Tag: Intuition

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A Unique Hobby – Looking At People

Everybody Has Hobbies

Everybody has hobbies. A hobby is defined as an activity, interest or pastime that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation. Thus, even if your spare time consists of eating cookies and looking out the window, then that is your hobby.

I have several hobbies:

Spending Time With My Son. My adult son lives with me. Just experiencing our time together is an absolute pleasure.

Reading. My son and I have a personal library of over 2,000 books. I am not talking about ebooks. Our books are old school. They are mostly hard cover with bindings and pages that you turn as you read.

Net surfing. Yes, I confess. I have gone down that Wikipedia rabbit hole more times than I can count.

Watching classic tv shows on dvd’s or You Tube. Come on, how could you not like Joe Mannix?

Metaphysical studies. Digesting the content of authors such as Emmet Fox, Ernest Holmes, Neville Goddard, Stuart Wilde, et al.

Walking. The natural rhythm of one foot after the other is timeless.

Travel within the USA. I hope to get up to New England in the next five years.

Writing. I enjoy expressing what is in me with the written word.

Looking at people. You notice I use the term looking at people and not people-watching. The latter term to me denotes some type of obtrusive surveillance.

Able To Get A Sense

I have an ability to get a good feel about a person just by looking at them as they walk by. Maybe I am in a food court or an outdoor cafe. I could be walking to or from a building in a parking lot. Perhaps I am walking down a sidewalk. Even just sitting at a traffic light gives me the opportunity to look at people as they turn into my street from a left hand turn lane. There are a multitude of opportunities in any given week.

Being An Introvert Is My Destiny

I am an avowed introvert. As the saying goes, I am very comfortable in my own skin. As my life winds down to my final years, I find myself purposely engaging less and less in social interactions except those of a cursory nature. At the same time however, I find all the different types of people that I observe everyday to be fascinating. I do have an inner desire to be helpful before I depart this world. Thus, this blog, and the book that I have written, are a few examples of my acting on that desire. There are other avenues that I engage in as well.

The Eyes Reveal The Truth

While the way that a person carries himself is made up of many different facets, the eyes of a person are the most revealing. Of course, a person’s state of mind can change from one day to the next, even one minute to the next. Taking that into account, the eyes of a person are always going to be the most truthful indicator about a person. Despite what is going on in the mind, most people cannot hide what their eyes reveal (except if they are wearing sunglasses).

Twelve Different Types

In the course of my people-looking hobby, I have come up with twelve general categories. I am certain that you have encountered several of these categories. This is not a complete list by any means. With no further adieu, here is my list of observations about the people that walk by me each day.

Eyes Straight Ahead Ned

This is the guy that under no circumstances does he want any type of interaction with you. He walks from the convenience store to his car without so much as a slight look in your direction as he walks by. He is saying to himself, “I can sense that guy looking at me, maybe wanting to say good morning or something but I am just not interested. I won’t even give him so much as a glance”.

In A Hurry Terry

Terry is in a big hurry to get wherever he is going. He may be late for a date or a job interview or maybe he just has to pee. Depending on the vibes that I get, this guy may possibly be one of those guys to tailgate you in traffic and then pass you so he can get to a traffic light ten seconds faster. Terry doesn’t even see anyone else as he walks by you. He’s in a hurry.

Sneak A Peek Sammy

When I see Sammy about 15, 20 yards away, I can see that he is aware that I am looking at him. And when I say looking at him, it is merely looking in a manner that if he acknowledges me, I would simply say “Good morning” or “Howzit going” or some other brief, friendly comment. Sammy is not really interested in any of that. As he passes by however, without turning his head, he sneaks a peek over in my direction with his eyes. Then, he quickly sets his eyes squarely back on his destination without missing a beat.

Talking With Earpiece Tommy

People who wear phone earpieces are very prevalent today. When they first came out, I would always think the person would be talking to me if I was the only other person around. I would say something like, “I’m sorry, what did you say”. The person would give me an annoyed look without responding. Then I would realize that he was wearing one of those phone earpiece things. When I see Tommy coming, I understand that he is in his own little phone world. He is immersed in his conversation. Tommy wants no outside interference from passers-by.

