Light.  
Symbolic, isn't it?
Magical and mystical.
Shadows and Brightness.  
Dark and Light.
Looking Inside vs. Seeking Outside.
Even a bit of "Hope vs. Faith" perhaps.

This picture (another from my balcony) was right after a thunderstorm. Also symbolic. Hope after a cleansing, perhaps. 

We all need to do some cleansing from time to time. Out with the old and in with the new. We also need to understand and even appreciate both the light and dark in ourselves – and others. 

Here are some good "light vs. dark" quotes.  Which speaks to you the most?

So now for some music. The original by Hank Williams, Jr. 

And while we're on a theme… I like Jars of Clay's cover of "I'll Fly Away" the best…

One of my favorite TV shows, on the Smithsonian Channel, is called Aerial America. It's absolutely fascinating to see the different states "from above."  Thankfully, the Colorado episode is on Youtube, so I wanted to share it.  

They fly over Aspen at about the 5 minute mark. 

When I see the paragliders – in both the video and looking up at the mountain in the mornings – it reminds me of my brief attempt at hang gliding many, many, many years ago. I lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee at the time, and at the time Chattanooga had one of the top hang gliding schools in the country. It was different from a lot of the other training schools because most of those were at a beach, which was an entirely different experience. You see, at the beach the direction of the wind was consistent and the "lift" predictable. The wind would come from the ocean, hit the cliff and lift the kite or glider in the air so you could soar along the ridge. It's pretty much what Orville and Wilber did at Kitty Hawk.

But to fly in the mountains is completely different. There were "rotors" that could create wind turbulence and draft from a variety of places and locations. As the saying goes, "If you could make it there, you'd make it anywhere."  

The first day in class, they took us up on a 60 foot hill with a gradual slope and fastened us into our hang glider. (Btw, a hang glider is very different from a parasail, but I digress).  The goal was to fly down the hill but only get up in the air about 10 feet or so. It's a great way to learn without risk. Or so they say. 

Me? I "caught a thermal" my first flight. Catching a thermal means that you find yourself in a swift updraft of the air.  For me, that meant I instantly rose to 60 feet in the air!  That's 6 stories! The thermal focused on my left wing, pushing me and my glider to the right. My instructor was freaking out and yelled as loud as he could, "Turn left!!!"  I did and rode out the thermal safely to the ground, even landing on my feet. I was called "Thermal Queen" from then on. 

What's the moral of the story? I guess two lessons can be gathererd. One is that sometimes life can take you "up" before you're ready. And two is that I'm so glad I did this when I was younger. I'm not so sure my body would be able to take it now. 

Here are a couple of songs about flying. Enjoy!

Why does "taking a break" so often make us feel guilty? Why can't we indulge ourselves in laziness once in a while?

It was a beautiful day the other day. A day beckoning to go out and explore the beautiful environment all around me. Yet I played hookey. I stayed home and once I got finished with some writing and basic tasks, I deliberately and deliciously "took the day off." No exercise. No more writing. No accomplishments. Just lazed around. 

It was great.

Okay, I had a twinge of guilt. But I tried to push that aside and immerse myself in sloth instead. 

I have a theory that often our bodies get "sick" in order to force us to take a break. Our bodies are tired of being pushed around day after day that they have to do something to get our attention! Here are two "cases in point."

One is that I have what I think is a sure-fire cure for the common cold. Works consistently. Very simple: Apple Cider Vinegar. Just about 1/4 cup in a cup of water when you first feel a cold coming on. No, I don't like the taste, but I still do it because I don't want to get sick. 

Still, when I recommend it to others, almost everyone declines to try it. Isn't that crazy? It's inexpensive, readily available and IT WORKS. But they won't try it! The only reason I can think of is that their "body" (which is also their subconscious) wants the rest. The time off from work and responsibilities. And in some cases the nurturing and support they get from others. 

So why not take the break anyway and feel good doing it? 

Here's my other "case in point." Years ago, a friend of mine was planning to work over a holiday weekend. Her body had another idea. "She" (her body) did not want to work. So what happened? She tripped over a curb, twisted her ankle and was forced to rest all weekend. 

So that's what happens when you don't take a break. Your body will take one for you. 

What happens when you do take a break? You start the next day with renewed energy. More drive. More cooperation.

My body was so appreciative of the time off "she" and I did an extra-long hike the next day. Full of vigor and a spring in "our" step. 

One of the amazing things about moving and starting over is the opportunity to see yourself through new eyes. The chance to "break free from your mold" as this incredible sculpture/statue suggests – no implores.  

Think of what this means. To get a fresh perspective – of yourself. 

Isn't that the magic of falling in love? To see the reflection of the best of yourself in someone else's eyes? 

