Marblesand Miraclesby Mr. Twenty Twenty

Copyright © 2012 Mr. Twenty Twenty and Eagle Vision Media

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author or publisher.

Mr. Twenty TwentyClarence J. WingertEagle Vision MediaEltham, Victoria 3095 - Australia

http://www.exhostage.com

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRINTED IN AUSTRALIA

INTRODUCTION: Marbles and Miracles

The old man, my mentor and I sat by the fire, enjoying the smell of burning oak, and maple, with just a pinch of sage. He promised to share with me a secret story, one that he learned from his Grandfather, who learned it from his Grandfather before him. I anticipated him telling me something ancient, something profound. Something I would want to write in my journal and share someday with my grandchildren.

He was well respected elder. Full of wisdom, eternally strong, he took his time. He put both of his hands on my shoulders, looked me deep in the eyes, took a deep breath, and then proceeded to say in his deep, wise voice, “Grandson, the deep secret that spirit tells me to tell you, is that you have lost your marbles.”

I was hoping for something much more profound. That was apparent to me. I was officially diagnosed with PTSD, when I was a hostage back in 1989, in three day prison riot in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. I was hoping the old man could help me. Little did I know, he was going to use me. He was going to use me, in a very wonderful way, to share a very special and very powerful message with many people who were seeking something more. People now, including you.

Like I said, he was known to be a wise old healer., but at that time, I thought he was half cracked himself. Half cracked, that was my semi official diagnosis of this funny old man and I noticed that he enjoyed playing with sticks. You'll find out more about that, in just a few moments..

The sun was just setting, and the stars were just beginning to come out when our story began.

LESSON 1: The Story of Three Camps

Camp Number 1 – The Scattered

“Grandson, there are three ways to live your life... they are contained within my sacred bundle.”

“It is this bundle, spirit wishes that I share with you.”

“It is this bundle which I am told to give to you, it will be yours to do with what you will, once we are finished.” Cool, I thought, I'm getting a sacred bundle from a half crazy Indian, who has a fascination with sticks..

Within his sacred bundle there were eight sticks, each about 8 inches long. He just dumped them out on the ground and left them there in a pile.

“Grandson this is how your life has been.”

Okay. I get it. Maybe.

My life is like a bundle of sticks. Okay. Right.

“Tell me grandson. Tell me what you see.” The old man had a gentle simile, and eyes full of loving wisdom. Me, I had an attitude, I thought I was clever, but deep inside, I still hoped he could help me.

“I see a pile of sticks. They really aren't worth much, don't look special, and the way they are scattered I'm not even sure what I could do with them.”

They apparently needed something. (I apparently needed something too.) Organizing? Purpose? Direction? It sure would be nice if HE shared a little of that old fashioned Indian wisdom with me.

Then he began to speak, slowly, and clearly.“Grandson, the sticks are like your life. They are a mess, in a pile with no direction They are scattered. These sticks, they are capable of great things.... but in a pile with their directions scattered they will not ever amount to much.”

“As they are, they can't even make a good fire.”

Speaking of fire, the old man tossed a hand full of cedar onto the fire before he gathered up his sacred sticks... to me they looked like well worn pick up sticks we played with as kids. He stopped, he turned, he looked like he was savoring every moment. He smiled gently, winked at me, and started off to bed.

“Grandson, you have been living in the first camp. You have been living in the camp of the scattered. Tomorrow we will discover how to get you to move into the Second Camp. Sweet dreams.”

He went to bed. I stared at the sky.

I drove all this distance.... to play pick up sticks.

I wanted to be thrilled. I wanted to think I experienced and learned something profound. I wanted...

I wanted more than what I thought I got... Pick up sticks. Sweet dreams, right.

As I laid there under the stars, I couldn't understand why Grey Wolf had been so impressed with this elder, and why he told me to come visit with him. I drove hundreds of miles to play pick up sticks. Maybe the elder was right. Maybe I had lost my marbles.

LESSON 2: The Camp of the Directed

“Yo, grandson wake up.”

“Drink coffee, get ready for tobacco.”

Oh, tobacco. One of the Four Sacred Plants.

Cool. Now we were getting to the good stuff.... Tobacco. That could only mean a pipe ceremony.

Rock and roll. Spirit beings. Gods. All the cool stuff.

I hurried up, got up and sniffed the air, like a new born baby deer.

I smelled a smell that was so familiar. One from an earlier time. Marlboros.

Darn.

That's what my grandma smoked a long long time ago.

“Time for you to learn about the Second Camp Grandson.”

“Today I want you to discover what you want.”

Great. Now the old man had shape shifted into a combination of Zig Ziglar and Napoleon Hill.

