Volume 1 - Issue 10 - Purposeful Action

Brook of Life News

Improving the Quality of Your Life…
By Transforming Stressinto Flow!

Editor: Prem Chopra
E-Mail: info@brookoflife.com
Volume 1, Issue
10, June 19, 2002
Copyright @ 2002 by Brook of Life, Inc.
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Special Issue: Life in The Enchanted Isles of The Galapagos!

Chattanooga Friends: We look forward to seeing you at an informal talk on “Purposeful Action”
at the Mystic Java restaurant in Coolidge Park, North Chattanooga, at 7:00 pm on Thursday, June 20.
The program is organized by Donna Gorka and the folks at Mystic Java.

Coming on the heels of the Galapagos visit, the discussion is bound to drift to lessons from life in these
enchanted isles.

Mary Ann Williams will host a live informal interview on “The Purpose and Meaning of Life” on WUTC
at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 27.

A Glimpse of The Enchanted Isles — The Galapagos of Darwin’s Evolution of Species!

Janet, my wife of 32 years, and I just returned from a visit to The Galapagos Islands–an enchanted
archipelago in the Pacific, some 600 miles east of Ecuador. Among these young volcanic land
masses, primitive reptiles, birds and mammals live in harmony with nature, relatively undisturbed
and therefore unafraid of humans.

You can walk among giant blue-footed boobies as they perform mating dances, approach close enough
to touch pitch-black frigate birds with scarlet balloons the size of watermelons calling for mates,
or giant albatross fencing with their large yellow beaks–clacking in a delightful mating ritual.

The singing and antics of these birds blend with flights of tropic birds, lava gulls, mocking birds,
finches and other species among strange brush and vegetation flowering upon a plateau overlooking
the wide blue Pacific. The sounds and sights are punctuated by the periodic gushing through a
blow-hole of salty spray as magnificent as Old Faithful in rugged jet-black lava cliffs that dive into the
restless waves.

You must take care not to trip over marine iguanas soaking sunshine or resting under bushes piled
like rags, step on a red and green lava lizard or brush against a nesting booby. In the Galapagos
National Park these strange creatures have the right of way. Park highlights include giant tortoises
weighing several hundred pounds and, for those who dream of dragons, the fierce land iguanas.
Almost anyone will be thrilled by the rare and restless vermilion flycatcher hopping among the lush
green forests rich with guavas, papayas and island oranges–challenging your speed with the shutter.

While snorkeling in pristine waters, be wary of the sea-lion king as pups nibble on your toes and dive
and swim besides you. Once, blinded by salt-water, I inadvertently approached a nursing mother.
Her sudden lunge sent me reeling backwards into the waves as screams and laughter of fellow
snorklers framed the surreal open jaw of a full-grown sea-lion. The whiskered head and piercing bark
rose high above the surf creating an image I will never forget. Almost instantly, as if amused at my
plight, she turned, dived and swam gracefully back to the awaiting pup.

This chilling moment, though softened by families of sea-lions basking on the beach unmindful of
human visitors lying, walking and surfing among them, is embedded indelibly into my mind. It is
as pleasure seasoned with pain, like yin and yang–just as the delicious meals spiced with colorful
salsas–in every memory of these most enchanted isles.

Photographs illustrating “Life in The Galapagos” are posted in the Brook of Life web site at:
http://www.brookoflife.com/Life_in_The_Galapagos.htm.

The more than thousand pictures in this collection will be organized thematically and displayed on
the web site in series that will be rotated periodically — so please check often and enjoy the
experiences of this most enchanted place in your memory or in a journey through electronic waves
across your computer screen!

More stories and pictures of fellow-travelers and the beautiful people of The Galapagos, Quito and the
Highlands of Otavalo will be presented in future issues and on the brook of life web site.

Please send Galapagos pictures you wish to share, to: info@brookoflife.com

Laughter Improves Health and Happiness!

A hearty laugh eases tension, reduces anxiety and stress, as it relaxes and creates flow
in body, mind and spirit!

Growing up in Calcutta, I looked forward to the Reader’s Digest, for “Humor in Uniform,”
“Laughter is the Best Medicine” and the anecdotes sprinkled throughout the periodical.

In the next issue… some really funny stories “From Our Readers” will help you laugh.

Please send stories you wish to share. Your name will be used only if you request it.

Thank you for joining us on this Most Important Journey!

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Brook of Life
— Improving the Quality of Your Life…By Transforming Stress into Flow!
Consider… THE PURPOSE AND MEANING OF YOUR LIFE.

www.brookoflife.com mail to: info@brookoflife.com