Something similar happens when you start your life over in a new place and meet new friends. You can be the "you" you want to be. 

Yet have you noticed how difficult it can be to change? Not just because it can be a challenge to change your own habits, but also because other people want to keep you fitting into the box of expectation they're most comfortable with. 

Not that this is necessarily bad. There's a quote from one of my favorite movies, Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" that fits this sentiment. There's a kind of peace that comes with knowing someone so well. 

Still, you can get "stuck," which makes it difficult to change. And to me, change is another word for adventure. For excitement. For development. For growth. To steal a quote from the movie Annie Hall, "A relationship is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies." 

In a way, a "person" is the same. Maybe not move forward necessarily, but at least not be afraid to break the molds we've created.  

I'm a big fan of the Pathworks lectures, especially the one entitled, "Love, Eros and Sex." In fact, it inspired this quote in one of my DUET stories novels.  To read the Pathwork lecture, click here: Pathwork: The Forces of Love, Eros and Sex.  Here's a great quote from the lecture: 

Eros…lifts the soul out of sluggishness, out of mere contentment and vegetation.

It causes the soul to surge, to go out of itself….

To break free from the mold, right? 

I'm also a screenwriter and love movies and movie quotes, so I have a lot of my favorite movie quotes saved on my Pinterest page.  Check it out:  https://www.pinterest.com/brownelllandrum/brownells-favorite-movie-tv-quotes/

The Who's classic "See Me" was an inspiration for this article…

And the second part from the movie – such powerful lyrics.

One of the most spectacular (and slightly surprising) aspects of Aspen is the number of parks. They're everywhere! And I'm not just talking about the national parks and the trails surrounding the city. Within the city itself there are so many parks and trails you can't go more than a couple of blocks without seeing one. 

What's most remarkable is the fact that Aspen is reported to be among the most expensive real estate in the U.S. (if not the world.) In so many other communities, there would be a disconnect. They'd find a way to sell and develop every square inch. Not here. 

Is this a coincidence? The relationship of parks per square foot and the price of real estate? I don't know – but I hope so, because it makes sense. It's kind of like saying the more selective you are in your relationships, the more valuable they are. Yet so many people (and developers) miss this point. 

I did a bit of quick online research and saw this article. I'd love to see how Aspen would fit on this scale:

• http://persquaremile.com/2011/01/27/parkland-per-person-in-the-united-states/

Wherever you live, I hope you treasure your local parks. They might not all have views like this, but I'll bet they have their own beauty, too. 

What other song could I post than Big Yellow Taxi?  Here's both the Counting Crows (a favorite band of mine) cover and the original by Joni Mitchell:

Wildflowers. Isn't it incredible how nature finds a way? I love this post about plants growing through concrete.  Wildflowers seem to have a way to "push through."  And the variety of colors, sizes and shapes always blows me away.  

Check out the "sacred geometry" of this "weed."  Seriously, isn't it beautiful? And you have to honor its purpose, how it breaks apart in the wind to spread its beauty. 

When I see nature in this kind of form, my first impression is, "Someone must have been having fun upstairs." I think this variety of beauty (including the incredible diversity in plant and fish life undersea) is the result of the very "nature of creation" and a definitive sign of what Napoleon Hill called the "Source of Infinite Intelligence."  (I'll write more on a future post about my vision of how I think these things are created). 

In the meantime, I'll share one of my favorite albums of Sheryl Crow.  It's also one of the less celebrated. Is called "Wildflower." 

As Sheryl says in this song, "Live it up, like there's no time left."  

Here's a duet with Sting of a song from the album – Always On Your Side – a favorite of mine.

When I told a friend about my move, she asked me, "What's your goal, Brownell?" 

My reply was "It's my goal not to have a goal."

W-w-w-what? Most people would ask. As the quotes to the right suggest, goals are crucial! Necessary! The only way to live!

Not so, says I. As smart as Einstein was, I can't agree with this quote to the left. At least not for me, not for now. Not anymore. And sorry, Albert, but I think experiences, whether they're people or things, are the components of a happy life. 

I'm not saying we should live an aimless life. It helps to entertain a vision, if not a destination. But if you're like me, it hasn't worked out that way. More like John Lennon's suggesting, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." 

Most – if not all – my goals and plans haven't worked out. In fact, I've become somewhat of an expert in "failure." Here's my talk at an event earlier this year:

So now to be able to reply, "It's my goal not to have a goal" is an incredibly freeing statement for me. It doesn't mean I'm going to stop doing things, to stop putting myself out there, to stop trying. It just means that I've released all attachment to the outcome. 

