Leela Music Newsletter, April 2009Michael Stribling Here's an overview of what you'll find in this issue:
MUSICAL MEMOSThere's a new music video on the new Leela Radio website; Ripples of Awareness now joins At the End of the Day and River Canyon. That makes three so far, with more on the drawing board (does anyone really still use a drawing board these days?). I invite you to check out all the Leela Radio programs that have been produced so far (10 to this point, and counting). The next CD project is rapidly nearing completion. Truth be told, I'm waiting for the good folks at Spectrasonics to release their new bass module, Trilian, although, because the release isn't until June 29, I don't know if the project can wait until sometime in July to be completed. Other than that, things are pretty much in place, with a current working title of The Promise. I'll keep you posted. SPIRITUALLY SPEAKINGIt's an inside job. In psychological jargon, it's called external locus of control. In everyday language, it's called looking outside yourself for the good stuff. The truth is that happiness comes from within, not from anyone or anything outside of ourselves. Happiness is not found in other people, or a house, or a car. It's not in the toys, or the bling, or the wardrobe. It's not in the books we read, or the music we listen to, or the job we have. It's not in the size of our financial portfolio, or the clubs we belong to, or even the religion we subscribe to (I know a lot of very unhappy religious people, don't you?). Happiness comes from within. And if that peace, serenity, and contentment is not within ourselves, nothing from the outside will make things better. In fact, if we're unhappy on the inside, it will spill over to the outside and affect those around us. It's a safe bet that all the people we see who are crabby and grumpy on the outside are unhappy and disconnected from their true selves on the inside. It's just a law of human physics. It's an inside job. I have two quotes that speak to this idea. The first one comes from David Hawkins: "There is a meditation we might call 'What for?' When we note a desire, we can ask, 'What for?' The answer is always, '...and then I'll be happier.' Thus, the locus of happiness is always something that is outside oneself and in the future. This results in viewing oneself as the victim of outer circumstances. ... The possible source of happiness is actually coming from within. There is neither time nor locus of happiness other than at this very instant. "The true source of joy and happiness is the realization of one's existence in this very moment. The source of pleasure always comes from within ..." (David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I, p. 165). The second quote comes from the writings of Baird Spalding: "So long as you seek outside of yourself that which is to be found only within yourself, you will not find it." ... "You are not likely to find outside of yourself what you have failed to find within yourself. The world gives back to you what you give into the world" (Baird Spalding, Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, vol. 4, pp. 160, 170). So, how do we get this inner happiness? For some, perhaps for most of us, the trick is to stop looking outside and start spending more time looking within by practicing meditation and/or other spiritual disciplines that focus on that inner work. It's another law of human physics: whatever we feed, grows. If we spend all our time focused on the outward things, that's what grows. If we spend our time on the inside job, that's what grows. It's all a matter of where we spend our time, attention, and most importantly, our intention. Intend to increasingly focus within. Forget the loud parties and the flashing lights. True happiness comes from the still, small voice within. It always has. Go there. Seek the stillness within. That's where true happiness is found. It's an inside job. POINTS TO PONDER / IN OTHER NEWSSuccess To laugh often and much. To win the respect of intelligent people To earn the appreciation To appreciate beauty, To leave the world a bit better, to know even one life That is to have succeeded. AND THE WINNER IS ...Every issue, I give away a free CD (autographed, of course :-). If you're on the mailing list, you're automatically entered in every drawing. This month, the winner is Brenda Woodard. Congratulations! That's it for this issue. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you liked, or didn't like, in this issue, and any recommendations or requests you have for future editions. If you're new to the mailing list and/or you want to read some of the back issues of this newsletter, just visit the new Leela Radio site. Thank you for your support. Please invite your friends to visit my website and sign the guestbook. Oh yeah, it's okay to order some CDs, too! They make wonderful gifts :-). I also have a page on MySpace.com. Have a look and join the list of friends at www.myspace.com/leelamusic. And please visit the new website. I wish you peace, joy, and love. Namasté, Michael Stribling If you would like to be removed from my mailing list, please reply to this email and type the word "unsubscribe" in either the subject line or the body of your reply. One more thing: if you change your email address without telling me, I won't be able to send you any more newsletters. So, please keep me in mind if/when you change your email address. Leela Music Newsletters
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