Talking Without Earpiece Ted

This guy is one that I want to steer clear of. As soon as I see that Ted is talking but does not have an earpiece, I immediately revert to the strategy of Eyes Straight Ahead Ned. If Ted is not only talking, but shouting to himself, I make believe I forgot something in my car and start heading in the opposite direction from Ted pronto.

Happy Inside Henry

Henry is a guy that is a pleasure not only to walk past, but just to experience the vibes he sends out as he walks. This is the guy with a genuine smile in his eyes. He is a real deal happy person. If I look this guy in the eye as I am walking past, it is always met with a friendly greeting in response.

Look At Me Louie

Louie must have been ignored by his parents as a kid. Louie wants to compensate. He wants everyone around him pay attention to him. It doesn’t matter if what he is doing is genuinely entertaining or the equivalent of massive flatulence, he just wants people to look at him and acknowledge him.

A recent example occurred in the parking lot of the Wawa convenience store. Louie came into the lot riding a motorcycle that he revved to make it as loud as he possibly could. I was walking to the store’s entrance. He gave it one more unnecessarily loud rev then got off his bike. As I passed by I casually glanced at him. He had a look on his face that said, “OK everybody, here I am. Look at me”.

Don’t Look At Me Linda

The other side of the coin is the paranoid, a little bit loco en la cabeza person that does not want you to ever look at them. A recent example occurred at the library. I was there doing some peaceful research, seated at one of the long research tables. I had my laptop set up in front of me. Linda was seated at the next research table with her laptop. The manner in which we happened to be seated had us facing each other.

After a short while she came over to me table, pointed a finger in my face and said “Stop looking at me”. I started laughing thinking it was a joke at first but quickly realized that she was dead serious. Because of the bizarre nature of her request, all I could think of to say was “Get away from me lady”.

Immediately I saw she was off in the head. I decided to go over to talk to the librarian. When Loco Linda saw me, she ran over to the librarian desk and shrilly repeated, “Tell him to stop looking at me”. She then went back to her desk. After a short discussion with the librarian, it was mutually decided that I should just move to another table away from her. Peace was maintained. The irony of the whole thing was that this woman had the type of face that you did not want to look at.

Just Start Something Steve

Steve is an inherently angry person. His vibes almost shout out, “Go ahead. Just start something with me. I’ll bash your brains in”. You don’t see him very often. When you see him however, the wisest course of action is to make believe he does not exist. When I see Steve, that is precisely what I do at once. He doesn’t want a friendly “Good morning” or a smile. He is walking around with a chip on his shoulder the size of a log.

Downcast Dan

As I mentioned, the eyes are the window to the soul. Every once in awhile I will see Downcast Dan walking by. When you look into his eyes, you will see sadness and discouragement. Almost always, I say a silent prayer for Universal Mind to help him out of his discouragement. I have walked where Dan walks. It is a kind of hell that just squeezes the life right out of you.

Good Hearted Harry

This is perhaps the best type of them all. This is the guy who you just know has a good and kind heart. You can feel it. You can sense it without a word being said. It comes forth from him like radio waves. When I see Harry, I almost get a tear in my eye when I remember that there are still people like this in the world.

Bat Shit Crazy Bennie

Bennie is why you should always be alert and aware of your surroundings. Bennie is gone. The train has left the station. There is no longer any rationality in him. Whatever happened to him along the way, Bennie is a disaster waiting to happen. You do not want to engage with Bennie as his inner filters have disintegrated. As with Harry, it is something that you sense without a word being said. It is a rare occurrence to run into Bennie but when you do, be aware that he does not play by the same rules that you and I do.

Everything We Do Affects Manifesting

Everything that you think, feel, say, do and believe affects the reality that you manifest in your life. Observing people can grow your compassion, sharpen your intuition, increase your tolerance. You can use your power as a child of God to intercede on behalf of another. As led by God’s spirit within you, you can send out silent, micro-prayers of blessing and peace to another without them ever knowing.

There Is One Life

There is a portion of a mind treatment written by Ernest Holmes that goes, “There is one Life, that Life is God, that Life is perfect, that Life is my Life now”. Your life purpose is to physically express the One Presence, the One Power, through physically manifesting every good desire.

