There are no coincidences in this universe; everything operates in perfect equilibrium. When we are ready, the right opportunities in life present themselves, whether in the form of people or things; and regardless of whether we see, hear, feel, or read it, it will speak to us. Irrespective of whether we agree or disagree with information as it is presented to us in life, it serves an important purpose to help us open our eyes to the world around us, to continually question what we believe, and to subsequently look within for the answers we seek for our truth.

The general complacency with which we live our lives offers little in the way of growth and evolution.

A healthy curiosity makes the world go around. We need to connect with others, step out of our comfort zone and out of our shell to become active participants in our communities. We need to engage in our world, express interest in other people’s lives, be authentic, ask questions, and most importantly, learn from those around us. Everyone has a story, and there is something we can take away from every person we meet, from every connection we make, from every moment we live.

Experiences happen as they are meant to. There are no accidents; and when a delay or inconvenience arises, remember that we are exactly where we need to be, in a position to connect and reconnect with those around us and our world at large. So, learn something new. Be of service. Evolve. Life is not all that mysterious; we just aren’t able to plan out every moment of our lives as it will occur, regardless of our schedule or agenda, with or without our consent.

We can only plan out this moment, and it really is the only one that matters.

We can take responsibility for this very moment and anything that transpires as a result of the divine plan of our life. Life cannot be planned; it is simply what happens to us when we are not caught up in the planning of this moment or the one that follows. Life is what occurs when we let go of our agenda and become present to this moment. We need to gift ourselves the magnificence of the moment before us, a real present, the only present that really exists.

There is a perfect time for all things, and NOW is that time.

It wasn’t yesterday, for we were not ready. It is not tomorrow, for that will be too late. Now is the time for our own transformation, to make decisions for the betterment of our lives, our family, and our community. Now is the time to commit to our own evolution, to choose life over death, passion over complacency, greatness over mediocrity, service over selfishness. Now is the time to be the person we have always longed to be.

We are irreplaceable so let us not waste this incredible opportunity.

In the end, what do we have to lose? Life is too short for anything less. We can study, read books, and plan out our lives, but in the end we must simply take action, climb that mountain, and dive into the ocean. The world awaits our unique contribution.

This is the time, our time. We can make our world a better place, not by obsessing about what we did right or what we did wrong, but by helping to make every moment just a little bit better, a little more connected to our source, and a little more focused on a life of service.

We are all destined for greatness. It is our choice alone whether we achieve all that is destined for us in this life.

We can choose to subsist through life, accepting everything as it is presented to us, or we can take advantage of the greatest opportunity before us—to become our true self, to follow our life-path, and to live a life of meaning and purpose.

Image courtesy flickr.com, belial.

Seth David Chernoff

Seth David Chernoff is the award-winning author of the acclaimed Manual For Living book series. He was given the amazing gift of life after surviving cancer on two separate occasions. He is an inspiring leader and an in-demand speaker, trainer and coach. Seth has helped thousands of people find true happiness and fulfillment through his books, seminars, and lectures. Seth’s life-changing message reaches over 20,000 people a month and his work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Popular Mechanics, Business Week, USA Today, and on hundreds of TV and radio interviews nationally and internationally. As the founder of True Happiness Immersion, Chernoff is a leading expert on Happiness & Fulfillment. Learn more at www.ManualForLiving.com and www.SethChernoff.com.

Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from MANUAL FOR LIVING: REALITY, A USER’S GUIDE TO THE MEANING OF LIFE (c) 2010 Seth David Chernoff, Published by Spirit Scope Publishing (www.SpiritScope.com), Boulder, CO. 303-351-1187. All rights reserved.

Staying hydrated is easy if you have something refreshing and tasty by your side. What if this special something is also packed with antioxidants and gives you an all-natural energy boost?

Recently, I received some samples of KonaRed drinks. Ah, the benefits of being a wellness writer, you get some pretty awesome samples! I was really excited to try a drink made out of a coffee fruit! The beverage is made out of a coffee fruit that grows around the coffee bean but doesn’t have coffee or caffeine in it. Usually coffee berries are discarded during the coffee production process, which results in over 40 million pounds of waste just on the Big Island of Hawaii alone! A group of eco-conscious entrepreneurs didn’t like the idea of wasting nutritionally rich product and set on a mission to change the situation. To solve the problem they started KonaRed drink company. KonaRed is altering this situation, providing the coffee industry and its farmers a market for this previously unused fruit of the Kona coffee plant.

After careful research and testing of “folk wisdom,” Roberts discovered the coffee fruit’s powerful antioxidant properties and created a unique berry-flavored antioxidant beverage utilizing this superfruit. KonaRed is sourced exclusively from major coffee producers in Hawaii’s Kona region, and can be traced from the field to the bottle, every step of the way.

Hawaiian Kona coffee fruit – packs an antioxidant punch and ORAC scores (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity score of 2,501 per gram) far above the incumbents. The coffee fruit boasts high antioxidant levels known to fight disease, inflammation, and boost the body’s naturally occurring energy by fighting free radicals. Outdoor and health enthusiasts including Leila Hurst, elite surf champion, and Candice Appleby, the No. 1 women’s stand up paddle boarder, have jumped on board the KonaRed train, touting its anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties.

I really like the idea behind KonaRed and would love to taste a real coffee berry one day! For now, I have KonaRed drinks! Taste-wise, I found KonaRed to be a bit too sweet even though quite pleasant. It would be great if the company reduced the amount of pineapple and apple juice concentrate, skipped ‘fruit and vegetable color’, and used no ‘natural flavors’.

To reduce the sweetness I added some sparkling water a few leaves of mint and a lime. It turned out to be a very tasty summery drink so I am sharing the recipe:)

KonaRed Coffee Fruit Summer Spritzer

- 1 bottle original KonaRed
- 1 glass sparkling water
- lime sliced
- a few mint leaves

Pour everything in a 1 liter container, add mint, lime, and pour in the liquids. Enjoy chilled.

Have you tried any new fruits or berries this season? What are your favorite drinks to quench thirst?

Congrats to…

Erin from Long Island

“Saturdays growing up were always my favorite. I got to spend time with my (working) Mom and make scrambled eggs. She said I even made them better then her, once I was old enough. It’s a great thing to hear at age 7!”

Erin, please email your full name and mailing address to info@modernhippiemag.com. Be sure to put “I’ve won the Goodebox Giveaway!” in the subject line.

Big thanks to Ms. Aysia Wright and Goodebox for sponsoring this giveaway and HUGE thanks to everyone who participated.

Everyone celebrates spring differently but in fashion you can always be sure of one thing, colors are bright, bold and beautiful. Take a minute to think how you will spring up your wardrobe.

Flowers with braids: Braids are the perfect spring hairstyle. They are a great way to get hair out of your face and still look so adorable while trying to stay cool. There are so many kinds of braids to choose from –fishtail, french, crown– you just need to pick one that works for you and sprinkle some flowers into the mix.

Pick a flower that you love. Something that when you look at it, it makes you smile. Sunflowers, daisies, hibiscus, whatever it is, pick a few or buy a few fake ones and try  braiding them into your hair or placing them in after your finish the braid.

If they don’t stay, use a piece of hemp or something that blends with your hair and attach the flowers to the string. Glue a clip to the top so you can clip the flower strand into your hair and braid it into your hair.

If you don’t feel like doing a braid, you can always clip the flower strand into your hair, having a streak of little flowers, giving you that modern hippie vibe.

Chalking your hair: This is a new way of ombre-ing your hair with out having to dye it. I recently ombre-ed my hair and I personally love it, but if you don’t want the permanent effect yet still want to spice up your hair, this is definitely the way to go.

The Beauty Department has a great chalk tutorial, showing you step by step what to do to achieve your new color hair.

Choosing the right colors are up to you. Have fun with it and add a little color into your life!

