TV talk show that changes the way people think about work. Through guest success stories and audience participation, host Ryan Ray inspires and motivates those who live only for the weekend to break the cycle and begin exploring their passion every day.
"10 Secrets to the Secret"™ Book Release	Summer 2010
While finishing "10 Secrets to the Secret"™ is set for later this summer, if we can get the publishing taken care of early enough, we are hoping to release it at the Club Inspire U event on the 24^th of July. In keeping with the Club Inspire U tradition, all copies sold at the event will donate 20% of the profits to the American Cancer Society.

"10 Secrets to the Secret"^™ Discussions	Every Monday
The ongoing series of discussions on Robert/Spiritgeek's upcoming book, "10 Secrets to the Secret"^™ due out this summer. Learn the 10 insights that have made the Law of Attraction come alive for so many and helped many more discover where they were unintentionally sabotaging themselves. From 3:00PM till about 5:00 at The Spot, 4455 Overland Ave, Culver City, in the back room. Come enjoy good coffee, excellent food and be part of the completion of the book.
"Frantic Friday" Radio Show	Every Friday
Reputation Label's "Frantic Friday" show with Johnny, Kris, the gang and Monkey on the internet live from 1:00PM-3:00PM PDT (4:00-6:00 EDT) from London. Music, conversation, some general mayhem and just a bit of Life Coaching from yours truly. Join us in the chat room during the show for another dimension of interactive radio.
Club Inspire U at Club Cobra	Jul 10, 2010
Date to be confirmed Spiritgeek.com has partnered with Inspire U Records in presenting Club Inspire U at Club Cobra in North Hollywood. From Kris Searle begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, the creator of Club Inspire U: I wanted to create a place where people feel like it's a 'home from home' where you refresh and vitalize and you leave inspired. A place you can come and not be judged. You are accepted for who you are and for what you do. They aren't enough places like this so this is going to be a place where ideas will thrive and natural talent rules. Whatever it is.

"10 Secrets to the Secret" Discussion Series	May 10, 2010
Date to be confirmed This will be the first in a series of discussions on Robert/Spiritgeek's upcoming book, "10 Secrets to the Secret" due out this summer. Learn the ten insights that have made the Law of Attraction come alive for so many and helped many more discover where they were unintentionally sabotaging themselves. For details, keep an eye on the Meetup Group and the Facebook Fan page for all the details as well as RSVP since the venue has a limited size.
Birthday of Robert/Spiritgeek	May 19, 2010
A party to celebrate the 45^th birthday of Robert/Spiritgeek or as Robert prefers; the 29^th anniversary of the journey that has become Spiritgeek.com is in the planning and details will be announced shortly.
Club Inspire U at Club Cobra	Jun 5, 2010
Date to be confirmed Spiritgeek.com has partnered with Inspire U Records in presenting Club Inspire U at Club Cobra in North Hollywood. From Kris Searle, the creator of Club Inspire U: I wanted to create a place where people feel like it's a 'home from home' where you refresh and vitalize and you leave inspired. A place you can come and not be judged. You are accepted for who you are and for what you do. They aren't enough places like this so this is going to be a place where ideas will thrive and natural talent rules. Whatever it is. A special thanks to all those who came to our premier event in April! Not only did you make it an amazing evening, but you also were enthusiastic enough that we were invited back to make Club Inspire U a MONTHLY event! *Thank You!!!!*

Club Inspire U at Club Cobra	Apr 17, 2010
Spiritgeek.com has partnered with Inspire U Records in presenting Club Inspire U at Club Cobra in North Hollywood. From Kris Searle, the creator of Club Inspire U: I wanted to create a place where people feel like it's a 'home from home' where you refresh and vitalize and you leave inspired. A place you can come and not be judged. You are accepted for who you are and for what you do. They aren't enough places like this so this is going to be a place where ideas will thrive and natural talent rules. Whatever it is. On April 17^th my band and I will feature and we will have a special guest performing... You can also WIN a couple of sessions with one of our sponsors SpiritGeek.com an amazing life coach and spiritual healer and someone will WIN a prize from our other sponsor REAL SPIRIT so come on down and WIN!!!
Spiritgeek Finally Opens	Apr 19, 2010
Finally the doors open for clients and services on a full time basis. Coaching and Teaching is now available during regular business hours as well as the current evening and weekends. Contact Robert via telephone, email or the website to schedule appointments. Remember that there is a FREE 30-minute session to both experience what is open to you and also to begin determining what areas of your life you would like to begin to maximize and excel in.
Birthday of Robert/Spiritgeek	May 19, 2010
A party to celebrate the 45^th birthday of Robert/Spiritgeek or as Robert prefers; the 29^th anniversary of the journey that has become Spiritgeek.com is in the planning and details will be announced shortly.

Newsletter Archive

Fear: a scary tool

Calendar & Announcements

2011: A New Year and Mission

Mastering Reality

In this Issue

Coexist

A Thought for Your Practice

Mastery through Judgment, sort of…

Quotations

Calendar & Announcements

Not this, not that

In this Issue

"...it's all small stuff"

A Thought for Your Practice

Neti-Neti

Quotations

Calendar & Announcements

The Independence of Spirit

In this Issue

A State of Independence

A Thought for Your Practice

...and Facts are Facts

Quotations

Calendar & Announcements

Judgment is...

In this Issue

Equality and Judgment

A Thought for Your Practice

Why Judgment Fails

Quotations

Calendar & Announcements

Fertilizer Happens

In this Issue

Fertility Rites of Spring

A Thought for Your Practice

A Little Fertilizer

Quotations

Calendar & Announcements

The Authenticity of Responsibility

In this Issue

Responsibility: A Price for Awakening

A Thought for Your Practice

Awareness

Quotations

Calendar & Announcements

Love is Love

In this Issue

Love is...

A Thought for Your Practice

Love is Presence

Quotations

Fresh Beginnings

In this Issue

Resolutions or not...

A Thought for Your Practice

Endings create Beginnings

Quotations

A Gift of Freedom

In this Issue

Leaving the Past in the Past

A Thought for Your Practice

Honoring the Past

Quotations

The Yoga of Thanks

In this Issue

Giving Thanks

A Thought for Your Practice

Spiritgeek's Spiritual Calendar

Quotations

Masks and Transitions

In this Issue

Fall and Halloween

A Thought for Your Practice

Death: a New Perspective

Quotations

Premier Issue

In this Issue

Welcome to Spiritgeek's Zeitgeist

A Thought for Your Practice