The good news was, that the old man had another portion of his medicine bundle, ready to be opened, held lovingly in his right hand.

“I want to show you something very special to me grandson. Are you ready for it?”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

“Are you pure of heart and mind?”

“Yes! Yes! Grandfather!”

“Are you willing to take this secret way with you to the grave.”

“Yes, yes ABSOLUTELY grandfather...”

“Are you...”

“Yes, yes, Grandfather yes. Just show me what's in the bundle!”

Slowly... ever so slowly he opened the bag, and slowly, reverently, he poured 4 small objects into his hand.

This is where my mind went wild! What could they be! Where did they come from?

He opened his heart and his eyes wide, I just simply closed my mind.

The Elder was holding marbles.

He was holding in his hand, looking lovingly at four freaking marbles!

Marbles. One even had a 'made in china' sticker on it.

I couldn't believe my eyes!

I was beginning to think I really had just lost my marbles.

These weren't even old, ancient, hand made marbles... they were dime store marbles....

Argh!

“Grandson I want you to pick out four things you really want in life.”

I get it. One goal for each marble, I get it. This isn't rocket science.

“Grandson, hold on to my sacred marbles and I'll be back when you are finished.”

He actually called them sacred marbles... he didn't even have a special Indian name for them....

My quest for healing and miracles was getting more frustrating by the minute...

I began to wonder if he was even a real Indian... much less a respected chief.

With that he put the marbles, slowly, respectfully, in my hands and walked away, humming something that sounded strangely familiar.

That's it?

Hold onto the sacred marbles and figure out what I want?

Okay....

What do I want...

I want a nice car. My 1988 chevy truck wasn't looking so hot anymore. And a cassette player that didn't eat up my Hendrix tapes sure would be nice.

Okay I know what to do. I did goal setting with Tony Robberts before.

I want a 1993, Series 3 BMW.... black in color....

I want to own 4 single family houses... 3 of them income producing properties.... one of them for me to live in.

I was tired of paying rent. I wanted to be real estate millionaire like that late night informercial guy!

Next! I want to open up a full time kung fu school. I want to train adults, and kids in a way that changes their lives in amazing ways...

I want $10,000 a month coming into my checking account. And $100,000 in my savings.

As soon as I am done writing down in my journal the list of my 4 official wants, and the dates beside them... and a few notes on how to make them happen, Tony Robbino taught me well.... the rambling old Indian strolled back into camp listening to a cassette player with over

sized headsets....

It sounded a lot like Jimmi Hendrix. Purple haze.... for some reason.... Hey, that's what he was humming earlier.

I wanted to show him my list, I was so excited. The elder, the old man, Grandfather, well he cold have cared less.

“But grandfather, didn't you want me to do this?”

“Yes.... and I bet you have done this before.”

“Yes grandfather, I even went the extra mile... even though you didn't ask me to, I wrote down specifically what I wanted, when I would have it by. and my initial steps to get me closer to getting them.”

“Bullpoop! Bullpoop! Bullpoop!”

That's all he wold say.

“Bullpoop!”

“Grandson. Let me tell you a story....”

“First you need to remember, you need to be a bull once in a while and you do need to poo poo too. You need to be a bull and keep your target in mind. You also need to let go of what is no longer useful.”

Okay... I do wish I knew what he was getting to... just a tiny bit...

As the day wore on... and I tried to figure out what he meant he pulled out his bag of pick em up sticks again....

This time he lined them all up in a row....

The old man had is sticks in a row.

(Isn't that special?)

Maybe this is when it would get fun.

He had four little sticks... all in a row... and hollered for me to pay attention.

“Grandson... what's missing?”

What's missing? How the heck would I know?

“Grandson, give me my marbles!”

At that point he asked me, which of my wants was the first one I wanted to accomplish, which one was most important to me NOW.

I told him the car. He took a marble and placed it in the gap between the first two sticks. Now it looked like the marble was connecting the first two sticks.

“Here is your car, Grandson!”

Boy this was getting exciting...

Then he asked what my second most important want was...

“Money in the bank”, I said.

He put the second marble between the next two sticks.

“Money in the bank, here it is Grandson!”

You can guess what happened next.

Two more wants two more marbles.

In just a few moments.... he had four sticks... and four marbles out on the ground in front of me in a neat little row.

“Grandson, when you work toward your first marble you are walking on the first log.”

He pointed to the first stick, his eyes twinkled, and he gave me an easy, soft smile. His fingers made the motion of walking on his pick up stick, toward the first marble.

“Your life now is NOT scattered, your life is organized, it is directed. You have a nice neat plan to get you to your marble, you walk the log everyday, doing the work it takes to get closer to the next marble.”

