I couldn't sleep this morning. I was awake at 4am and couldn't get back to sleep.  Sometimes this happens even when you are a Joyful Entrepreneur - your mind overrides all the other bodily systems - like the need for sleep.  Fortuntely I had a good supply of markers and my creative pad nearby and I mind mapped all those things bottled up inside....topic for my next newsletter, website updates, make airline reservations, buy birthday present for my son, get that proposal out, fill out the RFP to speak in New England, on, and on it went....unfortunately this didn't present immediate relief for my strained brain so I picked up the phone and called Marc, my LPE.  (Life Partner Extraordinaire)

He lives outside London in England so I thought he'd be awake. He wasn't as awake as usual as he was still a bit on East Coast time after visiting Atlanta for 3 weeks. We had a great conversation about the big stuff, the gremlins, what were they telling me, how were the "fear bugs" serving me and we ended visualizing my "King Protector" gremlin hopping on a Harley, feeling the wind and sun on his face as he peeled out to continue his journey....

Our conversation then took a turn as Marc heard the news about the bombings in the city of London. fortunately he wasn't in the city this morning so he was safe and well.  We knew it was the first day of the G8 conference and it was an important event in collaboration of world leaders around global concerns.  As we each watched CNN on our own TV's in our seperate countries there was this huge silence that spoke volumes...a huge sadness that human beings could and would inflict this pain on their fellow people, sadness that there aren't other less violent forms of expression that this group feels is available and effective for them, and sad that making a statement on a day when countries are gathering to work together in global collaboration and that in the complicated, twisted way the "global system" is set up that this group probably feels threatened in African Countries becoming more stable and productive.  That the idea of creating alternative fuels and conversing about saving the environment (hello another word for "world" - which  is the bigger picture in the global environment conversation) creates fear by threatening their need to have oil reign as king and for them to control it.

I am by no means an expert on they (whoever "they" are in the moment) and what their needs really are and what their agenda is - I just know that I feel.  The feelings range from sadness to passion - passion for wanting to help create positive change in the world so we have a better place for us and our children and their children, and on and on....

So I encourage you to share with someone what you feel today. Whether it's feeling gratitude for what is, fear of what may not be, saddened by what isn't.....by coming together and connecting - reaching out and having real conversation - that's where the change starts!

And if you are feeling compelled into further action please visit the websites for the Center for Non-Violent Communication and another one for creating a Department of Peace. Bothof these programs are dedicated to providing alternative means of communication - communicating what really matters and doing it through alternatives to just using bombs and guns.

www.cnvc.com Center for Non-Violent communication

www.departmentofpeace.com For ways for how you can help create a Department of Peace in addition tothe current Department of War - in the U.S.

With huge gratitude for being able to sit in a cafe on a glorious Thursday in rain drenched Atlanta and write on my new laptop and enjoy the abundance and beauty of life...,

With Love, Laura