Paul's Corner

I have to say I agree one has to feel some pain to know when there is none...and to truly savour life's moments you have to have lived! I have truly lived and continue to do so....with all of the ups, downs and in betweens. Keep listening to your children breathe in the night and hug that to you.

maire

Hey there Paul,
Sounds like your feeling a bit better today. Teaching a ballet class! Where! I wanna take that class. Hey you may be sore after the class but you'll still feel great. There is nothing like dancing to make a person feel better. Talking about sore. I just got back from a rehersal for Giselle and my knees are killing me. We have our first performance next Thursday and we aren't finished with the choreography yet. Lets talk about freaking out. Well I hope you feel better and with each passing day. Have fun in class tomorrow!
Marie

Phew...you sound better. Why is it that I worry about someone's psyche half-way around the world? (Yes, "insanity" comes to mind for me, too!) ;-)

Confession: my four year old still sleeps with us. And last night, I had their breath in stereo (and poor Bill was over sleeping in the five year old's bed..."IT's too damned crowded in here!" and off he stomped at 3:00am...heeheehee...doesn't know what he's missing.) Truth is, we're all sleeping in one room right now--ok, for the last three years--until we can get our bedroom done. It was gutted and slowly, snail-like, we are getting there. But I will miss being half awakened by a little arm throwing itself over my neck and burrowing that fist into my hair...he smiles in his sleep when he snuggles. I'd "eat" his cute little cheeks if I knew it wouldn't wake him.

AND, instead of going to bed at the "proper" time last night...I danced. In my music room, with my fav. music playing much quieter than normal...I went through some new exercises where sight was taken away, and I just had to feel the music. VERY hard for a musician, as I'm used to trying to bounce off a melody, come up with some rhythm that isn't being represented, etc. It was HARD! I play fiddle in an Irish band...a tad diff. from Arabic music in which hip swings follow the drumbeat while arms and head/torso follow the melody..ack! But I went to sleep peacefully, and woke up to thunderstorms and little boys' searching arms. PEACE.

On hate-yes, I agree Paul, that hate is just a masking of Fear. There is nothing I hate in this world,(ten years ago, uh, yah, there was plenty I thought I hated) but I do sometimes fear the unknown. Again, then that fear has Power over me and I don't like that, so I try not to give in to it. Because I think that my fear feeds that power. Anyone else agree/disagree?

Blessings and Bengay...
Dhiana

Dhiana again...on Beer in US:

Don't know of a brand these guys don't have...

Beers of the World
3000 Winton Road South
Rochester, NY 14623
#(585) 472-2852

Give 'em a call.

(Personal Fav: Blue Moon Belgian White
It's actually brewed in Colorado--owned by Coors, yick-- and there's a big lawsuit going on because Blue Moon uses the term "Belgian White" when they don't use the traditional Belgian means of achieving the goal, etc. ANYWAY, it's a wheat ale and I love it. So there.)

This morning my two year old Emma was being too quiet, if you know what I mean, so I went to see what was up. She had taken all of her clothes out of her dresser and her closet and was heaping them into a big lump in the middle of her room. I came in and asked her what she was doing and she looked at me incredulously and said, "I'm making a pile." (Da mommy!) So I suggested that we pretend it was a pile of leaves and we jumped in the clothes and had a grand old time.

Glad to hear you are feeling brighter this morning Paul. Isn't it amazing what a day and a good nights sleep can do? And last night I listened to my babies sleeping. It's brilliant how these little people can put everything into perspective without saying a word. And like you said without knowing darkness we wouldn't recognize the light and if I had not met and married the man who hurt me so deeply I wouldn't have Natalie and Emma and I would go through it all again, ten fold, to have them here with me now. I have no regrets. Those are good words to live by....NO REGRETS.