Neon: This trend is bigger and bolder than ever, not to mention perfect for spring and summer.

This eye-catching trend has hit the ground running and can be found in almost every store around. Try finding a few pieces like a tank or accessories, to add that pop to your outfits.

This OlsenHaus heel, which can be found at Compassion Couture, is a great example of neon spicing up a look. The shoe is way cute to begin with but the neon orange and yellow details give the look a bright and bold accent. It also is color blocking, which is another ongoing style trend. The buckle hardware mixed with the bright colors give this shoe a fierce look, great for any sizzling night.

Friendship bracelets: Take a step back in time where all you did was hangout with your friends and make friendship bracelets. These simple little accessories are easy and fun to make plus, they are a perfect accessory for the tribal trend. Mixing these little bracelets in with chunkier pieces is a great way to show off your style.

The best part about these accessories is you have the control to make them look the way you want. If you want to add charms or tone down the brightness, it’s in your hands to do what you want and express your style.

If you’ve never had the chance to make a friendship bracelet, How-to-make-jewelry.com has a great selection of patterns and styles for anyone interested. They even give you a level of difficulty so if you’re new to the bracelet making hobby  you have a chance to learn at your own pace.

These accessories are in your hands and they have a little meaning behind them too! You can make some for you and your friends to keep them stylish too.

There are so many ways to celebrate spring and your style by doing little things. Go through your closet and do a little spring cleaning–get inspired with your clothes. We all have some pieces that maybe we shouldn’t have kept so long but spring is the perfect time to revamp them. Whatever way you celebrate spring, be sure to be green and show a little love for our Earth.

Images courtesy of we heart it, The Beauty Department, Reasons to Breathe and Compassion Couture.

Filmmaker Robert Greenwald has just produced a short film titled Mother’s Day For Peace. It features a dramatic reading of Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation by Felicity Huffman, Christine Lahti, Fatma Saleh, Ashraf Salimian, Vanessa Williams and Alfre Woodard.

Huge thanks to George C. Keefe, www.encasement.com for sharing.

I must have walked down the narrow hallway to the lobby, past the small cramped offices on either side. Perhaps I even waved goodbye to a coworker. Then I must have exited through the glass door to the parking lot and walked the 50 feet or so to my car. But I don’t remember a second of it because I was so lost in thought.

I was dreading the rush hour traffic I’d encounter on the way home. I was lecturing myself about how late I was in getting birthday gifts out to my siblings. I was thinking about how I needed to drop a few pounds because my pants were getting snug. That led to thoughts about being younger and thinner and less concerned about what was going to happen the next day or even five minutes from now. The face of an old girlfriend popped up, and then the faces of my old drinking buddies. That triggered memories of brutal hangovers and my days as a smoker, and I wondered if lung cancer was going to eventually put me in the grave.

And now I stand next to my car, wondering what I might have missed in the last minute of my life.

Surely the birds tweeted as they do now, and car doors thumped closed, and freeway traffic groaned half a mile in the distance. And colleagues chatted as they strolled in pairs to their cars, discussing plans for the weekend or letting out nervous bursts laughter to release a day’s worth of pent up stress.

And the clouds crawled in animal shapes across the sky. And the wind parted my hair. And the scent of lilacs washed over me.

But I missed these precious moments of the only life I’ll ever know because my senses were switched off. I was living in another world, the one playing out in my head. Whole chunks of life pass by unnoticed when I am lost in thought.

What is it about the groundless, airless world of thought that is so compelling it can compete for my attention with a flock of honking geese sailing overhead and win?

Why do I drop whatever I’m doing to indulge my racing thoughts as if I were a doctor responding to a life and death emergency?

Because it is a matter of life and death: the death of me – thought-induced me, the whimsical invention of my whirring mental machinery.

When thought ceases, so do I. I die to the molecular world around me: the birds and cars and people and expressways. The trees and buildings and rivers and neon signs. I am the puzzle piece fitting perfectly into those around me. Out an airplane window I am an imperceptible dot in a sprawling, seamless mosaic. In death I awaken to this heavenly perspective at ground level.

And yet I resist this enthralling state of death with all my might. I race back into the arms of thought to keep myself alive, leaving a trail of ellipses in my wake…gaps in time when I lose touch with the world around me…during walks through parking lots…in the course of conversations…while immersed in a Chopin polonaise…in the throes of a kiss.

The thoughts that keep the dream of me alive interrupt the flow of life and defile its beauty. Life appears as a series of vaguely connected vignettes rather than a miraculous whole. By dying to the dream of me, wholeness is restored. I give up the ghost of a sovereign existence.

Is there another death worth pondering?

Is it the demise of my body that makes my knees knock, or is it the death of me, the person I assume lives inside it?

Do I quiver with fear when I imagine myself as a paltry pile of ashes, or does the terror begin when I imagine poor me pitched into nothingness when my eyes close for the last time?

Because I so misunderstood the meaning of death, I avoided it at every turn and as a result avoided setting foot on the only path leading away from a fragmented life. I have since chanced down that path and learned that in death all is not lost, only that which was never real. To die is to awaken from the dream of a separate existence.

And so I die to the dream of me every day. With the eye of an assassin, I watch the thoughts skittering through my brain – thoughts that, unobserved, would quickly claim my identity. I watch them until they sink back into the silence from which they arose, taking any vestiges of me with them. Over and over I die this sweet death, mending cracks in time that obscure life’s unbroken beauty.

Image courtesy flickr.com, thomashawk.

John

My essays explore the unquestioned assumptions that limit our capacity for happiness. They appear on my website, On Second Thought, www.johnptacek.com. I live in Wisconsin with my wife, Kitty.

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that many air fresheners contain toxic chemicals. Are there any green-friendly, non-toxic air fresheners out there, or how can I make my own?  – Jenny Rae, Bolton, MA

​It is true that some air fresheners on the market today make use of harsh chemicals to eliminate or overpower odors. “Many air fresheners contain nerve-deadening chemicals that coat your nasal passages and temporarily block your sense of smell,” reports National Geographic’s The Green Guide. Some of the most offensive ingredients—volatile organic compounds (VOCs), benzene and formaldehyde—can cause headaches and nausea and aggravate asthma, and have been linked to neurological damage and cancer.

Perhaps even more worrisome, though, are dispersants known as phthalates that cause hormonal and reproductive issues, birth defects and developmental disorders. A 2007 review by the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 12 out of 14 widely available air fresheners contained phthalates. Some of the air fresheners that tested positive for phthalates were labeled as “all-natural” or “unscented.” Two of the worst offenders analyzed by NRDC were sold at Walgreens stores under that company’s own generic label. As a result, Walgreens removed the products from its shelves, and the manufacturer which made them reformulated their product line without phthalates.

Given such problems with air fresheners, many of us are looking for non-toxic alternatives. Of course, first and foremost would be opening a window or two, as nothing beats good old fresh air for shooing away offensive odors. But sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate for leaving windows and doors open. The website greenhome.com suggests filling a small spray bottle with a mixture of four teaspoons baking soda and four cups of water and then spraying the solution in a fine mist to neutralizer odors. Similarly, The Green Guide suggests mixing a few drops of an organic essential oil (lemon, orange and lavender are popular choices) with distilled or purified water and spraying with a mister.

Another all-natural way to get rid of nasty smells is by wrapping cloves and cinnamon in cheesecloth and boiling them in water. Yet another consists of leaving herbal bouquets standing in open dishes where the fragrance can dissipate throughout a room. And don’t underestimate the air-cleansing power of houseplants, which can improve indoor air quality by filtering toxins out of the air. Mother Nature Network reports that aloe vera plants can filter benzene and formaldehyde out of the air, that spider plants are known for their ability to take xylene and carbon monoxide out of the indoor environment, and that gerber daisies excel at removing the trichloroethylene that may come home with your dry cleaning.

Greenhome.com also sells a variety of non-toxic air fresheners for those less inclined to making their own. EcoDiscoveries AirZyme makes use of natural enzymes to eliminate smoke, pet or other smells with a few sprays. Other options include The Natural’s Air Freshener & Deodorizer and Tru Melange’s Beeswax and Soy candles.

Credit: iStock/Thinkstock.

CONTACTS: The Green Guide, http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/green-guide; Greenhome.com, www.greenhome.com; Mother Nature Network, www.mnn.com.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E – The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Nowadays though, the ‘i’ stands for many things, more commonly as ‘Intelligent’ and ‘Intuitive’, alongside the original ‘Internet’ meaning. Being one of the most popular handheld technologies in the world, the iMachines line of products have an intelligent operating system which can easily identify phone numbers and other pertinent information from one iPhone to another via the simple means of wireless connectivity.

Because the ‘i’ in iPhone is such a ‘mysterious’ aspect of its nature and name, many a customer service number has been dialed with just that query in mind. There are even web boards and forums dedicated to deciphering the elusive significance of the ‘i’. Today, many users will agree that the ‘i’ in iPhone stands for either ‘intelligent’ or ‘intuitive’, although purists will decry that it stands for one thing only – ‘Internet’.

With nearly the whole of the world wired into the World Wide Web, a person’s phone number, address, music tastes, and even private messages can be stored in an intelligent piece of gadgetry like the iPhone, the likes of which have never before been seen or done. Made with technology that transcends the progress of the past decades, it has become the staple of every gadget-loving individual, and has slowly become one of the most dominant forms of gadgetry in the world today. This is spawning a whole line of products that always rank first in popularity and popular preference.

While the significance of the ‘i’ in iPhone will still continue to be a highly debatable subject, despite the official and commonly accepted interpretations, with a basic knowledge of what it might stand for, there can hopefully be a reduction in calls geared towards calling a customer service number with the sole intention of deciphering the enigmatic ‘i’ in iPhone, the most common gadget today.

Image courtesy http://applenapps.com. 

Written By Mike, Catch me @thetechlegend.

The next few months bring a number of exciting milestones in the evolution of the .green Top-Level Domain, including the publication of all new gTLD applicants during the month of May.

The DotGreen Community, Inc. just relaunched www.dotgreen.org where you can find out more about .green domains coming in 2013 and our early partnerships.

The .green TLD is designed to generate an “income stream for green” through domain sales and may be the only environmental new Top Level Domain with an established Non-Profit for Public Benefit Charity, called The DotGreen Foundation, a U.S. 501 (c)3 Organization.  The DotGreen Foundation has partnered with EarthShare to deliver support to programs and projects aimed at sustainability in all regions of the world.

With innovative solar financing options such as a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), churches will be able to afford solar without having to pay a hefty upfront fee. This opportunity will allow them to take advantage of tax benefits that would otherwise be off limits. Without the option of a PPA, churches would be expected to pay for the solar system upfront, and without access to tax benefits; they would end up paying more for the system.

Many churches like St Paul’s Episcopal Church, in Walnut Creek, are paving the way, and showcasing the success of a PPA. In the PPA model, investors in the congregation band together to fund the solar project, and in turn are able to make use of available tax incentives. This allows the church to receive solar energy at a fixed rate competitive with that of PG&E. As a result, the money that once went towards utility bills is now spent on paying back the investors.

Many churches are now choosing to follow in St. Paul’s footsteps, and realize the financial and environmental benefits that come from going solar. The Concord Methodist Church is one such church. Partnering with GreenZu, a San Francisco based solar company, the Concord Methodist Church will be able to reduce energy costs and is predicted to save over $74,000 throughout the contract period of 20 years.

Power Purchase Agreements have become a common model for churches that lack the upfront capital for a solar system. With the help of dedicated congregation members, churches will be transformed with reduced energy costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions. With this, they can focus on providing meaningful works that enhance the community.

Alyssa Fong is a Cal Poly grad, a writer, and a poet that is inspired by all things related to renewable energy and sustainable living.