Darrell Fusaro
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Be a Good News-er

3/7/2021

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"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” –J. M. Barrie

Rather than worrying about whether or not I offend somebody with what I say, I just keep it simple. I keep it simple by making it my top priority to just be a good news-er. 

What I mean by being a good news-er is rather than complaining about the things that offend me, I do my best to talk of health, happiness, and prosperity with everyone I meet. By making it my top priority to be a good news-er I avoid the temptation of becoming a repeat offender. 

Whenever I decide to repeat something from the news that upset me, something I heard that distressed me, or a social media post that got me burned up, I’m a repeat offender. 

“For example, we can choose to lay our anger and whining on others, but that doesn’t really get rid of it. In fact, we find that people tend to join in on our negative commentary and feed it. We end up with more. But if we give to others the feelings we really want to keep - understanding, kindness, and humor - they will share their good stuff with us too. And we end up with more.” -God Grant Me…, Hazleton Meditations 

When you hear disturbing news or are upset by the behavior of others, instead of complaining about it, see it as a signal to bless the situation or person. Complaining only highlights our fears. It’s affirming that we’re victims and so are our friends. We always have a choice between being fearful or experiencing love by extending love to others.

If you really want to be a change agent for good in your life, your community, and the world, then just be a good news-er. Every morning before launching into my day I take the time to let myself off the hook and go for it. I do this by reminding myself of my ultimate mission here on earth: to be a good news-er. 

I’ve written down in my journal, “Darrell, Today’s mission, if you choose to accept it, is to go forth humbly. In other words, forget about winning approval and looking good, just go forth to bless, encourage and uplift.” 

While I was serving in the United States Coast Guard, search and rescue was considered our main mission. We had many other responsibilities: marine safety, law enforcement, aids to navigation, ice operations, etc., but search and rescue was our top priority. Because saving lives was our top priority, compassion flowed into everything we did.

When we make being a good news-er our top priority, love flows into everything we do. By making it your intention each day to be a good news-er demonstrates your desire and commitment to keep tuning in to love. The Universe continuously broadcasts joy. Love tunes us in to it. This universal joy is a magnetic force that attracts all good things to us. When we’re tuned in to this universal joy everything seems to fall into place throughout the day. This is what is meant by, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” It makes it clear that whenever we’re complaining and resenting we’re tuning in to a lower frequency, and it doesn’t feel good. 

The good news is we can always tune right back in to health, happiness, love, prosperity, and success any time we decide to be a good news-er and resist the temptation to be a repeat offender. 

So, “Dear Reader, Your mission if you choose to accept it, is to go forth humbly. In other words, forget about winning approval and looking good, just go forth to bless, encourage and uplift.”


Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran, co-host of the podcast, “Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed” and author of the book, “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?” To learn more about Darrell visit: www.ThisWillMakeYouHappy.com
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Follow Your Bliss

1/27/2021

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“Grace, as the divine favor, the activity of God’s love, is working for you constantly. It is not dependent upon any special faith or prayer on you part.” –Eric Butterworth

There’s a quiet confidence that comes from believing that God’s grace is at work, bringing about your desires in better ways than you can imagine. 

Prior to experiencing the miracles of trusting in God, I felt like I was on my own. With this feeling of being all on my own, I believed that I had to rely solely upon my own efforts to succeed. In other words, cunning and scheming. I had no idea that cunning and scheming to make things happen is an expression of doubt. This just fueled more concern, more worry and more scheming. Not only was it exhausting, I never got ahead. There’s a saying about this: “If you have to fight to get it, you’ll have to fight to keep it.” How true. 

I don't fight anymore. I quit attempting to make things happen and I've instead come to trust in the law of least effort. The origin of the word affluence means to be in the flow. So as soon as we can break away from our management and control procedures, we begin to enjoy the affluent life. The simplest way to do this is to just focus on exuding unconditional love. Give up trying to get. Enjoy believing that as you give love unconditionally throughout your day, God is scheduling divine appointments on your behalf. A good friend of mine would often exclaim, “When I’m busy taking care of God’s business, God’s busy taking care of my business.”

Experiment for yourself. Make the intention that from now until the end of the day, you will act on every generous impulse. What is a generous impulse? The impulse to share a smile with a stranger. The impulse to wave and say hello to a passerby as you cross paths. It could be to say a kind word or to give a compliment. Following this impulse always feels good and brings happiness. Most prosperous, happy and generous folks will say that they achieved their success by following their bliss. This is exactly what they’re talking about.