Look at the people who walk by and understand this – we are all part of the One Presence. You are a minuscule part of this Presence. You have been royally gifted to believe as you so choose. Choose wisely. Whatsoever you desire, believe that you have already received it, and you will ultimately have it.

Conceive. Believe. Receive.

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Are You Placing Your Trust In The Right Place ?

The Sixty-Four Billion Dollar Con Job

You have a substantial sum of money which you want to intelligently invest so as to make a reasonable return on your investment. You are not looking at any “double your money in ninety days” type of schemes. Perhaps you are the manager of a pension fund or a trust fund or a non-profit foundation. Perhaps you are a private investor and would like to stay ahead of the inflation rate without risking any of your principal. As the financial manager, you have a fiduciary duty to investigate and research any investment of funds that you make on behalf of the person or entity that you are representing. As a private investor you have the fiduciary duty to yourself, your spouse and your family to handle your life’s savings wisely. These are logical and rational approaches to investing funds. You need to place your trust in someone who you can unequivocally trust with your money. I will venture to say that you would not place your substantial sum of money in the hands of the guy in the image above. While some people reek of cologne, this guy reeks of sleaze. The only thing missing is a pencil thin mustache. If you would lookup the definition of the phrase “sleazy con artist”, you might even see this guy’s image next to the printed definition.

The bottom line in allowing another person to invest your money on your behalf is finding someone that you can safely trust with your money. Someone with a rock solid reputation. Someone who is vouched for by people whose judgement you trust and respect. Someone who perhaps is well known for his philanthropy. Someone whose lifestyle clearly reflects the ability to be quite successful in financial investment matters. Someone like…..Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. Of course I am referring to Bernie Madoff, aka Bernie the Con Man, aka Bernie the Sixty Four Billion Dollar Man, aka Bernie the Fraudster, aka Bernie the Liar, aka…..well you get the idea. Bernie Madoff, who ran the biggest Ponzi scheme in history to the tune of sixty four billion dollars.

A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

If you google the image of Bernie Madoff, what you see is nothing like the image of poor Mr. Sleaze above. What you will see is the image of a very respectable looking, well dressed, well groomed businessman. Such is the stock in trade of the classic con man. The word con man is short for “confidence man”. In other words, someone who has a high degree of skill in gaining the confidence of his targeted victims. The con man presents the impressive facade that puts the investor at ease. That part of the con is called “the front”. Once the victim is hooked, the con man is adept at gently reeling him in. Part of the front of the con man is having word of mouth testimonials from actual investors. You may not put much stock in a paid advertisement but a testimonial from your brother, your uncle, your friend, your business associate, your current financial advisor, is something that carries a lot of weight.

In Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, he generated extensive word of mouth referrals by paying in full to a number of investors who wished to redeem their investment. He did this by using “new money” provided by new investors. He likewise generated a “history of proven results” by providing all investors with quarterly statements showing steady and consistent returns on their money of between ten and twelve percent per year. At that rate the investors who “let it ride” would double their initial investment in just seven years. Of course those statements were as phony as a three dollar bill. It was definitely not a “double your money in ninety days” type of con. It was perceived as steady and reliable as the Rock of Gibraltar. He carried on with this scheme for a very long time until it all came crashing down in the recession of 2008. Large numbers of investors requested redemptions of their funds and Bernie wasn’t able to cover the nut any longer. In 2008, he plead guilty to his crimes. He died in prison in 2021.

It Has To Be Legit, Just Look At His Investor List

The Madoff con job fooled some of the top hedge fund managers and major investment banks. The magnitude of the con is staggering. Some of the most highly touted MBA financial advisors in the world got flimflammed. Some of the most respected names in global banking got bamboozled. One poor money manger committed suicide by slitting his wrists while another jumped to his death from the twenty-fourth floor of an office building. Average everyday people lost their life savings that they had entrusted to financial advisors. Madoff was a giant money vacuum cleaner sucking in money from all directions.

Television celebrities, movie stars, sports figures, politicians, charities, pension funds, hedge funds, universities, churches, financial management firms, banks of all sizes, they all got sucked into the Madoff vacuum cleaner. One investor told the judge at Madoff’s sentencing hearing – “He stole from the rich. He stole from the poor. He stole from the in between. He had no moral values whatsoever. He cheated all his victims out of their money so he and his wife could live a life of luxury.” (As to stealing from the poor, I would assume the investor was talking about the charities Madoff stole from. Said charities would have aided the poor).