And by the way I must have been PMSing yesterday because I went back and read my comment and I really don't feel as bleak as all that. I am actually a pretty darn happy person and that all happened so long ago....I guess hearing Paul's sorrow made me relate so I just wrote it all down on a public web site on the internet...Lol. What was I thinking?! I'll just blame it on hormones and leave it at that.....:-)

I just posted the comment above...and forgot to put my name....so, it was me...:-) Darn hormones....Lol!

This site has truly been a gift to me today. I just saw Strictly this past week for the first time (I know...where have I been!?) and have watched it over and over thoroughly enjoying the interaction between "Scott" and "Fran" and sitting in amazement through the dance segments. So, in my quest to learn a little more about the movie and the actors, I found this site. I am thrilled to know that there is a PERSON behind the character and that you struggle with the same things we all do. What is Faith? What will tomorrow bring? Fascinating. I do not mean to offend, by assuming that you were not a deep, "thinking" kind of person, just thrilled that you are.

Your comments about listening to your children breathe left me in tears. I've struggled with parenting for the last year or so, not knowing which direction to go, but that put my feet firmly on the ground. So did the comments about fear. I, sadly enough, feel like the poster child for fear. My life has been too easy - scary saying that for FEAR of what might come - but I agree that being in the valley makes us appreciate the view from the mountaintops. And the air! :)

So, it is with trepidation that I send this out into the world...a small view of inside me, I guess. My question...what is fearlessness like??

Looking for a job right now has taken the back seat as I am further intrigued by topics presenting themselves here....hmmm. (this is gonna be a really long one...)

I cannot offer anecdotes about having children...Dhiana's recent confession, however, plucks some sort of heart string in my biological clock (yes, there are heart strings in my clock...). WANT BABIES....SOON...NEED MALE WITH WHICH TO MATE...."YOU MUST BE THIS TALL TO RIDE THE PROCREATION ROLLER-COASTER"....DARN, I'M A FEW INCHES SHORT... Anyway, I thought I speak up for the kids in this one (even though I am fast approaching 25):
My Dad never starred in a film...but he continues to star in my life. When I was in 6th grade he lost his job and my family spent the next 4 or 5 years at or above the American poverty line. He kept looking for a job while working the jobs whose salary descriptions included the word "pittance." Any free time he had he spent with his legs sticking out from underneath our oft broke down car...he would emerge from the automobile gauntlet every weekend cut, bruised, and covered in oil. While my friends were drving brand new cars to school every day, my arrival to school was announced by a missing muffler as my dad dropped me off...He found what I consider to be the perfect job when I was in 11th grade. He became a park manager (state park system in Pennsylvantia)...a few months later he had a heart attack and underwent 6 bi-passes (before orthoscopic heart surgery was approved by the FDA). I spent several days visiting him in the hospital...I tried to do everything and anything to make him feel loved and to make him feel just a little better....I danced to beeping of the machines in his room...I rubbed lotion on his feet when his feet were the only things not covered by tubes or bandages...I never worried that he wouldn't know that I loved him...I had always told him how amazing I thought he was...I always worked harder than anyone else had to in school, sports, etc...I knew he knew....

I am spending this time until I get a job with my parents in French Creek state park...sometimes when my dad falls asleep I listen to him breathe. You, parents, give so much more to us (your children) than you can imagine...I can't say much more than that about it...its just amazing and breathtaking.

I wanted to say something about "hate." The way I see hate is somewhat different than has been described here...I agree with the assertions made about hate but I think something critical is being overlooked. Hate, in my opinion, is love. They say that there is a fine line between love and hate....I don't think there is a line...there are just variations of passion. If you are passionate enough about something to hate it then there is enough passion to suggest love. Here's the kicker....HATE IS LOVE MISGUIDED BY, DISGUISED AS, AND MANIFESTED IN FEAR. Yes, hate is fear...it reeks of it, it leaks from us in caustic drips.....when heat and pink flush over your body, when your hair stands on end, and words fail..where are you?
Are you lost in fear? Are you clawing your way through a wasteland of hate?
Or are you making love to someone? Perhaps you're hoping above all else that the person standing in front of you won't ever leave your sight.