I had just parked my car in an underground parking garage when I noticed that the car I parked next to had a special license plate indicating that the owner was a military veteran. Being a veteran myself, I took a closer look at the medallion on the plate. It was the U.S. Coast Guard insignia. Holy cow -- I’m a Coast Guard veteran, too! I got excited, since bumping into another Coast Guard veteran is rare. Hopefully I’ll bump into them, I thought.

After going about my business in town, I walked back toward my car to leave. A car had stopped to allow me to cross the lane. It was the car with the Coast Guard veteran plates. The timing was impeccable. I went for it. I risked embarrassment and motioned to the driver to roll down their window. I didn’t want to stifle the generous impulse to let the man behind the wheel know that I was a Coast Guard veteran, too.

He was startled at first, but once he discovered why I was flagging him down, we had a wonderful conversation. He was a commanding officer, and in his retirement, he had been teaching courses on city government at the local college. He had even been mayor of our town. I let him know that after I completed my tour of duty, I went to art school and currently I have been doing some illustration. 

Upon hearing this, he asked if I was familiar with our city’s art foundation. Coincidentally, I had just recently learned about it. When it came out that I had been creating short YouTube videos highlighting the city’s art in public places, he lit up. He then told me that he was on the art foundation’s board of directors, and if I was willing, he would like to have me give a presentation at an upcoming board meeting. I was blown away. It was obvious that no amount of scheming and self-will could have brought about this opportunity.

There is no need to plot or scheme to bring about your heart’s desire. Divine love is ever seeking to express itself through you. Do not let selfishness, doubt or worry stifle it. Follow your bliss, and act on every generous urge. Chances are that it’s God inviting you to accept a divine appointment.


Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran, co-host of the podcast, “Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed” and author of the book, “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?” To learn more about Darrell visit: www.ThisWillMakeYouHappy.com
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Success Begins Here

5/4/2020

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“How good it feels to be thanked and appreciated. It makes me enthusiastic to continue to give. Well, that’s how God feels when I’m grateful for all I’ve been given.” – My thoughts jotted down after morning meditation

Success begins when you say kind things to yourself. When doubtful, judgmental, or discouraged I have found that the best remedy is to treat myself as a kind, supportive, and loving grandmother would. 

Each morning I must kindly encourage my grumbling little self. You can not shame and belittle anybody into changing and this includes ourselves. Have compassion for yourself, especially in the morning.

How we treat ourselves upon awakening sets the tone for the day. I have developed a healthy habit that anyone can do. I get up before my wife to sit on the couch alone and enjoy a cup of coffee while I read a few inspirational books followed by prayer and meditation. 

I rarely wake up optimistic. I must encourage myself every step of the way. From getting out of the bed, to making the coffee, letting the dog out, letting the dog in, gathering up my inspirational books, and then plopping down on the couch to begin. All the while soothing the negative chatter in my head with words of encouragement. It’s often, “Everything’s going to be OK Darrell. Once you have your coffee and do your readings you’re going to feel much better.”

It works every time, and even though I’ve experienced this to be true for over three decades I still must start my day with encouragement. This encouraging of oneself is the most effective method of prayer. It is prayer in its truest sense. The Sanskrit word for prayer, pal-al, means “judging oneself to be wondrously made.” Prayer is not begging for what you want, it’s acknowledging how wonderful you already are.

Life is not about jumping out of bed and racing into your miserable day. Doing that just reinforces feelings of inadequacy, lack and self-doubt. I can’t imagine a kind and loving grandmother ever yanking a child out of bed and shouting, “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go! You’re going to be late! Now you’ll probably hit traffic! You’re never going to make it on time! Damn it! What a screw up. This is why you’ll never get ahead!” 

Self-condemnation is poison to us. It poisons our ambition. It poisons our confidence. It poisons our dignity. It poisons our relationships, and it poisons our success. 

If you really want to know how you are treating yourself just take a look at how you are treating others. This is why we must be kind to ourselves. When I treat myself with kindness, I feel good about myself. When I feel good about myself, treating others kindly seems to be a natural side effect. It’s effortless. To “love your neighbor as yourself” implies that you are as kind to yourself as you are to others.

When people are happy they’re kind to everyone around them. When people are scared or upset with themselves it brings up feelings of hostility, impatience, frustration, jealousy, envy, and blame towards others. 