A telling quote comes from another of the victims – author of fifty-seven books, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, Elie Weisel: “We thought he was God. We trusted everything in his hands”. Of course Weisel did not mean to infer that Madoff was believed to be God. He just used that as a figure of speech to indicate the utmost trust that the victims had in Madoff.

Seek Ye First The Kingdom Of God

Jesus states very clearly in the book of Matthew what the objective of every person on earth should be: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness”. If you are able to free yourself somehow from the countless distractions of the world and center yourself in the Kingdom of God within, everything that you came here in this world to do, shall be done. Human beings throw themselves needless detours when they base their lives and place their trust on anything outside the Kingdom of God. Does this mean that we should neglect the reasonable and daily duties that help sustain us as well as the lives of our family members? Of course not. Surrendering to the benevolence and power of the Kingdom of God however, serves to sharpen your intuition, and thus allows enhancement of your intuition so as to guide you unto your best path in life, the path that is the most personally fulfilling to you.

So how do you go about seeking the Kingdom of God?

Prayer. Go into your inner place and in solitude ask, seek, knock. Ask for guidance from the Divine for any and all situations. After asking, seek the door to which your intuition subsequently directs you. Once reaching that door, gain admittance by knocking until the door is opened. Once inside and you see that your heart’s desire has been granted, then believe and receive with thanksgiving.

Meditation. Every day reserve some minutes to stop everything and just say to the world and everyone in it, “Quiet please”! Then say to your mind that is throwing thoughts around in your head like the wild man of Borneo, “Quiet please”! Then just sit in silence for your designated time and listen. You may be quite surprised at what you will hear. If you find it difficult to stop all the chatter inside your mind, conduct research as to the best way to have your mind be still. One suggestion is either aloud or silently just slowly repeat the phrase “Thank you Father”. Sometimes music can help. If you really want to, you’ll find the best way.

Surrender. Your ego’s job is to protect you and keep you safe based on its knowledge of everything that ever happened to you and everything that you ever learned or observed. Sometimes it gets a bit too bossy and dogmatic. When that happens, just say to it, “please just sit down and relax. I trust God. God has this, so relax”.

Listen. Pay attention to your surroundings. The first human tragedy is that many can hear but do not listen. Be confident yet humble in spirit and your “inner hearing” correspondingly sharpens.

Observe. Pay attention to your surroundings. The second human tragedy is that many look but do not observe. Be confident yet humble in spirit and your “inner vision” correspondingly sharpens.

Follow Through. If you have ever closely watched a pitcher in the game of baseball, you will see that his follow through when he pitches the ball “seals the deal” regarding the success of each pitch. He can be highly skilled in gripping the ball. He can be physically strong and possess great stamina. He can be perfect in his initial approach, called “the wind-up”. If however, the pitcher fails to properly follow through on his pitch (arms, legs, hips, torso), his pitch will be drastically reduced in quality. The pitcher has to do more than know the perfect style and approach for pitching the ball. He has to fully follow through with each pitch that he makes. So it is with your life, with my life, with all lives. Without true and consistent follow through, you will find yourself on life’s dreaded “hamster treadmill”.

Today, stop at some point for a few minutes and ask yourself in the quiet of your mind: “Where are you placing your trust”? Answer your question with raw, uncensored honesty. Nobody will hear you except you. Where you place your true trust in your life determines the tenor and substance of your existence.

Believe. Receive.

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New GPS Directions To Freedom

Goodbye Printed Roadmaps, Hello GPS Devices

Back in the era of the 1990’s, I was actively engaged in self-employment in the field of expedited logistics. The geographic area that I primarily covered was spread over three states. It did however occasionally spill over into four additional states as well. It was the era of the payphone, pagers and county by county detailed printed street maps. In my vehicle I had street maps from over sixty counties in seven states. With the advent of global positioning satellite systems (GPS) on all of today’s smartphones, the day of the printed road map has gone the way of the horse and buggy.