Just something to think about.

I gotta go an find a job now....

With hope,
Sarah

Sounds like you had the perfect vent yesterday. :o)

Thought a lot about you . . . you and dancing. The first time I saw Strictly you reminded me of my idols: Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Both actors and incredible dancers. Good to know you're going back to dance. You are awesomely gifted. Best wishes always, Paul.

Dear Paul,

I apologize in advance for the length of this message...

In one of his books, an American news analyst recently wrote a comment about the internet -- he first stated the obvious: the internet is an amazing tool of instant access and easy communication. He then presented the flip side of the coin: the internet has a dark side in that it gives people an instant platform. Any moron or hate-filled ignoramus can create a website from which to spew hatred, propaganda, lies, and bigotry to people all around the globe. Internet users can find wonderful information on-line; at the same time, they can find terrible information on-line.

He was discussing all of this in the context that he feels parents need to actively help guide their children by supervising their web-surfing. Leaving them to surf on their own is a dangerous thing in this age of websites glorifying eating disorders, violence, drug use, etc... mortifying stuff.

Anyway, my point is, there are probably a million and one websites, chat rooms, and bulletin boards around the world where people in foul moods, with embittered minds and all sorts of bigotted notions, mouthe off and profanely whinge on-line. (Humans can be so cruel.)

And then there's this website...

... this website where you, Paul Mercurio of Australia, have attracted a wonderful set of people.

This site has become a gathering place for thinking and feeling souls. Here, we see people with heart; they are considerate, they can empathize; they appreciate family and what life is really about (love); they are aware enough to conciously share the "human condition" which is that deep inner questioning of the "why are we here? what is the purpose of it all? where do I fit into the universe? is there a creator watching over us?" variety. The comments I'm reading in response to your ponderances are not only thoughtful, but caring and honestly full of good intentions. You elicit an outpouring of good will and kindheartedness from admirers everywhere. I mean, some of the things I've read here are splendid.

And at the centre of it all, there is you.

You have brought together this beautiful set of souls and created a positive and supportive environment here.

Anyway, all of this to say -- I think this website is a testament to the fact that you are a marvelous human being who helps to make the world a better place.

What a sanctuary to come to this place and see that there are still good people "out there". (Thanks to Cat for creating this site in the first place!)

Only a truly special person could draw out such wonderful messages from fans around the world.

Good luck as you move ever forward in life!

We are proud of you.

We appreciate you.

The above comment from Orlando is so wonderful! Well said.

Thank you, Ruby! That's very kind of you.

May you have a wonderful weekend (June is nearly here!).

My God, a website that proves that actors are people! We Americans tend to put our celebrities on such high pedestals, never once thinking that they too take their pants off one leg at a time, just like we ordinary folk do. Paul, I find it amazing that you have the cahones to openly admit that you face the same fears and frustrations we all face.

I came upon your site quite unexpectedly last evening and have been thinking about what I have read ever since.

Thank you so much for sharing yourself with us.

I have seen you in Strictly Ballroom and other films and, now knowing your background, only wish I could see you dance on stage. What an enormous treat that would be.

I am a 43 year old female who decided, for whatever reason, to try my hand at writing a book. I have had several friends read the draft and they have all have come away wanting more. I have started the process of sending it out to prospective agents who, while encouraging, still come back with "are not accepting new clients," etc. Rejection isn't easy. Especially when you KNOW you have something to offer.

Thank you for never giving up. I look forward to what Paul Mercurio has to offer us next.

Kay Lynne

My daughters and I have enjoyed the few films we have seen of yours here in America. Our favorite is Joseph...we can't think of anyone who could have performed the roll any better than you did.

Hope the sore muscles get better soon. I know the dancing will help. What better exercise is there...it keeps you in great shape and is fun at the same time even though it can be a lot of work.