Treating ourselves with the kindness that a loving grandmother would give makes us feel good, and feeling good always attracts more to feel good about. 

“A change of feeling is a change of destiny.” – Neville Goddard

For more on this topic listen to “Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed” via your favorite podcast app or visit www.DarrellandEd.com

Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran, co-host of the “Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed” podcast and author of, “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?” To learn more about Darrell visit wwwThisWillMakeYouHappy.com​

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The Light Will Dawn

3/24/2020

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The light will dawn! I recently read this statement in a book of the same title and its bold simplicity ignited my faith. The light will dawn! Just saying it gets hope flowing through my entire body. It creates a feeling of joyful expectancy, which by definition is faith.

Lately, I’ve been maintaining my faith in God with these statements. “The light will dawn!”, “Don’t give up five minutes before the miracle,” and “The captain is on the bridge”.

If some thought, person, or news begins to arouse fear or anger within myself, I take it as a call to bless that thought, person or news. It’s the concern that needs the treatment. So I treat the concern with God. I must believe that the captain is on the bridge and that all will be well.

Years ago while patrolling the Bering Sea on a United States Coast Guard cutter a storm struck. There were a hundred of us on a 378 foot ship being tossed about like a cork. Waves crashed over the deck. Being thousands of miles from land in every direction could have been terrifying to the point of hysteria, but it wasn’t. Everyone reassured one another that the captain was on the bridge and that he knew what he was doing. Even us brand-new sailors chose to agree and believe this to be true. 

A belief is more than wishful thinking: it is a magnetic force that attracts according to its nature. 

Exactly one year to the month that I had my first experience in those stormy seas I was introduced to an Emmet Fox essay titled, “The Captain Is On The Bridge”. Here is a portion of it; 

“The human race is not doomed. The captain is on the bridge. Humanity is going through a difficult time, but humanity has gone through difficulties many times before in its long history, and has always come through, strengthened and purified. 

The captain is on the bridge. God is still in business. All that you have to do is realize the Presence of God where trouble seems to be, to do your nearest duty to the very best of your ability; and to keep an even mind until the storm is over.”

“Great peace have they that love the law: and nothing shall offend them.” -Psalm 119:165

This is a promise, both psychological and spiritual, that when I hold to the joyful expectancy (faith) that the light will dawn, I will remain undisturbed and will be of great benefit to others.

When worry and doubt creep back in I affirm, “God brings it about, in spite of my doubts!” Rather than trying to resist or combat my fear, doubt and worry with self-will, this affirmation brings peace through nonresistance. It’s reassurance that I have faith in my faith and trust that “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”

“Ask yourself, ‘Am I part of the solution to the problems around me, or am I part of the problem?’ If you react with anger or bitterness or fear, you are projecting negative vibrations, and thus you are part of the problem. Unless you want to perpetuate conditions around you, you must change your thoughts about them. Get in tune with God, become synchronized with the divine flow. When you are poised in yourself, you are in a position to project this positive vibration to the world.” -Eric Butterworth

Meditating on Love will always get you synchronized with the divine flow. At any time during your day, even while parked in your car, you can take three deep breaths. Take this time to notice that with each exhale all tension drains from your body and your muscles relax naturally. In this relaxed state acknowledge that the Power within you blesses all. I like to meditate on this truth, “The Power within me is blessing all mankind, and is forever healing all with whom I come in contact.” Do this regularly and you’ll become a center of love and a positive influence in your community.

“You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium's
Liable to walk upon the scene”
-Johnny Mercer, “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”

Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran and author of, “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?”  To learn more about Darrell visit wwwThisWillMakeYouHappy.com
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Let Joy Lead The Way

3/6/2020

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If you’re offered a ride on a magic carpet, don’t ask where it’s going. Just jump on!

Remind yourself each morning, “Today is the day! I’m really getting it folks! Connected to God with trust, I can enjoy seeing myself doing wonderful things, accomplishing all that I am inspired and desire to do. Knowing that the God–in–me is infinite wisdom. He leads with joy.” 

Recovery is part of it, joyful expectancy is all of it. All twelve step programs kick things off with joyful expectancy. Step two, “Came to believe a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity,” is an affirmation of hope. Someone not in a twelve step program could just as easily say it as, “I believe God is renewing my mind and improving my circumstances.”

I’ve developed the healthy habit of doing what I refer to as my morning routine. As soon as I get up I make myself a cup of coffee, sit on the couch and begin reading a page from each of my daily meditation books. Then I meditate for a few minutes, after which I jot down my to do list, also known as my best attempt at what I believe God’s will is for me that day. I refer to it as this so that I can remain flexible throughout my day. If something doesn’t go as planned or something doesn’t get completed I’m more able to let myself off the hook, knowing that it wasn’t meant to get done that day. But more importantly it frees me up to follow unexpected detours and to go with joyful hunches. 

Matter of fact right before writing out my list for today I began it by jotting down, “Ok God, I’m ready to follow your lead today, no hurry and no worry on my part. Optimistic trust is my part. Today I’m partnering with you regarding… a) story 1,500 words, b) cards to Theresa, c) caulk bath tub…” In short, in spite of our to do list, we must be willing to relinquish control, trusting that God is always leading us to our heart’s desire. The will of God does not lead to the poor house. 

If you are really serious about being plucked from obscurity and dropped into incredible good fortune, you must be willing to let go of your excessive carefulness and let the spirit guide you. Don’t let reason slip you a mickey.

A friend of ours named Stephanie texted that she was meeting with a client in Los Angeles, CA. She lives many miles away and we hadn’t seen each other in quite some time. It was great to reconnect via text. A few hours later she texted that she was done with her work and would be driving through our neighborhood. Incredibly, I had just finished lunch and another mutual friend of ours, Ed was just getting off work, so we all agreed to meet up at the local coffee shop.

During our conversation it came up that Stephanie’s dog, Mister, had died some time ago. She said that her and her husband weren’t rushing into getting a new pet. She then asked how my wife Lori, a professional pet photographer, was doing. I was excited to tell her that just the day before Lori was apprehensive about photographing dogs at a new rescue facility. In order to overcome this Lori used the affirmative prayer, “I’m going to meet wonderful people and have a wonderful time.”

I went on to share that within an hour of Lori being there she texted me that her expectations were exceeded. Everyone was so happy to meet the “celebrity photographer” and she had the best assistant with lighting, set-up, and dog handling. Lori even sent me previews of her favorite shots of a rescued dog named Stella. I could not resist the joyful nudge to share them with Stephanie.

I handed my phone to Stephanie. As she went through the photos Lori had taken of Stella, she began to tear up. She apologized about being so emotional. “My heart just felt so full when I saw her,” Stephanie said regarding Stella. The conversation switched to how she and her husband had been waiting for the right time to bring a new dog into their lives. “It was something I want the two of us to do together.”

Her husband was out of town until Friday and this was Tuesday. The topic of the shelter where Stella was came up. As coincidence would have it, the shelter was only four miles away from where we were drinking coffee. This was a coincidence since the shelter Lori regularly photographs at is twenty-six miles away. In either case, Stephanie had to head home soon in order to beat rush hour traffic. It seemed more reasonable if she was interested in meeting Stella to head home now and return on Saturday with her husband.

Stephanie said, “I’m going to go see her now!” “Really? Wow! OK.” I said, and gave her the address. What really impressed me about her decision was her spontaneous ability to go in the direction of the call of her spirit. 

In regards to the calling of the spirit, Emmet Fox describes it as a unicorn. “Some day it may happen, probably when you least expect it, that the unicorn will suddenly appear at your side, eyes flashing, nostrils quivering, pawing the ground with impatience. When that happens, do not try to put a bridle on him or to look for some task for him to do; He will not do it, and there will not be time. No sooner, seemingly, has he appeared than off he will go again. So do not pause, but leap upon his back, for he is a flying steed, and he wings his way to the gates of the morning. On that ride problems are not solved—they disappear.” 

Soon after Stephanie met Stella she called to say how they immediately fell in love with each other. Should she adopt her today without her husband being part of the discovery process, or not? She would also need a crate so Stella would have a cozy and safe den until she became familiar with her new home. Plus Stephanie drove a tiny Mini Cooper and Stella is a fifty-five pound dog. It was also now the height of rush hour traffic. I reassured her that God was in charge and if it was meant to be it would be effortless. She thanked me, saying that was exactly what she needed to hear to let go of any sense of urgency.

An hour later I received a call from Stephanie. She said that she was on the road heading home and that Stella was with her in the car. She went on to share how she called her husband and that he was one hundred percent on board with adopting Stella in absentia. In addition, the rescue had just received a donated brand new collapsable crate Stella’s size and they gave it to her. To top things off, to Stephanie’s surprise, everything fit perfectly in her Mini Cooper. 

