Larry Dossey broke his back two years ago when he was thrown from a horse. He and I had a riveting conversation yesterday.

Within 24 hours of the accident, all his friends offered the reasons why. They used Louise Hay - Intentions - Law of Attraction,Deepak Chopra and every other model conceivable to offer a clear, neat explanation of what he needed to learn.

"You know Liz," he drawled in his still present Texas accent -- mingled with a mature confidence, "Everyone wants to tie things up in neat packages so they can move on to the next conquest. Figuring out the cause of an illness, accident, or other unexpected event, gives an unnatural sense of power and control. "

"Randomness is still active in our universe. The truth is -- waiting , patience, allowing the experience to unfold will offer much more insight than a quick wrap up. Don't try to get it so fast -- let it show itself to you."

I was not surprised when Larry told me that his very good friend and neighbor is Roshi Joan Halifax, they both live in Santa Fe. I could hear the Zen influence. Roshi fell in her bathroom and broke her hip. She is in the hospital right now. Given that Larry is the author of Prayer is Good Medicine, maybe you can take a moment and send healing words to Roshi.

And speaking of sending things.-- Emma Wheeler Wilcox said, "Thought are things endowed with wings." Larry and I spoke about this at length. " Every thought registers. And everyone is influencing everyone else. He no longer allows himself to indulge excessively negative thoughts about our government -- or the war, rather, he realizes, there is a great unfolding."

May the highest good prevail is his new mantra. Watch those negative thoughts. They have as much power as the positive. And we are living as testimony to a collective unconscious. Everyone and everything -- in the non-local sense -- is influencing everything else.

Become aware... become accountable ... become responsible....NOW!

Tony Soprano... Role Model for Personal Growth?

The Soprano's are back!

As 9:00 rolled around, I was positioned like every other couch potato in America; chips in one hand, drink in the other.

What compels me to watch the Sopranos? I practice pacifism. I abhor violence. And even though I occasionally curse, I have faith that there are more appropriate ways to express ourselves than to use four letter words in every sentence.

So in the midst of scratching my head for an answer as to why I was watching this again....Janice Soprano, Tony's sister says, "You know Tony, you have really changed since the accidental shooting. You are not the same person you were before that episode happened."

Although Tony Soprano acted as if he didn't understand -- anyone who has ever experienced trauma in their lives, understands all too well.

Steven Covey said, "In the absence of wake-up calls, many of us never really confront the critical issues of life."

Haven't you noticed that Tony Soprano has changed? I think his shooting was a wake-up call.

Aside from his duties and responsibilities as a mob boss, he has displayed some interesting new characteristics in his personality.

The Tony Soprano we have known so well is now more tolerant, compassionate, empathetic, sincere, loyal and intuitive.

Each of these qualities are important signposts for our own personal development.

The personal growth movement is alive and well. Oprah, Dr. Phil, Deepak Chopra, John Gray and many others have opened the doors for personal exploration.

Who could have believed that Tony Soprano would too?