Okay...

Sounds familiar...

This IS how I got my black belts...

I deliberately put the target in my mind. Then I moved closer to the target everyday, by taking deliberate and specific action.

This IS how I got my first decent paying jobs...

I deliberately put the target in your mind. Then I moved closer to the target everyday by taking deliberate and specific action.

This IS how I....

I get it. I see the target, and I take action. Been there, done that.

And now, here I was learning how entire life could be explained away with special sticks and not so shiny marbles.

“This walking the log, is the secret to life, lived by those who live in the camp of The Directed. Grandson you have been in two camps so far. The Camp of the Scattered... and the Camp of the Directed.”

“The Camp of the Scattered can be exciting or boring. It is definitely a

camp of alternating periods of activity and of rest. Unfortunately not much ever seems to get accomplished. That is why it's sticks are scattered.”

“When you were younger, you decided that the Camp of the Scatterd was not for you. You left the camp of the scattered, you learned from your elders, and moved to the camp of the directed.”

“This is why, you have also accomplished many great things.”

“You have your black belts which are important to you.”

“You survived being taken prisoner and hostage.”

“You have won trophies and you have won the hearts of the ladies....”

(How did he know all that?)

“Grandson, you have accomplished all of this, by living in the Camp of the Directed.”

Deep inside I wanted to ask, so what's the problem, because it is a proven system that works.

“Grandson do you know what the problem is with the camp of the directed?”

Suddenly it hit me.

“Grandfather, the problem with the camp of the directed is that you have to keep from losing your marbles!”

(My sense of humor amazed even me.)

“And how do you know you are losing your marbles, Grandson?”

“I get stressed out! When I get stuck, focused entirely on getting to my next target, to getting more marbles, I get stressed out...I get loopy...”

“And you miss out on smelling the flowers too.”

He was right, often when I was meeting or exceeding my goals, I would miss out on smelling the flowers.

Suddenly he picked up the sticks again and dropped them back into a small pile.

UREKA!

That was my life!

I was on target! I was taking action, moving forward, I was achieving, I was getting my marbles! I was stressed out before the riot, but I was still doing whatever it would take. I was walking my logs, getting my marbles. Accomplishing my goals, living life with energy, focus and direction.

Then someone, something happened. Where did all my sticks go? What happened to my marbles?

I was attacked, beaten, taken hostage and....

The marbles didn't mean much anymore. My whole world was turned upside down. I was back in the Camp of the Scattered, once again.

“Grandson, when you become focused on the marbles, you begin to think you run the world. This obsession can become a huge mistake, and ruin your entire life.”

“When you become a Chief in the Camp of the Directed, you don't walk, you actually begin to run down your logs, you gobble up your marbles faster and faster.”

“You do accomplish great things, when you are a Chief in the Camp of the Directed.”

“However, at anytime something out of the blue can pick up the sticks... and you end up in a pile of rubble... You have excelled by living in The Camp of the Directed, and everyone who lives in the Camp of the Directed is subject to returning again to the Camp of the Scattered. This happens in times of war, death, trauma.”

Okay... he was wise... so now what...

LESSON 3: The Camp of the Zero Chiefs

“Grandson, there is more camp, there is the third camp, The Camp of the Zero Chiefs.”

“This Camp of the Zero Chiefs is one which you know nothing about, you don't even know that it exists, but this is the Camp you currently seek.”

“Everyone who lived in the camp of the Zero Chiefs was a Chief. The Zero Chiefs, are the men and women who learned and lived the Science of Miracles.”

“They knew how to live, they danced with and were supported by the universe. They learned how to live, so they were walking miracles. Being exactly where they needed to be... doing exactly what hey needed to do.”

“They lived at a level of flow and harmony that their dreams and visions would come true, as they enjoyed the dance, and played the play of life. They lived at a level of flow and harmony so that their play and dance put them where they needed to be, doing exactly what they needed to do so that the dreams, goals and visions of others came true too.”

Okay... I'm hooked. I want to be a zero chief. Forget the BMW, the kung fu school, and the money in the bank too...

I want IN!

“All Prospective Zero chiefs had to know the Way Of The Warrior first. They had to be trained in how to Enter the Octagon. The old man dangled two skeleton keys in front of me and giggled.”

“All prospective Zero Chiefs had to know the Medicine Man Way next. They had to learn how to Release,and how to Accept the awesome unexpected powers and responsibilities that were theirs and theirs alone. Two more keys, lots of giggling.”

“A tiny bit of sage thrown on the fire.”

“All prospective Zero Chiefs had to become Shadows. They needed to

learn how to hold the invisible. To become the support, the structure for the invisible.“

At this point I was confused, no new keys were dangled by the silly elder, but what the heck, this sounded like fun!