This was over three months ago and Stella, Stephanie and her husband Josh agree that this was definitely meant to be. They are extremely happy and Stella is so appreciative and easy to care for. What I didn’t learn until later was that Stella is a doppelgänger for the dog Stephanie had when her and her husband first met. 

Belief in God’s love frees us up to live with flexibility and trust. And with a full trust, success is a must. Loosen your grip and allow God to have free play in your life. Step out boldly and trust intuition. Don’t be afraid of silly ideas. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” In other words, let joy be your guide. It will never lead you astray. 

I’ve found the best way to develop the ability to be sensitive to intuition and to have the confidence to act on it comes simply from the practice of prayer and meditation. Twelve Step programs encourage the same. Step Eleven states it as, “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of His will for us (intuition) and the power to carry that out (act on it). Over the years I’ve learned to never argue with a hunch; they are magic carpets that come to carry you off to outrageous good fortune.
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You are always invited to join me for an uplifting guided meditation on any Friday from 12:00pm-12:30pm, at Unity of the Westside, 10724 Barman Ave, Culver City, CA, 90230. Drop by, connect with God and leave feeling renewed, healthy and happy. No previous meditation experience necessary. It’s free and all are welcome.


Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran and author of “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?” For more information visit www.ThisWillMakeYouHappy.com
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L-R Darrell, Stephanie, Josh and Stella
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This story is featured in the March 2020 issue of Keys to Recovery Newspaper
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Feelings Aren't Facts

2/25/2020

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“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” -Chinese Proverb

“OK Fusaro, try not to join the 180 degree club during your first time at the helm,” said the Captain.

“What’s the 180 degree club, Sir?” I asked.

We were aboard a 378-foot Coast Guard cutter patrolling the Bering Sea.  It was 1985 and we were navigating by stars, a compass, charts and math.  Since we were so close to the North Pole the compass was unpredictable and on this night the fog hid the stars.  These were the days before GPS. 

“On a night like tonight, if not vigilant, you can end up taking us 180 degrees off course and in the opposite direction without realizing it.  So trust your gauges,” he said.

Trusting the gauges was the key to reaching our destination.  A little off to the left or right and the gauges would alarm me to steer the ship back into alignment and safely on course.  In order to stay on course I had to constantly make adjustments.  It worked, I trusted the gauges, made the indicated adjustments and we made port.  

Successfully navigating through life is much the same.  Trust the gauges; make the indicated adjustments and a healthy, happy, prosperous life is yours.  The gauges to trust are your feelings.  The saying, “feelings aren’t facts” is true.  Feelings aren’t facts, they’re indicators.  They indicate which direction your thoughts are taking you.  Since it’s always thought first, feeling second, your feelings will always indicate the general tone of your thinking.  

Thoughts move so rapidly that most of the time we aren’t aware of them.  That’s when feelings are the most helpful.  Even though we may not be aware of what we’re consciously thinking at times, we are always aware of how we feel. 

Simply put, when you feel good it indicates that your thinking is on course and moving in the direction of your authentic self.  You’re in alignment with your heart’s desire, or God’s will if you prefer.  These are thoughts of love, gratitude, joy, passion, enthusiasm, happiness, joyful expectation, and hope. You’re in harmony with the positive stream of live.

Likewise, when you feel bad it’s an indication that your thoughts are out of harmony with your heart’s desire.  Thoughts of annoyance, worry, criticism, blame, anger, envy, revenge, resentment, guilt, and doubt are simply an indication that you’ve drifted off course into rough seas. Fear is at the helm. That’s why it feels bad. It is time to steer your thinking back toward the light.  

Just as on the ship, it would be insane to proceed traveling off course once you’ve become aware that you are heading in a dangerous direction.  Quickly as possible you’d make the course correction and once again feel at peace.  However getting our thinking to come around isn’t as easy as turning a ship’s wheel.  Our thoughts need a little coaxing.  The most effective method is the use of affirmative prayer.  This is the desire to let go of these ill feeling thoughts and to have them replaced with something better.  

Simply repeating an affirmative word as you walk will snap you back on course. I will often say “Yes!”, every time my left foot touches the ground as I walk. 