Let’s take the example of the Google Maps app. I have found this to be an exceptional tool for pinpointing exactly where I am on my route as well as telling me the best way to get where I want to go. The GPS tracking system is really a remarkable piece of modern technology. And to make it more foolproof, if you are unable to take your eyes off of the road to glance at the map display, the app even has a lady with a pleasant voice servicing you orally, giving you turn by turn directions.

The GPS system is so accurate that it is kind of eerie when you think about it. My son and I used to joke that in the future you will get a verbal random message from the app in a creepy voice saying, “Remember Mr. Butler, we always know where you are. There is no escape.” When the world’s controllers decide to convince the population of the world to get microchipped (of course, for your safety and protection, they will say) there will be literally no place in the world that you would be able to go to escape the eyes of Big Brother.

I have found the GPS Google Maps app to be very helpful to me in travelling to where I want to go. You cannot derive any benefit from the GPS however unless you open up the Google Maps app on your phone. If the app is closed, it is useless to you. The app is loaded onto the phone but you have to make the choice to open the app. In order to find the best directions to your desired destination, you have to open the app and listen to the directions given.

You Were Born With An Internal GPS Device

Every person ever born has had implanted in them from birth an internal GPS device. This GPS device comes from the ultimate satellite system, Universal Intelligence, Our Original Source. Your internal GPS is similar to that game that you played as a kid. This is the game where you have to find something or someone that is hidden. Another person in the game then tells you either warmer or colder depending on where you are in relation to the hidden item or person.

When you learn to actually listen to your Inner Voice, Your Internal GPS, you then have the wonderful opportunity to connect with Divine Guidance. This guidance is predominantly in the form of a feeling rather than an actual voice. It could also be in the form of a dream or a series of dreams. When choosing a course of action concerning an upcoming decision, when you are connected to Intuition, you actually feel the right course to take, outside of the normal logic of the reasoning mind.

It is natural and certainly helpful to ask others for guidance and advice when you are unclear or confused about a decision that you have to make or a direction that you have to take. Fine. When push comes to shove however, you will always receive excellent directions from your Inner Voice if you will only endeavor to “ask, seek, knock”. The Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, believe everyone has access to the Inner Light within if they choose and maintain a focus and commitment to listen and hear it.

Four Ways To Hear Your Inner Voice

The key to the whole thing is to stay quiet for long enough so that you can clearly hear. Focus on receiving with gratitude what you need to know. Here are four methods:

Method # 1: Create a special quiet time each day where you forget about everything and just breathe quietly. You can do this through either guided or unguided meditation or you can do it by taking a short walk and just focus on the rhythm of your walking and breathing. For less than a buck a day, you can get a black card from Planet Fitness that gives you access to their hydro-massage lounge. As the streams of water relax your muscles, you can use you ear buds on your phone and listen to Spiegel Im Spiegel while you relax. Spend the ten minutes forgetting everything else and just feeling gratitude.

Method # 2: Pay very close attention daily to how you feel. Do you generally just feel shitty inside? Are you having little hiccups with regard to your health? Do you feel any kind of tightness or heaviness in your chest and gut area? These may be indicators that you are off track. Conversely do you feel a lightness inside, an inner joy that does not have any particular causation? This may be your Inner Guide telling you “You’re right on target. Keep up what your doing!”

Method # 3: Listen with a totally open mind and open heart. Don’t let logic be a dictator. A clenched mind and a clenched heart are prime causations of painful detours and needless dead ends. Be aware that Universal Intelligence is the Ultimate Intelligence. The ways of the Divine may be beyond far ways that you are pondering. Open your heart with earnest prayer thanking Divine Wisdom for this wondrous connection you are blessed with and the answers it provides.

Method # 4: Breathe. Just sit and breathe. Breathe in for four counts through your nose, then hold for seven counts, then breathe out through your mouth for eight counts. Do this three times consecutively. Put your left hand between your chest and your abdomen. Put your right hand over your heart. Then just sit and breathe regularly for a designated time period.

Clearing your connection to your Intuition takes effort and focus and commitment but Oh! the results. Those beautiful results are more than worth your effort. When you allow your Inner Light to be your constant guide, its tantamount to having a cheat sheet for every test of your life.

Live Your Life Free of the Controllers

When you think of the controllers of this world, you may envision a group of people such as government leaders, presidents, dictators, generals, governors, mayors, landlords, mafia thugs, billionaires, industrialists, media moguls, tik tok icons, fashionistas, the world of celebrities, and religious figures.