We look forward to seeing your smiling face on screen again. Hopefully soon. :)

Take care,
Judy

Sounds as though you've had a pretty crappy week... sorry to hear it. no wise words or insights this time, just good thoughts for you & yours.... hang in there...

[p.s.-- thanks for the info on the beer Dhiana, I'll be sure to check it out]

hello all,
i'm not a regular on this site but i was gripped by the audition saga and popped back to see what happened.

I think you should be congratulated on taking such a difficult precarious career path. acting must be the most difficult of professions especially emotionally. rejection is part of the process and that is never easy on anyone.

my cousin is an actress in the UK and she had a taste of fame acting on TV. she left when she felt her character was not going anywhere. it was hard to turn down a regular pay cheque but she needed to both creatively and for the sake of her career.

she does temping work when not acting and that aspect of being brought back down to the real world is tough but she gets on with it. So I hope you know you're not alone in your feeling of despair when you cant nail that audition or another door is slammed. i hope you have lots of support to help you through those darker moments that we all experience.

Paul,
I'm sure you had fun teaching your ballet class, getting back into the rhythm of it! Though if it was me I'd be so nervous. Sounds like you're taking life as it rolls, as that's the only way you can take life, can't plan everyday that you have. Otherwise wouldn't that be boring, gettting what we want, ALL the time.
There are things we want because there's a challenge to it, making it more rewarding.
Merissa

I just finished a Paul Mercurio movie marathon.
Thursday and Friday I saw the mini-series Joseph, Saturday night I went on a quest to find anything you have done in the video rental stores here, I found Exit to Eden, First 9 1/2 Weeks and Back of Beyond and bought Strickly Ballroom (this one I've seen several times on cable, but wanted to own it). Today, Sunday, I returned the 3 rentals and picked up Welcome to Whoop Whoop. Now you're thinking this is pretty strange, but then sometimes I am. I tend to get a little carried away with exceptional talent on screen and in music. Your talent in dance and acting at your age boggles my mind. I feel that I have accomplised so little compared to you.
I relate to your "venting" over the role you didn't get a call back. I've been there myself in the past 6 months. Twice. Jobs that I felt very positive about, very qualified for and felt that the interview went very well but still did not get. The postion that I did get took me out of my comfort zone but back to basics. It's not the creative job that I had but it allows me to be more creative at home. It allows me to be home on weekends, by 5:00 or 6:00 most nights. Some times that is more important.
I guess what I'm trying to say is; enjoy the time you have with your girls now, today. This way when that perfect showcase for all your talent knocks on your door; you, your wife and your girls will be ready to take on whatever it has to offer without feeling guilty about the loss of time spent together. I know there is greatness waiting for you and it is so good to watch someone in a career as difficult as yours and still be able to see how honest, insightfull and grounded you are at home.
Best of luck to you in whatever the future hold.
Keep dancing, it sets the soul free and the mind at ease.
Sherrlyn

"Happiness lies not in the ability to go out and get what you want, but, in the ability to want what you've got." I heard or read that once. I'm not sure I believe it completely, but it's an interesting thing to think about. Life is still damn frusterating if you ask me.

There's a great audio essay called "Regrets" by Tom Weiser at npr.org if anyone is interested. It's humerous and poignant.

Hang in there Paul. We've all dug ditches at some point in our lives. It keeps us humble and life in perspective. There are so many people on this planet who spend their entire lives doing nothing but digging ditches.

I don't suppose you'd consider teaching dance at a US university? I know one that has a couple of openings (of course being that if you did go for it, and were hired, and that my daughter is going to school there as a dance education major, wouldn't have anything to do with this idea.) Whew! I'm rambling....

Wish you the best of luck, Paul. I'm a fatalist. Things happen for a reason, and sometimes you can't always foresee that that might be. I'll think good thoughts for you.