At other times, a prayer I often use is, “God remove this fear, worry, doubt, or resentment, etc… and direct my attention to what you would have me be.”  Another form of positive prayer that works is to begin thinking about what I’m grateful for.  It can even begin with being grateful for the ability to choose to make a positive change in my way of thinking.  Sometimes just affirming, “I am grateful God is renewing my mind and improving my circumstances!”, does the trick.  Gratitude is not just a nice feeling, it is a magnetic force that attracts more things to be grateful for.  

One more example of a positive prayer method is to “move a muscle, change an emotion.”  In other words take some small simple positive action that has nothing to do with your concerns and your mood is sure to improve.  Something as ordinary as doing the dishes or washing the floor tends to transform everything for the better.  If this all sounds too simple to be true, be grateful that it is.  God does not make the way hard for those who seek him. 

If you are presently complaining about something that is happening in your life, then you are focusing on what you do not want.  Instead, adjust your sails and steer toward what makes you happy.  Have faith (joyful expectancy) in God (good) and miracle will follow miracle and wonders will never cease.

You are always invited to join me for an uplifting guided meditation on any Friday from 12:00pm-12:30pm, at Unity of the Westside, 10724 Barman Ave, Culver City, CA, 90230. Drop by, connect with God and leave feeling renewed, healthy and happy. No previous meditation experience necessary. It’s free and all are welcome.

Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran and author of “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?”.   To learn more about Darrell visit wwwThisWillMakeYouHappy.com
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The Odds Are In Your Favor

1/27/2020

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Here I am God. Deal me in!

A 54-year-old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience.

Seeing God she asked, “Is my time up?”

God said, “No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live.”

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck. She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.

After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was killed by an ambulance.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, “I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of the ambulance?”

God replied, “I didn't recognize you!”

The ultimate lie we tend to tell ourselves is that we’re not good enough as is. Actually the exact opposite is true, we are designed to succeed as is. “To thine own self be true”, is meant to be a reminder of this fact. The odds are always for you when you’re not pretending to be something you’re not.

A friend of mine is an actor and called excited about two upcoming auditions. I reminded him to avoid the temptation to try to figure out what he thinks they want in order for him to get the job. All I said was to make sure you eat before the audition and just be yourself. You don’t have to go on a crash diet, get a haircut, or pretend to be anything other than who you really are. If you’re the right person for the part, don’t pretend to be anything you’re not or, like God in the preceding joke, they won’t recognize you.

Whenever I feel concerned that I might not get something I believe I must have, or might lose something I’ve already got, it’s an indication I’ve lost my faith in God. I’ve lost my joyous expectancy that all will work out better than expected if I’m rigorously honest as is. Lately I’ve taken to the practice of reminding myself and my friends to just wear the white hat.

In western movies the good guys always wear a white hat. The bad guys wear a black one. Whenever I think that I must manipulate or that there’s no harm in telling a little white lie, I’m putting on the black hat. Since this is the case it proves that wearing the white hat is our natural state.

The reminder to just wear the white hat is a powerful affirmation that my success is assured when I’m true to myself.  This simple idea of just wearing the white hat always elevates me to my ideal. This ideal is the highest image of myself, and it just so happens to be the real me, as is. 

How do I know this is true? The same way you know it’s true. Because it feels great when we behave from this place. We feel secure and display kindness. We can feel enthusiastic and confident that God is arranging things on the unseen plane for our highest good. We have faith that all things work together for good as long as we are honest and true. If we don’t get this job, we’ll get a better one. If we do not make the arrangement that we sought today, a better one will present itself tomorrow.

“Never allow yourself to be strained to tense or overeager… Do not seek by will power to get your own way, but affirm that God’s will in that particular matter is being done… and the outcome will be true success…” Emmet Fox
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In other words, just wear the white hat.
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If you’re in Los Angeles, CA, I have an invitation for you. I lead a mid-day guided meditation every Friday at Unity of the Westside, 10724 Barman Ave, Culver City, CA, 90230. Drop in, connect with God and leave feeling renewed, healthy and happy. No previous meditation experience necessary. All are welcome. 12pm – 12:30pm.

Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran and author of “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?” For more information visit www.ThisWillMakeYouHappy.com
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Bless Your Miserable Boss And She’ll Love You For It

3/7/2019

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“There is a Power for good in the universe greater than we are, and we can use It!” –Ernest Holmes
 
I was running a small public access television studio in Marina del Rey, CA, when I was told by my manager that I was going to be assigned the role of supervisor at another production facility in Los Angeles.  The additional studio was where our network news program was produced.  This looked like a great opportunity.   However, he warned me that this place was a hornet's nest.  There was bickering among the crew and the facility was rundown.  He said it was probably going to be extremely difficult before it got easy, but was confident I was up for the challenge.  His hope was that I’d extinguish the fires among the crewmembers, elevate morale and renovate the studio to flagship status.
 
