Devon Hunter

I have just received word from a reader in the UK who is sending in a donation through PayPal. When I receive her funds I will officially be at the $5,000 goal. I am so grateful to all of you for participating, and I think it’s wonderful that the human spirit can be so empathetic and compassionate. Bravo to you all! If you would like to see how this evolved, you can see An Overnight for Japan or An Overnight for Japan: An update. Please note that one of my donors may be able to get his company to match his own contribution, and if that happens you will all have helped me reach $7,000. Either way, I have an amazing group of people in my life, and I appreciate you all very much. xoxoxo

This brings my effort to a close.

THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH!!

Hello everyone! As the disaster recovery continues, I wanted to give an update as to what is happening thus far with my efforts to raise contributions to send for relief. I do this, so that I can be accountable, and so that I can perhaps encourage you to participate in the assistance effort in some way. In “An Overnight for Japan,” I set out to schedule an overnight appointment at a reduced rate, so that I could send $1,000 to the efforts in Sendai. In a short time I have decided to raise that goal to $5,000. The reasons for this are as follows:

• I have scheduled one overnight special for $1,000 which will also be matched by the client in question with another $1,000 ($2,000)
• I have received through PayPal donations from friends and clients who want to contribute, but who could not meet in person ($400 $500 $800)
• I am about to schedule a second overnight special ($1,000)
• I was just informed that a reader was 2 readers were moved to contribute on my behalf, one for $500 which was then matched with another $500 from his organization, the other 2 others for $100 each ($1,000 $1,100 $1,200)

Totaling all of these figures together gives a sum of $4,400 $4,500 $4,600 $4,700 $5,000. Please consider helping me collect the remaining $600 $500 $400 $300 $ZERO to reach this goal – you don’t have to send it to me. Just let me know if you send anything at all, and I will add it toward the tally.

I want to thank everyone who has been generous and kind enough to do this along with me, and I really do KNOW that these types of acts are rewarded (although this isn’t why they are done in the first place, and THAT makes them even more beautiful). I hope that the recovery in Japan continues, and that any further destruction can be avoided or minimized. With all gratitude, I embrace you. xoxoxo

SUCCESS!! Read about it here!

I can’t sleep, so I’m blogging an idea. While I was in San Francisco this past weekend a client had to cancel an appointment due to a local tsunami warning. At the time I wasn’t aware that there was one, and then as I was reading the news all weekend I started following what was happening. Reading about it and seeing still pictures made everything in Japan seem dire, but it wasn’t until I got home yesterday that I had reliable enough internet access to go into more depth. Seeing the videos yesterday afternoon of the enormous destruction in Sendai and other parts of Japan has made me nauseous with something that isn’t guilt, but which is still a nagging kind of draining emotion that I cannot quite describe. I really feel the need to reach out and make some kind of gesture to help.

I have come up with an idea, and I want to invite you to help me. I don’t know who “you” is, but hear me out, and if this proposal speaks to you, please contact me directly at devonhunter1814@yahoo.com. This is my proposal:

I would like to send a $1,000 donation to Red Cross or one of the other internationally recognized aid organizations operating in Japan during this triple crisis of earthquake-tsunami-nuclear meltdown. I propose lowering my overnight rate from $1,200 to $1,000 on a new booking. If you and I have already scheduled an overnight, it has been budgeted into the costs of that particular trip, so I need this to be a new booking independent of anything I have scheduled up until now. To ensure that this $1,000 goes to the aid work in Japan, I am happy to work out an arrangement with you such that you see the actual donation when I make it.

Whether you participate in this particular plan of mine or not, please consider what you might offer to help. Even if you cannot send money, please at least take a few moments to be thankful. If you are reading this from a place of security, safety, and comfort, please at least take a moment to send something positive from within yourself out to Japan.

Seeing these videos was like watching a child play with toy boats in a bath tub. We are so delicate. At any moment we can be swept away into chaos by any number of factors. Japan has been very generous throughout the many crises over the years involving natural disasters and other humanitarian efforts. The people of Japan deserve the support and comfort of humanity in return during this time of upheaval. Also, Japan is the third largest economy in the world: If the Japanese slide back into recession as a result of this destruction, they could drag the world economy back into financial instability just as growth is puttering into positive numbers. We all benefit by Japan recovering from these challenges as quickly as possible. We are all interconnected, so helping others will ultimately help you as well. Please help in whatever way you are able!

An update: Read about it here

SUCCESS!! Read about it here!

I got this amazing email today, and I wanted to share its spirit with you – I am continuously reminded how good people can be, and I hope this unexpected continuation on “True You” makes you feel as good as it does me. This message was sent in response to “True You, ” by Janet Jackson (part 1 of 3). My response will be part 3.

———-

“Hey young man,

There are two Equinoxes each year, Vernal (spring) and Autumnal (fall). They are the two days of the year when the day and night are both 12 hours long. They are days to reflect on being balanced.

I didn’t forget the Equinox, I’ve been overwhelmed by preparing for a performance that is happening tomorrow. But I wanted to take a moment before bed to reflect on something that happened the same day as the Equinox itself. I was having lunch and overheard a conversation about the astrological signs. Some misinformation was going between the two women, and I (being an insufferable know-it-all) chimed in without thinking. I am so glad I did. I had an impromptu discussion with a delightful woman, and didn’t realize until later the significance of what we were sharing as it pertained to the day itself. That she is transgender without feeling obliged to transition into a male body made it all even more complex, rich, and interesting. Goddess, I really DO love smart people who speak with an open heart!!

Kelly is a Gemini. The symbol for this sign is the twins. And for good reason: One appearance, but two different personalities. Many Geminis are very dynamic people who have to contend with two very different agendas inside themselves. It is hard for them to find balance, because they usually try to put one internal force against another; however, they truly have two totally different centers (so that complicates everything when thinking about simple scales). The running joke and oversimplification is that Geminis have split personality disorder. It can seem that way, but we all have our challenges (as a Cancer, mine is trying not to be overwhelmed by my constantly intense and shifting emotions).

Kelly’s dilemma is this: On the one hand she is an enormously powerful and effective person who can “stop three lanes of traffic if it’s necessary, and I don’t bother explaining it to anyone.” I didn’t ask what this was in reference to, but I definitely picked up on that powerful sense of self and leadership. I guess she might have been referring to handling some type of emergency at some point in the past?? On the other side of this “scale” is the Kelly who gets mired into worrying about the individual suffering and unhappiness of the people she meets and being brought down by their criticisms of her efforts. Feedback is important for growth, but Geminis are people of extremes and her debilitation isn’t appropriate. She is kind and genuinely interested in helping people; however, my observation is that it isn’t her job to give 100% of herself away to others and keep nothing for herself. This life shouldn’t be about creating an emotional welfare state. Even churches ask for only 10% tithe. We talked about how less can be more, and that perhaps setting examples is more her function than getting involved in micromanaging (which takes away the free will of others and disempowers them from taking responsibility for their own happiness). It’s one situation to help others, but it’s another to leave them dependent on you. Say “No!” to spiritual communism!

The image she kept referring to was a scale out of balance. We talked about that, and I realized that if the fulcrum is at the center, then there has to be absolute parity: She would have to put far too much of her gold on that centrally pivoted scale to “balance” the amount of lead being slumped out by these people whom she was “helping.” That’s not balance at all. Although a pound of gold and a pound of lead each weigh a pound… What she is putting in the scale is worth FAR more than what these miserable people are contributing. And then I realized something: There are three types of levers, and the reason they are efficient is that the fulcrum is brought closer to the applied force than to the load. They are a simple tool that allows a little bit of force to move a disproportionately larger load.

So?

Too often, I (and many other people) think about this cliché called “balance,” and the image that comes to mind is either a seesaw or a measuring scale of some kind. And that’s great when it’s appropriate. But here’s a thought to consider for Equinox: What if you keep your center of balance (i.e. your fulcrum) closer to your emotional or spiritual strength (i.e. your applied force) rather than out toward your challenge (i.e. your load)? What if (in some instances at least) it’s better to keep your power to affect change closer, so that you get more result from less emotional effort? It’s just a thought, but it seemed to help Kelly realize that she didn’t have to work so hard to achieve the same or bigger results. She was thinking her two internal opposites had to be “balanced” on the scale of her sense of self. But what if she were to slide that fulcrum closer to the “traffic-stopping-Kelly?”

I don’t see how she can use her rope to pull anyone out of the pit, if she climbs down into the hole with them.  Is she going to get down into the muck, heave each person up out of the mud and carry or throw each person up to freedom?? Is it her job to be down there pleading with people to put the rope in their hands? Shouldn’t she stay up top and extract those who have the gumption to take the rope and start climbing? Also, does she always have to hold that rope? Can’t she throw the line down, tie her end to an anchor or rock, and then move on to another task?

How can we keep more of our internal selves close, in order to cause even greater good in our lives and throughout the world? What is the distinction between selfishness and self preservation? At what point does sacrifice become martyrdom? Can’t we be happy in our lives and create a more profound force for good without squandering ourselves in unbalanced situations which could be altered more efficiently in other ways? If you martyr your love, how would you continue sharing it?? I think this Equinox isn’t so much about balance for me as it is efficiency.

Happy Autumn!