PJ

Dear Paul
I wasn’t going to say write anything this week (what a one-hit wonder) but I’ve never heard anyone say about love and hate not being opposites and …….. I’m still thinking about it.
Hate is the same as fear when its hating someone you don’t know (for example, racism or ageism) but what about hating someone you do know? Is that fear too, and if so, fear of what?
Love having no opposite seems to make more sense. Loving someone with all my heart wasn’t a feeling I knew about until I had my two sons but you’re right, there’s NOTHING in the world like the feeling when I listen to my babies sleep (or even better as Dhiana says, when they’re curled up in bed with me) . However now I’ve got two people I care about more than life itself, I’ve got a whole new set of fears for the future! So does that mean love and fear are intertwined too?
Any enlightenment gladly received!
Very best wishes
Lesley

Someone once told me that you couldn't have true hate without having loved as well. So yeah - I do beleive they are more similar that most people think. There have been many times when I couldn't tell which one I was feeling! :) The heart is a wonderful thing!

Oh Dhianna - Blue Moon Belgian White is indeed one of the yummiest beers out there - I agree! Mmmm...

Shannon

Perhaps the opposite of love is indifference. If love is the fullness of the heart, indifference might be the emptiness, the absence of feeling. I think even fear is better than that. Thoughts?

Perhaps the opposite of love is indifference. If love is the fullness of the heart, indifference might be the emptiness, the absence of feeling. I think even fear is better than that. Thoughts?

Sorry about the double-duty, there. Computer was slow and, well...you know. :)

Dear Paul,
I just came upon this website yesterday, and couldn't help but visit it again today.
I hope that my note finds you in higher spirits than the past few days.
Paul-I have been a fan of yours since I saw JOSEPH, and since then have seen your other work. You are a very talented actor, and I have complete faith that the right project will appear soon, when it's supposed to appear. I like the saying that goes something like: "A door closed only means that another door will open". I know that's more of a summary than a direct quote =), but you get the idea.lol
I myself am an aspiring actress.(eek) I just graduated from college here in the States with a degree in theater arts. I wish I could say I felt confident about what I'm doing, but I have to admit that since before I graduated, I have felt completely talentless. Not b/c of anything anyone has said, but b/c of my experience at school,perhaps. Or,maybe it's just fear trying to psyche me out of my aspirations...who knows. Luckily, I am blessed with a supportive family, who have said that they'll be proud of me no matter what I do in life. It sounds like you are blessed with a supportive family as well, Paul, and that's wonderful. I've seen one picture of your two older girls-- I think on this website-, and they're lovely,as I'm sure the youngest one is as well. =)
Anyway, I guess that's all for today.
Take care, Naomi

The things we love to hate and the things we hate to love. A love hate relationship. Sarah is right in what she said about there being no line between love and hate, that they are indeed one in the same!!I have thought alot about what she said. A love hate relationship is a relationship with an over abundance of passion (or perhaps the right amount). Let me say passion I see as a depth of feeling therefore love and hate are a deep feeling one has inside and the way that feeling is expressed outwardly, we and others, percieve as love or hate or a degree of. So if love and hate are one in the same where does that leave fear? People fear equally love or hate or both. So I take back my first comment that hate is fear. I now suggest the opposite of fear is fearlessness, and that fear has nothing to do with hate.

Kelli asks what is fearlessness like....MMMmmmmm I am not sure I know. My first reaction is it kind of feels like fear does but rather than not doing something out of fear you do it anyway. I am not sure if being fearless is being devoid of fear but perhaps that is my experience. It is like heroic acts...people do them because that is what needed to be done right at that moment, there was no other choice or thought it just happened. At the end they may have been scared out of their wits or relieved they survived etc and perhaps if they thought about what they did before they did it they would have been incapacitated by fear. Fearlessness is the act of living despite the odds.....and lets face it the odds are against us, LOL!!