Immediately upon my arrival I discovered that the existing manager didn't like me.  This became apparent when one of my newly assigned crewmembers confided in me that I better watch my back.  He went on to explain that the manager told everyone in the studio that, and I quote, “If Darrell Fusaro so much as peeps anything that can possibly be misconstrued as harassment I'm going to make sure Human Resources hears about it and he goes down."  She was out to get me.
 
My feelings ran the gamut from worry, panic, hurt, anger, self-pity, and finally, surrender.  I knew deep down that no amount of self-will could manipulate the situation in my favor.  So I put all my faith in the spiritual axiom, "Bless a thing and it will bless you. Curse a thing and it will curse you.”  I knew the choice was mine.  I could have my indignation or my demonstration.  I couldn’t have both.
 
In spite of dreading having to interact with her each day, I applied the following: Every morning when I did my prayer and meditation routine I’d include her.  During these times I’d imagine her happy and smiling with her family and friends.  Happiness is a wonderful thing to bless a person with since the wealth of the Universe always showers upon happy people.  I was also motivated by the fact that happy people don’t seek to stick it to others.  They’re too happy.
 
I’d keep this practice up throughout the day.  When thoughts of fear, worry and anger would crop up, I would quickly sweep them aside by switching to thoughts of love, happiness, harmony and success for everyone at the studio.  The key to all of this was clinging to the belief that it was all coming to pass.  Faith has been defined as joyous expectancy.  I put my joyous expectancy in choosing to believe God was working on the unseen plane and transforming this situation for the better.  Some days this came easy—other days, not so much.
 
I’d make studio renovations and she’d give negative commentary.  I’d rearrange crew positions according to their individual strengths and she’d have a rebuttal.  I used the affirmation, “God makes a way where there is no way,” to maintain my poise.  One day I pulled into the lot and noticed that she had parked her car in the handicapped space.  I wanted to call the authorities and have her car ticketed and towed.  After all it seemed justified.  Instead I reminded myself, “Darrell that’s not in your square.  Leave it alone.  Forget about it.”  I blessed her instead and let it go.
 
Day in and day out I continued and within a month seemingly impossible changes began to take place.  One of my habits was to belt out a joyful verse from a showtune as we set up to shoot a segment.  This was something she detested.  I’d sing a line and she’d slam her office door shut in protest—but not anymore.  One day I belted out, “Oh what a beautiful morning!”  There was no door slam.  Instead she joined in with the next line, “Oh what a beautiful day!” singing it as enthusiastically as I.
 
As the days went on she initiated pleasant conversations.  Being a longtime Los Angeles resident, she would recommend hip local weekend outings for my wife and I.  It was remarkable.  I actually looked forward to seeing her each day.  Things had improved so much that those who knew her often joked that I was putting something in her coffee.  Visitors and celebrity guests who came to the studio would comment how pleasant it felt to be there.  Within a year the show we produced together was nominated for an Emmy Award and we continued to enjoy each other’s company until we moved on in our separate careers.
 
“We prove God by directing God-power and trusting in It to do the work.” – Florence Scovel Shinn
 
 
Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran, author of “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?” and a sought after speaker on the topics of Leadership and Positive Mindset. For more information or to request Darrell as a speaker visit www.ThisWillMakeYouHappy.com
 
 


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Just Seven Minutes a Day Will Transform Your Life

12/12/2018

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It’s true; the good you seek is seeking you. It is said that the Rabbi of Berdichev once saw a man running down the street. He asked the man, "Why are you hurrying so?"

"I'm rushing to find my livelihood," the man answered.

"And how do you know," the rabbi asked, "that your livelihood is running ahead of you? Maybe it's behind you, and all you need to do is stop running and it will catch up to you."

Within my first year of enlistment in the United States Coast Guard I was having a horrible go at. I had just finished telling my new friend Mike how much I dreaded what punishment I might receive for a recent drunken debacle. He responded by saying, “Well, it sounds like you need to include that in your morning routine.”

“Morning routine? What’s a morning routine?” I asked.