“Tomorrow Grandson, your training in The Way of The Warrior begins. You will have the opportunity to get the first two keys....”

I don't remember what else he said.

I don't remember sleeping a wink that night. Zero. I do remember thinking, and dreaming, that I could become a Zero Chief.

Ahh...

LESSON 4: Way of The Warrior

A warrior called Hawk came into camp the following morning. He was a young man who was very fit, looked mean as a junk yard dog, and had a very peculiar way about himself.

I had been told that my warrior training would be brief, since I was already an accomplished black belt, full contact fighter, and ex cop.

Good, I had hoped this wouldn't take long. Maybe a few hours or so, let me prove how good I am.

The next 3 days were frustrating to say the least.

The old man had Hawk “training” me between four and eight hours a day. From what I could tell all we were doing was a very frustrating version of slap boxing.

Every time I went to hit Hawk, he hit me first.

It looked like he was moving in slow motion. Almost no motion. Yet he kept hitting me easily, effortlessly, often. And giggling. What's with all the giggling.

Once in a while I would score on Hawk.... but even then... he seemed happy.

I wasn't having much fun. I didn't giggle much. Maybe I would be happier, AFTER I wore him down and starting scoring.

It seemed to me that I was being tested. And I didn't know how to pass the test.

It was on the fourth day of this silly spiritual slap boxing, that the break through came.

I didn't care anymore if I passed the test. I didn't' care if he hit me.

I was just thankful to be here. It was nice to get away from the “normal” life I had, I was resting well, and I was feeling better.

I had some great stories... played with some marbles and did some pick up sticks...

I was thankful... I was giggling at the cosmic joke that put me here.

Then I hit him. Right between the eyes. I didn't mean to, I didn't try to, I just noticed how good I felt, and how easily he got hit.

I hit Hawk just as he began to move. I continued to hit him for the rest of the afternoon. Easily. Effortlessly. Often.

We both Giggled. We both laughed. He reached inside his deerskin shirt, and tossed me the first two keys.

I was thankful that he moved, I was thankful that I hit him. I was thankful that he was so committed to hitting me. Because when he went to hit me... he was open.

The opening happened when he attacked me.

Somehow, it seemed as if I had found the elusive opening to the Octagon.

I was holding the first two Sacred Keys.

Then he hit me, I didn't drop the keys. We both giggled. I was thankful.

That night by the fire, after a meal fit for a king, the elder congratulated me.

“You have the first two keys. Grandson, you have found the opening and you have entered into the octagon.”

“The opening you have found is the first key. Be thankful.”

“No mater what is happening... no matter what you think is happening.... be thankful.”

“Being thankful has taken you to a completely new realm of speed.”

“Being thankful has removed the heavyness that made you slow, boring, and stale.”

“Being thankful has liberated your inner speed, now you strike like an lightning bolt.”

“Grandson you have also learned without knowing... you have learned the second key to the Octagon.”

The Second Key is Playfulness.

“At first, you were so serious about hitting Hawk, so serious about getting your Warrior Training done and over with, hat you couldn't have fun, you couldn't relax and enjoy, you couldn't hit Hawk. You moved like an old woman, and were breathing like a frog in heat.”

(I don't have a clue what that means, a frog in heat. If you do, let me know.)

“Hawk was dangling the keys in front of you. Hawk was showing you the keys. Hawk was living right in front of your eyes the first two keys of the octagon. The warrior keys of being thankful and playful.”

It's true... it seemed like he was just playing.... the keys.... Thankful and playful were now mine. Mine to remember, mine to share.

Now grandson just remember the keys only will work if you put them in the lock, and let them turn you.

He giggled...

I went to sleep.

LESSON 5: The Medicine Man Way

Morning and Marloboros came way to early. My body was tired, achy, and yet I longed for more. If only I had taken much better care of myself. Instead of living for three years on the six pack a day diet.

I was sitting by the fire, beating myself up when the old man walked up and tossed me the bundle of sticks. “Lay them out on the ground grandson. Make them look like a square.”

“Remember the first two camps grandson.”

“The Camp of The Scattered has the sticks in a pile, pointing no where and everywhere at the same time. You will be active and you will rest in the Camp of The Scattered. But you won't accomplish much...”

“The Camp of The Directed has the sticks in a line. Set up so you learn to walk the log – do the work, to get to the next marble. This is the camp where you make things happen. Results are your responsibility. In this camp you get things done, sometimes you even benefit the next 7 generations. But crazyness begins, when you begin to think you are the cause of everything good in your life. If you have to be the cause of anything, you have to become the cause of everything. That's too big of

a job for me and to big of a job for you.”