There is a second group of controllers that you may not have thought of. They include teachers, parents, experts, gurus, girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, relatives, children, friends, neighbors, co-workers and business associates. Many in this second group will be people that you love and look up to. Where they may become indirect, unconscious controllers is when you consciously veer away from the guidance of your Inner GPS, your Inner Light, in deference to certain choices, opinions and dictates from said group.

You may say “Geez, if you consider all those as controllers than who is there left to listen to?” Deep down, I think you already know the answer to your question. Your Inner Light. Your Inner Voice. The Kingdom of God within you. You can ignore it. You can deny it. You can reject it. You can despise it. That is free will. What you can never do however is escape it. The kingdom of God is within you for your entire life. It is within all human beings because it emanates from Original Source, Your Creator. It is the link. It is the hidden connection that everyone has to the Divine. Right now, it is available to you if you want it. By making a conscious decision to connect with your Inner Light, your Inner GPS, you have the ability to live a life free of the controllers of this world.

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A Way To Avoid The Sisyphus Syndrome ?

A Little Background About Sisyphus

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the first king of Ephyra (Corinth). Although he helped the city become a commercial hub, he was a sly and deceitful person. He violated the Greek concept of Xenia (the concept of hospitality shown to guests and travellers) by killing guests so he could show everyone that he was ruthless and somebody you did not mess with. These dishonorable actions really got the “big cheese of all the gods”, Zeus, pissed off at Sisyphus. Then Sisyphus “pushed Zeus over the edge” when not once, but twice Sisyphus cheated death.

Finally, Sisyphus died at a ripe, old age and Zeus said, OK Sisyphus old boy, now you’re gonna pay for all your bullshit. Zeus decreed that Sisyphus would be punished by making Sisyphus push a boulder uphill until he was able to push it over the top to the other side. However, as soon as Sisyphus would get to the top of the mountain, Zeus made it that the boulder would eternally jump and roll back down to the bottom of the mountain again, making the efforts of Sisyphus the ultimate act of futility.

Dealing With “The Sisyphus Syndrome”

Have you ever experienced the Sisyphus Syndrome? Trying and failing time and time again, just when you thought that you were going to finally have a breakthrough. You work and perservere and just as you approach the crest of your mountain, your “boulder” jumps and rolls back down to the bottom again. I will be the first to volunteer a “yes” to that question. Not a particularly good feeling when that happens. In fact, it’s downright shitty.

The good news that I can tell you however, is that unless you have Zeus pissed off at you, there is a difference between you and Sisyphus. The situation of Sisyphus was hopeless. Yours is not. If you still have breath in your body, you have hope. Sisyphus was dealing with a “stacked deck”. Zeus gave him a “jumping boulder” that was never going to allow itself to roll over the top of the mountain. Your boulder is not “enchanted by Zeus”. The next time that it rolls back down to the bottom, stop everything and take a short break to sit still and go within.

Scripture states that the Kingdom of God is within you. Be quiet. Just shut the fuck up. Then, listen to that divine Inner Voice within you. It is called Intuition. Many choose to switch it off. Hit the switch to “on” and as that sign used to say at railroad crossings “Stop. Look. Listen.” Look around you for potential helpers. Maybe it is a special tool of some sort or a person who will assist you or a different technique or the same technique with an adjustment of some type. If you strongly feel that your goal is really “meant to be”, that your goal is part of your true destiny, then persevere in your efforts. You have no other choice than to keep on pushing. Edison stated that he did not fail a thousand times before he hit upon the right filament for the light bulb. He said it was a successful process with a thousand steps to it.

Feel Your Success

Discipline yourself. Spend some time each day in the SATS (state akin to sleep, see 12/10/20 blog post) even if it is only a minute or two. That is still better than nothing. Feel what you would feel when, after all the heartbreak and disappointments, you finally succeed in getting that MF boulder over the top. Then hold on to that feeling — hold on to it as long as you possibly can, then totally let go and go to sleep (or if it is daytime, go on with your planned activities). You do not have to be Sisyphus if you choose that you do not want to be. Oh, and one final thing — Don’t piss off Zeus. He’s got a big ego and a nasty temper.