Dhiana mentioned fear having power over her. I agree that if you allow fear into your home, bed or heart and feed it, it will grow until you become it's slave. The great thing about it though is that I have always seen fear as a tiny microscopic grain of sand, on occassion when I have fed it too much it has become a mountain too large to climb and so burdened with weight it can crush me a million times over. All I need do is remember what it actually is - a microscopic grain of sand and immediately the mountain disappears and the grain of sand can blow away on the breath of my own fearlessness until next I find it in my shoe to do with as I please - to blow away again or build into the mountain. My choice! As it is yours!

Paul,

I'm sorry I've been so busy. I will try to call Rima this week, I've been trying to get the script off my old computer - to no avail the hard drive crashed & burned. So I'm trying to reconstruct it from my notes and half draft.

I suppose ther is fear in me that Rima will hate it - but I suppose it is a chance I will have to take. Since there is also the chance that she light love it right?! I think you would really love it, and you'd make a fantastic "Nick" - but I guess we'll just have to wait and see right?

Things are still insane at the day job and the night job and it feels like a vicious circle sometimes. But we do what we gotta do to survive until the journey brings us through whatever destination we are intended to experience. I've always thought life was more about the journey than the destination, but sometimes it would be nice to "get there," anywhere once in a while.

You know what I mean? Is Rima expecting my call? If I run into any problems I'll let you know.

Best Regards,

Charlie

I, too, have been thinking much about fearlessness since my question about what it is and I think that fear is a double-edged sword. If you have a healthy respect for it, listen to it as the Spirit guiding you, it can be a good thing. But I wonder if fearlessness exists? Don't you think that even those that think they are fearless have fear? Even the little glimpse right before they attempt whatever it is? I agree that it is heroic to have that healthy respect for what frightens you and to still stretch yourself to accomplish your goal in spite of it. But can you have that without faith? Faith in yourself? Faith in God? Faith in the power that waits for you to stretch, promising a helping hand? Hmmmmmmmm.....

Fear is a grain of sand...hmmm...I really, really like this analogy. I fed my fear (of the dark, of the Unknown) for 35 years. With wisdom comes the "diet" that dissallows fear, puts it into it's place...til next I find it "in my shoe". VERY helpful, Paul, thank you.

The only act of total Fearlessness that I can recall, is when I was six months pregnant, walking my dog along the VERY swollen Genessee River, when my dog decided he needed to "save" all the flotsam floating by. I had been successful at keeping him on shore, but it became too much for his "saver/water dog" instincts (he was a Newfoundland) and in he went. And the current was so strong it swept him WAY down river and the one place he finally found to attempt to get out of the river, was a tangle of grape vine, in which he got caught. He struggled with the last of his strength, whining the whole way, and I knew he wasn't going to make it when he stopped whining, looked at me, and started to sink. He was four feet from shore. "Oh F***!" I went in. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID, I know. Believe me, I heard about it later. (thank *God*) I held onto a sapling, hoped like hell the roots held, grabbed him with one hand, but it wasn't enough. He was so entangled I had to let go of the branch, and HAUL with all my might, this 140lb dog, OVER my head (which meant that I went under) so he could get to the bank. Fearless. Stupidity. Careless disregard for human life (for TWO lives). But I did it. And, I'd do it again. In a heartbeat.

So fearlessness is feeling Love so much there is no room for anything else.(including common sense)

Blessings,
Dhiana

And if love and hate are one in the same - then fearlessness is also feeling hate so much there is no room for any thing else? So is fearlessness so deep fear cannot reach it? Only the deep feeling like love and hate?

I still think fearlessness is an action done despite fear, ie meaning you feel it but act anyway.

Paul, you make my head hurt! ;-)

I am going for more coffee to contemplate this one...

Dhiana

ARE love and hate one in the same?? I know that it was discussed before that they are both passionate feelings, but I think with very different outcomes. Hate is destructive in its very nature; breaking down, breaking apart, etc. While love, on the other hand, true love, is the building up, the edification of another, the filling, accepting, generous side that makes you able to do things for that "other" that you wouldn't do for just anyone.