Mike continued by telling me that the most important thing I can do each day is to practice what he referred to as a “morning routine”. He suggested that I start immediately.

Each morning upon awakening, before putting on my uniform, even before showering, I was to enjoy a few minutes in positive contemplation with my morning coffee. This included reading a few pages from inspirational books he recommended*, saying a few familiar prayers, turning any concerns over to God and mediating on all that was good in my life.

Before I could react about not having enough time for all of that, Mike added, “and it only takes seven minutes, I timed it just for you.”

It seemed absurd but without any other options I heard him out.

“Life isn’t about jumping out of bed and racing into your miserable day. When was the last time you woke up just seven minutes earlier to be kind and loving to yourself?”

I was caught off guard. Was he really asking me if I was ever kind and loving to myself? This was a man’s man. We were standing on an Army base for goodness sake. All my defenses were up but I had no defense against kindness.

“Never,” I said.

“I promise that if you do this consistently for thirty days you will be amazed at how much your life will have transformed for the better. But if you can’t wake up just seven minutes earlier to be kind and loving to Darrell, there is nothing anybody can do to help you.”

I wanted to believe that what he said was true. Primarily because the thought of conning and manipulating my way out of the mess I was in felt too overwhelming. I was in over my head. I began the very next morning. I did it exactly like he prescribed.

Within fifteen days, I had an outrageously optimistic thought. “If I continue doing this and following whatever other helpful suggestions are offered to me, my life will continue to get better!” This thought felt so good that I can still remember exactly where I was when it hit me.

Something shifted in me. In that instant it became clear to me that life worked from the inside out.  All my life I had struggled to improve my external circumstances. I was convinced that once I got everything arranged perfectly (i.e., right relationship, right career, right home, right car, etc.) then I’d be happy. Living this way was unbearable. I could never get it all together, so I believed I was a loser. What a thrill to discover that this was not the case at all. 

Life is simpler than I had been imagining it to be. All I had to do was to switch from striving to believing. This simple seven-minute morning routine was taking me from a hopeless state of mind to hopeful state of mind.

We live in a spiritual universe. It runs according to spiritual law. Simply put; as our consciousness improves so will our circumstances. When you renew your faith upon awakening, blessings will chase you down throughout the day. 

It has been over thirty years since I began doing the simple morning routine Mike shared with me. Within the first year, I went from being demoted to a rank lower than what one receives in boot camp, to serving as the Military Liaison to the civilian law enforcement community. In my position, I acted as the ambassador representing all five branches of United States military. It would appear that I had arrived there miraculously. There was no pushing, no shoving, just commitment to practicing a simple morning routine.

The truth is one does not have faith because things are going well. Rather, things go well because one has faith. Faith has been defined as a state of joyful expectancy. I like that definition. My regular morning routine helps me to maintain this healthy state of mind.

Anyone can enjoy a life without struggle. Begin with a morning routine of prayer and meditation. It works even if you don’t believe it. If you are willing to continue for just thirty days, you will be so thrilled at how much your life has improved that you will come to rely on it.

*The readings recommended included Unity’s Daily Word Magazine.  At that time, 1986, Mike treated me to my first one-year subscription.  I became a subscriber the following year and have continued ever year since.  I’ve also adopted Mike’s practice and treat new friends who are interested in starting a morning routine to their first year’s subscription of the Daily Word Magazine as well.

Artist Darrell Fusaro is a decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran and author of “What if Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug?”  To learn more about Darrell visit wwwThisWillMakeYouHappy.com

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Who's Your Eskimo?

9/10/2018

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This old story is a favorite of mine.

“A man was sitting in a bar declaring loudly that he didn’t believe in God. “Why not?” the bartender asked.
 
“I was on my dog sled, crossing the frozen Yukon, when a terrible storm came up. I completely lost my way. The dogs and I huddled together for warmth but soon all our food was gone. Day after day, I begged God to help me but nothing, only silence. I knew I was going to die.”
 
“But you’re here,” said the bartender. “God must have helped you.”
 
“What God?” said the man. “Some Eskimo came and showed me the way.”
 
It’s a humorous way to deliver the good news that even if you don’t believe in God, if you pray for help, you’ll still get it.
 
“That’s too coincidental to be a coincidence.” –Yogi Berra

–Darrell Fusaro

Artist Darrell Fusaro is a Decorated U.S. Coast Guard veteran, author of What If Godzilla Just Wanted a Hug? and co-host of the Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed podcast.

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