CHAPTER 1

Paying Attention to theWeird and the Strange

To understand synchronicity you begin with baby steps, withlearning to pay attention. Paying attention is always easier said thandone. Paying attention begins with learning to listen to your ownthoughts. The dilemma is that listening does not come easily tothe majority of people. For the most part, we do not know how tolisten well, because we have never been taught. Also, listening doesnot come naturally to our present way of life. There are so manydistractions that call for our attention that we cannot focus for verylong on any one thought.

For many people there is the other problem of living insidetheir heads. It is increasingly difficult to turn off your busy mindwhether you are aware of what you are thinking about or not. Haveyou noticed that you live a lot of your life on "auto-pilot?" Everyoneknows what it is like to drive somewhere and barely be consciousof getting there. It can also happen when you are out for a walkand you miss seeing the tree that fell down in the recent storm, orthe new flowers that just bloomed. I often fall prey to this dis-ease(disease is actually a lack of ease) so I know how difficult it is to livein the present moment and pay attention to what is going on aroundme and inside of me. From the minute most of us wake up in themorning, our minds go into full swing. Have you ever become awarethat when you are in the shower, frequently you cannot rememberif you have used the shampoo and the cream rinse, or just one ofthem? That happens to me a lot. I'm sure that is why the "two-in-one"shampoo and conditioner was invented. These kinds of lapsesof thought are signs of not being present, living on auto-pilot orunconscious of the present moment, truly lost in your own thoughts.In the shower it may only mean you wash your hair twice, but in life,lost time is gone forever and missed opportunities that have escapedyou, can seriously affect you.

The remedy of course is learning to become present to yourthoughts and yourself. This is why I practice mindful awarenessas much as possible. I do that by simply talking to myself. "I amwashing my hair with shampoo. I am using the conditioner now."These exercises may seem silly and simplistic, but they truly helpme to live in the present moment and become more aware of whatI am thinking. If you have the same problem—losing track of yourthoughts— try these practices for yourself.

Normally it is usually only in silence that you can hear yourselfthink, or take notice of the wee small voice of spirit that dwellswithin your life. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is tocarve out some quiet for yourself. Your listening skills will improve.Turn off the television, your cell phone, your computer and all otherdistractions. Just try it occasionally and see how you feel and noticewhat happens. I guarantee that there are many benefits to a bit ofsilence in your life. Once you have learned to become more awareof your thoughts you will be able to listen better and connect withthe divine spark that lives within you. Eventually you will learn toreceive divine guidance, teachings, and healings that will enhanceyour life tremendously. Jon Kabat Zinn in his book on mindfulnesssays, "In wakefulness, everything inspires." In other words, livingin the moment will open up the spiritual realm.

I offer you this one piece of advice: of course people will disagreewith your experience and your spiritual way of thinking. It isimportant to know that listening to spirit can only happen if youhave an open mind and heart, as well as a clear mind. Be careful withwhom you choose to share your new experiences. Many people donot believe that we live in a world where the God-force pays attentionto our existence, let alone intervenes in our lives, because they havenever experienced this interface for themselves.

Not surprisingly then, the biggest problem is that most peopledon't know how to listen to, or interpret a message from spirit.Here is my first rule of thumb. Do not negate the divine withinyourself or beyond yourself. Spirit wants to communicate with youthrough anything or anybody. We just have to learn to pay attentionto the hints she gives us. The Hebrew word for spirit in the "OldTestament" is feminine in gender, so I have no qualms about using"she" to refer to spirit. We call a boat "she," so why not spirit?

Just remember, weird and strange incidents are big clues thatyou should notice and reflect upon. Don't just brush them off andput them out of your mind or consciousness. Weird and strangehappenings are mysterious in nature; that's the sign to pay attention.And believe me; I have experienced weird and strange incidentsmyself. The weirdest, strangest time spirit spoke to me, was througha pair of earrings. Now here is a story that doesn't happen everyday.

Earrings that Speak

One warm, ordinary, spring day, I was out browsing the main streetof my neighborhood. I enjoyed wandering in and out of the smallquaint shops, looking at whatever caught my eye. That day I didn'thave any particular chores to do and I found myself with a littlefree time on my hands. I stopped in at a tiny South American styleshop to look at their wares. It was filled with colorful cotton clothes,wooden musical instruments, small trinkets and a large jewelrycase.

Looking into the glass top of the jewelry case, I saw a pair ofearrings made of silver and gold pieces that crisscrossed each other.They looked a bit like pick axes to me. But before I fully realizedwhat they resembled, unexpectedly I heard some words of scripturecoming from within me. I...