Someone once told me that what we all need is to have 100 people come up and tell us that they love us without restriction, without strings, without expectations. I would not wish that on anyone, if love and hate are one in the same. :)

Now MY brain hurts... :)But keep it up, I haven't thought this deep in ages!

Kelli

WOW could you really imagine 100 people unconditionally coming up to you and telling you they love you!!! I am not sure I would be able to survive such an amazing out pouring of such beauty. What a gift it would be if each of us had that opportunity!

Done with love it would be the closest thing to heaven - well my idea of heaven. Done with hate it would be the closest thing to hell - well my idea of hell.

What I am getting at though is if love and hate are one in the same - passion expressed from deep within - they are still extreme ends of the spectrum, of that expression. Therefore to love is not to hate nor is to hate to love.

If a mother gives birth to twins, they are from her, they are a part of her and of each other. But niether is exactly the same as her, they are free to express who and what they are independantly and separately just as love and hate do - but still belonging to the one source.

Mmmmm....

Paul,
I just got home from my morning workout and now I hurt all over!! I can relate to how you felt after digging ditches and teaching ballet! Ow.

I hear where you're coming from with the same source comment (and thanks for the word picture, by the way!). I have to wade around in that one for a while, tho. Let it sink in.

I would like one day where I could "feel" my way through the day, love my way through every situation instead of "thinking" my way through. How should I look, what should I say, who do I have to be to get through each situation? It's a process which I have just begun. Baby steps. You can't live what you don't know. Thoughts?

I've intended to jump in to this discussion about love, hate and fear for the past week. The more I've thought about it and read other's thoughts here and elsewhere, the more complex it all seems.

Proponents of A Course in Miracles, such as Marianne Williamson, will tell you that there is only love, all else is fear. For the most part, I think that's true. I know that when I'm not capable of reaching out with love, it's because of some personal insecurity.

I think that hate is caused by fear. Fear that we are powerless. Fear that we are unlovable. Fear that what we need lies outside of us and is inaccessible to us. People act out hate with those they claim to love when they feel powerless in those relationships. I've heard it said that what we hate in others is what we fear in ourselves. So looking at what we hate and fear is a good way of finding out what we need to heal in ourselves.

Paul, I also see love and hate as opposite ends of the spectrum, though not as opposites. (What is the opposite of God?) Love is renewing and expansive like the universe. Hate is debilitating and whithering. Love is of the soul and therefore limitless. Hate/fear is of the ego and therefore limited.

What then of indifference? Elie Wiesel was once quoted as saying, "The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy. It's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." Which is more dangerous, hatred or indifference?

Dhiana, what a wonderful story about you and your dog! I have a Newfie mix (90 pounds) and a black lab (70+ pounds). I tried to picture myself doing what you did. Wow! You had to do what your heart told you was right because you have to live with yourself.

You wrote that "fearlessness is feeling love so much there is no room for anything else." I hear what you're saying, but I would rephrase it. I think that fear is also a natural response to real danger of any sort. I'm not sure that we respond heroically, as you did, because we have eliminated our fear, but rather because we have decided in that moment to live in love and not fear. Or as Mark Twain put it, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it."

And Kelli, perhaps loving our way through everyday is nothing more than being non-judgementally present in each moment.

Okay, now its time to get back to practicing mindfulness in my mundane tasks.

Paul,

Just wanted to let you know. The script should be in Rima's hands by tomorrow.

So there it is - it's out there, I've climbed the "mountain of sand/fear" - ans although I'm used to rejection letters, if that at all - it never gets easier does it...

Well now it is for me to wait, hopefully the results will be more favorable than the last "wait and see" I was privvy to...

So - hopefully you will get to read it before you start shooting on your show, if not so be it. Things will unfold as they should. BTW i do have it as an electronic format if you'd like. I can't remember if I told Rima that or not.

Anyways. You must be busy - which is always good. I read these thoughts of love hate fear and fearlessness. They are all so interesting, facinating. I love that the people here actually think...