Here's a case in point: Yesterday I the first draft of a new screenplay I've written. To say I'm proud of it would be an understatement. That doesn't mean it's perfect, because I'm sure there are errors a more seasoned screenwriter would probably not make. But I do think it's exceptional. Very different, very powerful, and, yes, in true "Brownell" fashion, life-changing, if not world-changing. 

What's my goal with this script, you ask? 

I fear that as soon as I attach a goal to it, the magic dissolves. That attachment itself is the dissolving agent. 

Instead, I'll put it out in the world and see what happens. I'm even going to enter it into a screenwriting competition. (I hadn't planned on that, but since I found out right after I finished that a screenwriting competition had extended its deadline to 3 days later, I figure "what the heck."  Go for it. Put it out and see what comes back.) 

The following Aerosmith song got me through a lot of dark times.  First, read the lyrics below. Even the oft-used "Life's a Journey, Not a Destination" quote is poignant in this context.

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/aerosmith/amazing.html

And here's John Lennon's Beautiful Boy with Lyrics:

When considering change, sometimes it helps to look at big, dramatic change. Like halfway across the planet thousands of miles from everything kind of change. 

Before deciding to come to Aspen, I applied to a 1-year Peace Corps program on an island in Micronesia called Yap. 

I didn't get the gig. If I had, this blog would undoubtedly be written from there. As the saying goes, "you can't get there from here" but there are stops along the path to your final destination, and considering a move to Yap helped immensely. 

The local populatin of Yap isn't that different from Aspen, although Aspen has much larger tourism populace. Both are fairly distant from large cities, though 917 miles across an ocean from Yap to the Philippines (or a mere 529 miles to Guam) is a lot more daunting than driving 3 1/2 hours (159 miles) across the Continental Divide.

So, no question that going to Yap is a lot bigger "stretch" than coming to Aspen. To paraphrase the Oscar Wilde quote I posted earlier – "A mind stretched by considering new experiences can more easily accomodate less dramatic changes." 

So – what kind of changes can you make to expand your own "horizons?"

As Sheryl says, "A Change Would Do You Good." 

And click here for the lyrics:

Today's post will share my view and philosophy about "the body." A lot of it comes from the research and revelations I got from writing my book, Five Reasons Why Bad Things Happen: How to Turn Tragedies Into Triumph.

As you might have read in an earlier post, I started this year certain that my body was in decline (due to a reaction to the refrigerated tuna salad from Costco). It was a slow-build, the perfect case study in how consuming a "seemingly normal but toxic" product over time (I ate a few bites a day over several months for a quick protein "fix") can nearly destroy you. 

So what was the "reason why" for that experience? What was my body trying to tell me?  

Well, if you read my book, you'll find out that the "Big Reason Why" is to get you to change something. So my body wanted change – BAD.  That, or "she" was so tired of trying so hard she willing to give up completely.  Talk about a dramatic change…

So, when you think about it, getting rid of just about everything I owned and moving thousands of miles away where I didn't know anyone isn't that big of a change, is it? 

And my body is a LOT happier!  She breathes more deeply, stretches more thoroughly and marvels far more frequently. 

The message in this post is that your body IS a wonderland. And he/or she is also a wealth of knowledge. The key is to get to know him or her. To listen.  I'll write more about "the body" in future posts, I'm sure. Stay tuned. 

I know – I stole the lyric from Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." but I have to argue the weather here is better than Los Angeles. Certainly the air is!  

Sure, I've only been here a couple of weeks. "Wait until the winter comes" you say. Fair enough, though the idea of looking out over a beautiful mountain covered in snow and hitting the slopes doesn't sound so bad to me. And I honestly do prefer a change of seasons. As long as one of the seasons isn't extreme heat and humidity. 

There is a certain kind of guilt that seeps in when you live somewhere exceptionally beautiful with perfect weather. You feel a responsibility to be outside enjoying every minute. To stay up late and go outside to see the gigantic stars in the clear sky. To wake up for sunrise every morning, (even though it's 5 a.m. and looks almost as spectacular from my bedroom window). To "climb every mountain" even when your body wants to take a rest.  

And, remember, I prayed to never become complacent over the beauty of this place, right?

Still, I do have other things to do, too. Writing this blog takes time inside and alone. So does working on my new screenplay and marketing my books and… and… and…

Real life in paradise is still real life. Just easier to enjoy.  And enjoy I do.

No matter where you are, you have a sky to appreciate. A raindrop or snowflake or night sky. No matter where, you can find your "Beautiful Day."

To celebrate, let's look at the many songs on my playlist with a title like "Beautiful Day" or "Lovely Day."  Here are a few.  And don't forget to check out my playlist on Google Play Music!

The Randy Newman Classic… "We love it!" 

A classic… I dare you not to be happy listening to this…

One of my favorite artists – Donavon Frankenreiter: