The Quantum Leap

By Scott Kalechstein

"Give up your lust for growth."
-White Eagle


Ever since I was a teenager I have been a seeker, a student of truth, wisdom, and healing. Seeking, which lit a fire under my behind for many years, eventually became an identity, a hiding place, a wheelchair that I was sitting in to avoid walking my talk and expressing my Highest Self powerfully in the world. A pair of crutches serves beautifully while someone's legs are gaining strength, but at some point they need to be discarded for the journey to proceed.

I began to question my status of seeker-hood at a Course In Miracles Conference I was singing at in 1993. I had gone to my room to take a nap, and I was awakened after ten minutes by a powerful urge to go straight down to Tom Carpenter's workshop. Tom serves as a channel for Jeshua Ben Joseph, more popularly known in this culture by the nickname "Jesus". I was excited! At that time I didn't often receive what felt like inner direction to go somewhere. I assumed I was going to get some pearls of wisdom at the workshop to assist me in my life. I walked into the room, and Tom/Jeshua/Christ was fielding questions. I held my hand high, and he met my eyes immediately.

"Do you have a message for me?" I asked. "I was woken up in the middle of my nap and told to get down here. What guidance do you have to offer me?" I waited, opening my heart and mind for some pearls to come forth. His gentle answer shook my soul and rocked my world: "Why do you assume that you were guided to come here because you had something to receive? Perhaps you were awakened from sleep because you had something valuable to give."

His invitation to a shift in perception floored me. I had been seeing myself as someone who was broken, and on a quest to be successfully repaired. Jeshua saw me whole and complete, here on a mission to give my gifts. He invited me to make a quantum leap - to give up this business of seeking and, instead, be about my Father's Business.

Releasing the habit of seeing myself as damaged goods has been quite a process for me. My ego is so skilled at jumping in and presenting evidence in the courtroom of my mind that makes a case for my inadequacies. When I lend the power of my belief to such self-prosecution, I am motivated to become a seeker, and, like a fish going off on a search for water, I journey near and far to find something that isn't lost and fix something that isn't broken. The world is full of seekers, people operating from the mistaken premise that there is something wrong with them. As Swami Beyondananda is fond of saying, "There's a seeker born every minute!"

My seeking has led me to all kinds of teachers, methods, practices, books and workshops. I regret none of these life experiences, for they all have broadened me as a person. But there came a time when all of them seemed to be saying the same thing: "Give up seeking. Stop searching for truth, and start living it. Stop fixing yourself, and start extending your love. That's the only way you are going to find out you are already whole."

The problem with seeing yourself as a seeker is that no one ever comes along and says, "OK, you have offically graduated from the school of seeking. You now are a powerful and competent being, with permission to share your gifts and uplift the world." Or, if someone does say that, you may have gotten so comfortable in the identity of seeker-hood that to just believe them and discard the role is too threatening. But we all discard it eventually, as the call to awaken becomes far more enchanting than the familiarity of slumbering.

I used to only set goals for what I want to achieve, receive, manifest, and accomplish. Now I have added goals that focus on the gifts I want to give, and the people I want to touch. With my sights set on giving, I magnetize all that I need from the universe to take the next step, and each step after that. I love watching how life supports those who support life.

It has been no fun to believe that I must become perfect, or close to it, before I can offer myself to God and to the world. The journey for me has been about a gradual withdrawal of my allegiance to a pesky inner critic occasionally trying to coach me out of self-acceptance, His is an outdated form of coaching., and he is in the process of getting the memo that love works, love heals. Now I can say, "Hey, I am not perfect, and I probably won't become so in the near future. I choose to give of myself anyway, warts and all. God, use me thoroughly, all of me, including my apparent weaknesses. In fact, let my warts serve as an inspiration so that others might see me and say, "He's out there sharing his gifts wholeheartedly, and with such obvious imperfections! Maybe it's time to offer myself wholeheartedly as well."

It may seem outrageous and maybe even a little arrogant to behold yourself as whole, capable and good enough just as you are, but there is no humility in the comfort of a wheelchair when you have been given the power to walk. I challenge you, if you have been sitting on your assets, to rise up and walk, dance, serve and give of yourself with all of your heart and soul. If you are waiting till you are perfect, you will put it off forever. If you dare to start living as if there is nothing wrong with you, life will meet your dare and put you to work. And in doing God's work, you will be far too busy and happy to spend another moment trying to fix yourself.

We have been napping, you and I, and we have been dreaming a frightening dream. In our nightmare it seemed that we were broken and guilty, and now we are waking up to the truth that we are quite whole and holy beings, warts and all. This is the quantum leap, the end of the illusion of original sin and the opening of the gates to heaven on earth. Please do not wait another moment for permission to enter. It's your own consent you have been waiting for.

Copyright 2008 Scott Kalechstein, All Rights Reserved


Described as a cross between John Denver, Eckhart Tolle, and Robin Williams, Scott Kalechstein has been a full time inspirational speaker, musician, writer, traveling reverend and transformational humorist since 1990, with nine CD's of his being distributed internationally. He has spoken and sung and given concerts and workshops at over two hundred hundred New Thought Churches over the years, including Agape, Mile High, and at Unity Village. Scott has provided music at the lectures and workshops of Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, John Gray, Ram Dass, Byron Katie, Joan Borysenko, Alan Cohen, and Marianne Williamson, among many others. A pioneer in the field of music improvisation, Scott creates therapeutic "Song Portraits", original compositions of voice and guitar, recorded onto CD's, spontaneously composed for people wishing greater clarity or guidance on specific issues. His entertaining website is at www.scottsongs.com.

SCOTT'S 2009 SCHEDULE

TUCSON, AZ

February 5 - A Scott concert at the Tree Of Life in Patagonia. Call 520-394-2520 ext. 209 for more details.

February 6 - A concert in Tucson. Call John Freedom at 520 241 5124 or email him at freejjii@yahoo.com for more info.

February 7 - I'll be offering a four hour workshop called Where Spirit & Relationships Meet. Call John Freedom at 520 241 5124 or email him at freejjii@yahoo.com for more info.

PHOENIX, AZ

February 8 - I'll be performing in the morning at the New Visions Spiritual Growth Center in Scottsdale. Visit Linked text for more info.

February 8 - An evening house concert in Scottsdale with yours truly at the home of Jodi Floyd, sponsored by Harmonizing With Humanity. Contact Jodi at her cell at 407-529-4301 or e-mail jodifloydfl@hotmail.com.

February 9 - A house concert sponsored by the Arizona Enlightenment Center
in the Lichfield Park area. Call 623-882-9454 for details.

PAYSON, AZ

February 11 - A Course In Miracles Musical Evening Of Joy & Joining at the Payson Center for Spiritual Awareness. Call Joyous Rainbow at 928-478-6935 for more info. Open to Course In Miracles students and non-students alike.

SEDONA, AZ

February 12-15 - I'll be the opening keynote speaker and the conference troubadour at the Positive Psychology Forum. Check out Linked text for the details.

February 13- I'll be giving a concert in Sedona. Call Leah at 928-2020123 for the details.

SAN JOSE, CA

February 22 - I'll be the guest speaker and singer at the Center For Creative Living. Following the service I'll be offering a concert. Check them out at Linked text

NEW YORK CITY

March 1 - The Center for Spirituality & Psychotherapy is having a one day workshop on healing trauma in Manhattan and I will be on hand to lighten things up with my music. Call 212-582-1566 ext 201] for more details.

NEWBURGH, NEW YORK

March 3 - HopeStream Healing Center Presents... AN EVENING WITH SCOTT KALECHSTEIN Scott will be offering 'personal songs' for willing participants on a moment's notice. HopeStream Healing Center is at 1658 Rt. 300, Newburgh, NY; Call Corinne (917)515-9050; smithcorinne8@yahoo.com $25.00 preregistration; $30.00 at door.


MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA

April 4 - I'll be giving a comedy concert at East West Bookstore. Visit Linked text for the scoop, or call (650) 988-9800.

April 5 - I'll be giving an afternoon workshop on relationships at East West Bookstore. Visit Linked text for the scoop, or call (650) 988-9800.



ROWE, MASSACHUSETTS

May 25-28 - Every Memorial Day Weekend I offer my music to complement the love and wisdom of Joyce and Barry Vissell at a lovely and powerfully healing Couples Retreat. Committed relationships are supported, renewed, celebrated, and often helped through rough isssues. Contact Rowe at retreat@RoweCenter.org or call: (413) 339-4954 or visit Linked text


TORONTO, CANADA

October 26 - 28 - I'll be the conference troubadour and keynote comic once again at the 2009 Energy Psychology Conference in Toronto. Visit Linked text




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Holiday Sanity- From Madness To Gladness

By Scott Kalechstein

Ah, the holiday season is soon upon us, a time when Mother Nature draws us inward and Mother Culture draws us shopping. What will it be this year? Will you pass through the holidays unconsciously, in a frenzy of obligation, hurry and adrenaline, or will you let yourself slow down and take it easy like the rest of the natural world is doing at this time of year? I feel committed to staying attuned to the inward call of winter soulstice and the corresponding needs of my soul...to slow down the pace, nurture my beingness and replenish the well within.

A close friend of mine has a birthday that is celebrated in December, although he was really born in July. He is somewhat of a celebrity, a cultural icon that most civilized folks know of, admire and sometimes feel intimidated by. He has been a regular in the supermarket tabloids for two thousand years, even before supermarkets were invented. I've noticed, like with many Hollywood stars, people make him out to be larger than life. They put him on a pedestal, somehow hoping that his life can save theirs, and like to fixate over the minute details of what he said and did. His stage name is Jesus, but his friends from the old neighborhood call him Jeshua Ben Joseph.

The most famous role of his career has been Prince of Peace, Savior of the World. (When writing the script, the Director realized that the part was far too big to be given to just one, so he cast every human being to star equally in the role. Alas, most people are so convinced they're not worthy of an audition, they don't realize they got the part!) Jeshua, after retiring from show business in a glorious spectacle of emotion, now works tirelessly behind the scenes, whispering lines to the rest of the cast. He guides his fellow performers to choose peace over drama, love over stage fright, and comedy over tragedy. He nudges us, when we finally become willing to listen to a director other than our egos, to step into our appointed roles and play our parts to the max.

Jeshua does not appreciate the Academy of Christianity giving him the Oscar year after year for Best Savior. He would much rather share the statue with Moses, Buddha, The Dalhi Lama, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, me and you. And he would rather not have so much fuss made over him. In a recent and rare appearance on Letterman, Jeshua had this to say: "David, people get the wrong idea about me. I just want to give the world a Peace of my mind! That's all. I didn't ask for all these religions to spring up and make such a big deal of it all. I'm basically a simple, down-to-earth kind of guy. In fact, I came down to earth to spread joy! Just like everyone, I've had a few moments here and there on the cross, but I've laughed far more that I've suffered. Please tell those churches to take all those pictures of me off their walls. How would you like it if they framed you having a horrendous hair day and decided that was the image the world should remember you by? Oh, and another thing: if people want to celebrate my birthday, I'd like to see them giving each other more presence! Simply being present with an open heart is the greatest gift you can give another. Slow down, ease up on the material madness and get into the spirit of the holidays. And for Christ's sake (literally speaking), lighten up! Life is too eternal to be taken seriously!"

Thrilled that Jesus was speaking so freely, David encouraged him to continue. Jeshua got excited, "People think of me as not having political ties, but actually I'm quite politically active. I'm pro-choice, pro life, and anti-right. That's right, anti-right! I want people, all people, to give up this business of being right and to focus on compassion. And another thing..." At that point David had to interrupt and break for some commercials.

When they got back on the air Jeshua asked if he could have a minute for his own commercial. An 800 number flashed across the screen and Jesus explained that this was his new pager number, a modern way for humanity to call him up and fire away a question, concern or prayer. He can answer over ten billion calls at the same time! Explaining further, he said, "Traditional churches lead people to believe that to be close to me you have to pay money and have exclusive membership in their club. I want everyone to know it's easier than you think. In fact, it's what you think that makes it hard! Just try this: close your eyes, take some breaths, get quiet inside, and dial 1-800-ASK-JESUS. I'll call you right back. Don't worry, I've already got your number, and my dial-up speed is faster than DSL and cable combined. But you've got to believe you are worthy of having a connection with me. Otherwise, there will be too much static on your end, and there will appear to be a receiver off the hook. If that happens, remind yourself to open your heart to receiving, and repeat the call. If you ever get a busy signal, you are the one that's too busy. As I've said once or twice before, I am with you always. And I can afford to keep my promises. I'm not running for anything!"

Jeshua then shared his plans to start up a web site for his multi-level marketing company called, The Kingdom. With his upline the products are heavenly and, of course, there is unlimited prophet potential. If you are interested in becoming a distributor, here's some great news. He's already got you signed up! Just seek ye first The Kingdom, and stay attuned within.

Copyright 2008 Scott Kalechstein, All Rights Reserved

Scott Kalechstein serves as a counselor, coach, minister, inspirational speaker, recording artist and modern day troubadour. He travels through the United States, Canada and Europe giving concerts, talks and workshops, as well as presenting at conferences. Scott can be reached at (415) 721-2954, or you may e-mail him at scott@scottsongs.com. His web www.scottsongs.com is an inspiring and playful place to visit. Go there to sample songs from his CD's and listen to his inspirational talks.