“The Third Camp – The Camp of the Zero Chiefs is laid out in an Octagon. To keep it simple, we will start with a loose square.”

“The top stick holds the Key of Thankfulness. This is where you enter the camp. It is associated with Sacred Tobacco, the Eagle, and the East.”

“The bottom stick holds the Key of Playfulness. It is associated with Sage, the Bear, and the West. Play nurtures you and those around you. These two sticks are the first two keys to the Camp of the Zero Chiefs.”

“You need two more Keys - sticks to define the SIZE of your camp grandson.” “Those are these two sticks on the sides. The first one we will explore today, as we explore your medicine, is the stick on the right. This right handed stick is the stick of Release.”

“As I walked up to the fire today you were lost in your mind. You didn't even feel me coming.”

He was right... I was lost inside my mind beating myself up. How could I have been so out of it.

“Grandson! Listen Grandson, when you go inside and beat yourself up, like you just were now, you cut yourself off from noticing and accepting the flow of all that is, the spirit that moves within all. Releasing, is the power of forgiving in the present.”

“Forgiving in the present?” (I was mildly confused, and let him know.)

“Once you release the need to notice the bad you have done, or notice the bad others have done, you begin to notice that you could only do the best you could do at the time. You drank alcohol because you drank alcohol. (How did he know that?) You were hurt by those who thought hurting you would help both them and others. You both were mistaken. It was part of the plan, part of your path”

“You both were mistaken Grandson, but neither of you was wrong. Realize that you always do the best you can do, just like everyone else,

and that you are always learning to REALEASE, let go, and REALIZE – NOTICE more. Release and let go, so you can notice more.”

“But grandfather, how do I do that, you make it seem so easy?”

“It's simple Grandson, just be thankful for your folly, be thankful for your foolishness, be thankful that you notice how silly and how foolish you can be. All while you intend to do the right thing.”

I was excited, almost falling over! “And I'll then be able to be thankful for the mistakes of others, and I won't have to make them wrong, and then....”

“And then Grandson you'll be able to become playful, when you would have attacked them in your mind because they were wrong, you will have compassion for them being mistaken.”

And with that, handed me the next key of The Octagon, the Key of The South. He smiled gently, and walked off again... humming a tune that sounded so familiar.

Today was a break through day for me. I felt more present and alive than ever before. I had discovered that being mistaken was a natural way of being. We do the best we can, make the best decisions we can, with the limited data we have.

And that's okay. Miracles and movement happens, when we use this key of the South, Release, and allow ourselves to notice more. Life was changing, my life was changing, little did I know how powerful these lessons would become. Sleep came easily. So did my dreams. It was later in the week that I would learn and receive the next key, the Power of Acceptance.

LESSON 6: The Visitor and The Power of Acceptance

The next few days were a breeze. Hawk stopped by at least once a day to do some spiritual slap boxing.

My mind was unusually quiet, and I felt so much more at peace, since I no longer felt any need to attack myself or others for being wrong, I felt so much compassion for everyone, since we all could be mistaken.

My how my life had shifted. Released.

I was getting hungry, and wondering why Grandfather didn't have Hawk didn't bring food for us, when suddenly I saw her walking up, the visitor.

She stopped, and was just standing in the middle of our camp. Totally at peace, when she should have been screaming in pain. The young deer wondered into camp, her leg was obviously broken. Where was Grandfather when such a beautiful creature needed his help.

The arrow entered into her swiftly and silently. The eyes told the story. Right in front of me this beautiful creature was dying. Suddenly, right beside us was the the old man. I didn't see him all morning because he was invisible. He was camouflaged in perfectly. Invisible just feet from me and hawk. How could I have not seen him.

Ready and waiting. He had Accepted his role this morning. So had our visitor. He held her close, and gave thanks while spirit left her body.

I stood there in shock. Not completely understanding what had just happened, not realizing that my lesson in the Power of Acceptance had begun.

LESSON 7: More Medicine Man Training

There is nothing like the smell of fresh deer meat cooking.

So I asked him.

“Grandfather, how did you know, where to be to get the deer?”

“I didn't. All I knew, Grandson, was that I had to camouflage up and blend in with the trail by the edge of camp.”

“How did you know THAT?”

“I didn't even know that. I just followed my Inner Vision, I just allowed myself to accept the gifts.”

He sat in silence, with the look in his eyes that he had when giving thanks. “You see grandson, I didn't know how I was going to teach you the Power of Acceptance today. I didn't know where the food was to come from. I didn't know ANYTHING...except that I had to do three things, so that we could get to step four, Acceptance.”

“First, I had to be THANKFUL. I was thankful that I didn't know about when the lesson would start, where the food for camp would come from, or why I had to camoflauge up and hide next to you and Hawk on the edge of camp. I had to be thankful for what I still didn't understand, while listening to the spirit within.”

“Second, I had to be PLAYFUL. Sneaking around, being invisible, playing with you and Hawk for the past few days, as I was drawn to by spirit..”

Earlier that week in his “absense”, Grandfather had stolen our water, tied our shoe strings together, and caused tiny little outbreaks of mischief between me and hawk. Our spiritual slap boxing became a little serious for a while. No points, no giggles, no fun.

“Third, Grandson, I had to RELEASE and let go of all that I knew, I had to forgive the appearance of lack, so that substance could come to us. (I was learning another level of releasing...) I had to do all of that... so that I could be ACCEPTING to the flow, the abundance and the wealth given

to us, today through the teaching and through the young deer.”

“The young deer, sometime the day before had hurt her leg, and soon would have become a dinner for an anonymous coyote. Instead she became a huge lesson in my life, and a meal and supplies for us.”

Okay. Maybe the old guy knew his stuff. All I knew was that my head was spinning and I was glad to have some dinner soon.

LESSON 8: Where are YOUR marbles?

So far, Grandfather had taught me some very transformative lessons in life. Basic lessons that in earlier times had been shared with the children, using children's toys and storytelling.

You could explore them for the rest of your life. You could share these with your children.

You have a tremendous opportunity to use your power of choice, not to choose what you want to own in life, but to choose how you live your life.

You can live in the Camp of The Scattered. Having your life and your sticks pointed in every which direction. In this camp you don't even know marbles exist.

You can live in the Camp of the Directed. Forcing change, working hard to move from point to point to point, walking from marble to marble to marble.

Goal setting and goal getting works, but you often have to work really hard to get to where you want to be in life. And you get to develop the illusion that you are in charge and the cause of all that is good.

If you live with that illusion, sooner or later you get knocked off your sticks, and get to go back to the camp of the scattered.

Here is the choice you could make today, the choice that will transform your life, and the lives of generations to come.

You could choose to begin to live as a Zero Chief.

You can use these four sacred powers, to construct and experience a deep sacred space around you.

LESSON 9: Sacred Space - Miracles

Marbles are tiny gifts from heaven. Marbles represent what you want in life, or getting something far better, miracles that drop in out of the blue.

So Grandfather taught us the way of the Zero Chiefs. We constructed our loose square out of our sticks. Four sticks forming a loose box that was to be our sacred space. I just didn't get where my wants my marbles came in. I guess he could tell, like usually could, when he walked up to me and began...

“Let me tell you a fable grandson. Once there was a young man, who was learning the ways of the Octagon. He was to become a great Zero Chief. But first, he had to live in all the camps, so that he would have compassion for the people.”

“He became accomplished in many things. He knew the power of hunting. Knowing your target and doing what it took to get you close enough to bring dinner home.”

“And yet, war came to the people his leg and his spirit was broken and his entire world was shaken up, and turned upside down.”

(Know I know why the old man walked with a stick. He was sharing with me HIS story. He was sharing how he had to experience the Camp of The Scattered before he could become a Zero Chief)

“Gandson, As I learned to be Thankful, and Playful a new sense of speed came back into my life. My body began to heal, my mind began to clear.”

“As I learned to Release and Accept I began to understand that letting go was the fastest way to receive what was right in front of us all along.”

“Then there came the day when the inner conflict came. The day when I realized I still had some wants. I didn't want to just get by with what spirit gave to me. “I wanted some of the nice things that my friends and family had. That's when my marbles showed up.”

Marbles....

“You see grandson.... without any focus, without any marbles, you don't have any chance of being a good hunter. A good hunter knows he needs a target, and he needs to know his target intimately. This is the way of the second camp.”

“The Zero Chiefs live a little differently. They realize that they don't choose their goals, dreams, or visions. The Zero Chiefs realize that their marbles, their “targets”, choose them.”

Okay, now I was confused. And it must have shown.

“Grandson, where does this dream of having a kung fu school, a BMW, a bank account come from?”

“That's easy,” I said. My goals come from my mind. They come from me.”

“Grandson, like this stream, where does the goal, the dream begin? Where did that idea come from?”

“It just showed up. It was always there”, I insisted.

“Always?” (Now I felt like I was sitting again with Richard Bandler, the founder of NLP... but that's another book and another story...)

“Well, not always, but, Grandfather those ideas just showed up!”

“Exactly, the ideas, the ideas that inspired you to take action, the kung fu school, the black belts, they all just showed up and they felt GOOD. Right Grandson?”

“Yes!”

“The inspired ideas come from the divine. grandson!”

They come out of the blue!

(Yes! I got it! )

“And Grandson, if the ideas come out of the blue... then how those ideas come into this reality also comes out of the blue.”

The old man dropped FOUR marbles into my little loose square.

I fell over. Now I understood.

“Grandson, it is your function to be Thankful, to be Playful, to Release and to Accept.”

“Do this at all times, this is the warrior way. Do this at all times you will open up your space. Do this and you will create THE FOUNDATION for your octagon. Do this and the marbles will drop in from the sky.”

“You play within your sacred space.... carrying it with you at all times, exploring it while you hunt, while you play, while you write, while you teach while you do everything, and marbles will drop in from out of the blue.”

“So Grandfather, why do we still have to work?”

“Yes, we still have to work, we still have to explore all that life has to offer us. But no longer will you work to make things happen. Marbles, miracles will appear as you work, as you play, as you explore,

experience and appreciate all that life is around you.”

“You will visit the Camp of the Scattered and the Camp of the Directed again. No longer will they trap you. No longer will you be stuck there. You will experience your miracles contribute to the miracles of others.”

“You grandson are now zero.”

Afterword:

This book is devoted to the major sides , the four keys of the octagon, the arena which you explore while becoming a Zero Chief.

There are four more sides, the Shadow Sides of The Octagon. These are the sides, the sticks, the keys that turn the four sided square into the eight sided octagon.

The shadow sides, the diagonals must be explored in person, during small group trainings or one on one apprenticeships.

The shadows, the diagonals are easy to list, but difficult to explore deeply and quickly on your own. Because you need an elder, you need a Zero Chief to help you experience them in new ways and at new levels than you previously have.

The Shadow sides of the Octagon are: Peaceful Presence, Joyful Adventure, Power of Perspective, and Power of Law - Willing to See.

They sound easy. They are like shadows because they come and go so quick, and exploring them must happen coyote style. Coyote teaching helps you to notice when you don't have them, where you currently think you do.

Coyote teaching is mentoring at it's best. The thing most like you, and most able to teach you is another human being. This book is NOT a human being – it is a path to you finding one that you can mentor with and learn from.

Part II - The Octagon Owners Manual

You will be learning in this reference section the Top, Bottom, Right Side, and Left side of THE OCTAGON. Imagine a SQUARE. You are learning the sides of a square here. You are learning this them in the traditional teaching order.

The ANGLED sides of the Octagon – are best learned ORALLY, by a live teacher. We will invite you to work with us on those, at the end of this book.

Another thing to keep in mind while learning, is that the Native American compass has EAST on top, WEST on the bottom, SOUTH on the right hand side, and NORTH on the left.

In live trainings, we will explore why this is so, how it is the way of nature, and how this also shows up in your physical body and neurology. This is vital to explore, if you want to learn the ancient teachings, so that you get the most from them, and so that they are preserved with integrity.

Here are the major sides, the Octagon Keys for you to explore.

Octagon Key #1: The Power of Thanksgiving

The TOP power of the octagon. The ENTRACE.

Think visionaries, artists, and creatives here. Smoke some tobacco. Tobacco carries our prayers of thanksgiving and our intent to all that is.

Look to the East. Look up. See in your mind the Eagle flying high.

When do you not experience thankfulness? What happens when you choose to be thankful?

An exercise that reactivates your “thank you” sense organ, is to write down a list every day of 10 things you are thankful for.

Ten is the magical number of increase. It is said that is why we have TEN fingers. Ten is also the first number that has ZER0 built into it.

Thankfulness increases VALUE, just like putting a ZERO after a one increases the value, by turning a 1 into a 10, and how another ZERO turns a 10 into a 100. Keep going!

Octagon Key #2: The Power of Playfulness

The BOTTOM layer, the supportive power of the Octagon.

Think kids and young moms here. Look down toward the earth, the traditional direction of the West. Burn some sage. Sage has an energy of sacred holding. Allow yourself to be playfully held in a way that nurtures you. Imagine the mama bear, nurturing and teaching her cubs through play.

Kids learn so much so fast when they are playing, when they are playful. Learning is state dependent, and is greatly improved when we PLAY and EXPLORE what we want to learn and nurture inside our minds.

Think about this, kids can learn a language when they don't even know a language. So what do we do, we put them in a serious school, and years later, we attempt to teach them a second language, seriously. And after 4 years they still can't speak it well, or have fun with it.

I do know a few words in Spanish, and a number of Chinese and Korean words. The words I know are the ones I can have fun with. I remember them because they are fun.

When was the last time you really had fun?

When was the last time you brought fun to work?

How else could you do nurture more fun in your life?

Exercise: Where are you too serious, not having enough fun? Take a few moments to notice people who are having fun where you haven't been. Take a few seconds to consider how you would perceive the world differently if you were having much more playfulness and fun showing up?

Write out what you notice. Do it in the space below and then go out and play.

Octagon Key #3: The Power of Release

The RIGHT hand side – power of the octagon.

Look to the right, the traditional direction of the South. See and Imagine life as an Innocent – Trusting mouse. Burn a little cedar. Cedar invites movement.

Explore your world. Get outside more. Get dirty. Discover what is out there, discover what you've missed.

It's a very big world, and our eyes and ears are only a few inches apart from each other. So get moving, get grooving, and discover more about you and your world.

Stop defending, stop attacking, stop going to war. Once you no longer have to waste time and energy defending what “you know”, you can discover how much more we are here to learn. Become infinitely curious, like a little mouse.

Release yourself from your opinions, your thoughts, your beliefs. Think less! Touch more. Be more curious. If you choose not to be more curious, you will ignore data. Ignoring data leads to poor decisions. Be curious.

Choosing to ignore the world doesn't make you bad, it does limit your possibilities, your paycheck and your ability to give. This brings us to the twin powers: Education and Awareness. The elder held education and awareness both in very high esteem. He held them in such high esteem that he called them the Parents of Release!

When you apprentice with an elder you can learn from them what they know, while experiencing how they notice the world. But you can't do either until you become curious enough to seek an elder.

Part of the process of release is realizing that you are giving up a known, knowing they are wrong for example, and letting go of that so you can notice more and discover a better way to live, love and process the wealth in the world, and accept the inspiration of the divine.

Octagon Key #4: The Power of Acceptance

The LEFT HAND side of the octagon.

Think Worker and Hunter here. Burn some Sweetgrass to honor the elders. Accept the wisdom of those who have been here for longer than you have. See the Buffalo, standing out on the prairie, having no where to hide, facing confidently into the storm.

Acceptance is all about the unknown. You have your marbles. They are divine inspirations. You don't know where they came from, you don't know how they will evolve, you don't know how they will manifest.

Take my kung fu school that I wanted so dearly for example. When I wanted to open up a kung fu school that was how I knew to help people. It was a known.

I got to discover that it's almost impossible to run a full time kung fu school where I lived in Pennsylvania. I had to allow this divine inspiration to evolve.

Today I run workshops and courses across the United States, and from my home in Australia. And I have sold products to eager happy clients all over the world. I am changing the world through these teachings, but first I had to allow the divine vision to evolve, and take me where I needed to go..

The vision evolved while I went along on my day to day work, buying courses from people on the internet to help me at my job at the time, direct sales, and suddenly it hit me. I have a valuable message to share, so I started sharing it “in a new way”.

Since I was buying cd's and dvd's, I realized one day, that I too could sell cd's and dvd's. This was an unknown world to me, marketing products and courses on the internet.

Now we are using this same experience to move into the unknown and produce the Zero Chief trainings, courses, books and recordings,

The Eight Sides of the Octagon.

In this book you have learned the FOUNATION of the octagon. The sides of the box. Straight across the top and bottom, straight up and down on the sides. Just adding them into your life will transform your life.

Remember though, the angles – the shadow sides of the Octagon must be experienced and explored in person – to get the complete teaching.

You have experienced parts them already in life, but you need to also experience noticing where you think you have them but they are missing. That's where the Wisdom Teachings come in to place.

Right top diagonal: The Way of Peace and Presence.Right bottom diagonal: The Way of Adventure and Joy.Left bottom diagonal: The Power of Perspective.Left top diagonal: The Power of Law - Willing to See.

It took me 4 years of private trainings to get The Angles of The Octagon.I was told after eight more years of personally exploring them, to take them to the world.

So...

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Email us at: 2020@exhostage.com

Thank you for being a reader, and for reading our works. If you want to continue on this path, we are here for you. Reach out. Your life has led you to this point in time, to reading this page in this book. I suspect there is a reason why. Looking forward.

In gratitude and thankfulness,

Mr Twenty Twenty

Mr Twenty Twenty is the man who survived the Camp Hill Prison riots, and went on to study NLP, Native Wisdom, survival, living, and healing skills full time starting at the age of 23. He is now living in Victoria, Australia – and preparing to teach and train full time.

Marbles and Miracles is a semi fictional account of some of his early training experiences and life shifts. It has been a pleasure sharing it with you.

Contact him at 2020@exhostage.com or zeropointdynamics@gmail.com for more information, classes, or sessions. Thank you.