Life Power Now - for gay men

Our lives are rarely constant and much more often dynamic and fluid. Keeping your head above water and not loose sight of your goal can be difficult at times. Read on for proven advice on how to keep your cool.

Embracing change

At times I have thrived on change and at other times I have struggled mightily against it and clung to shreds of old views and habits that had long outlived their use. I used to think that I just had to get "there", just had to get "it" to get finally started with life. Of course there was always another "there" to go to and another "it" to get.
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Make a plan

You might be reading this section because you are mildly dissatisfied with your life, believe that you can/should do better, or you might be desperately looking for a way out. Whether it is a relationship, financial troubles, stressful/lack of work, loneliness, or a combination of all of them, I believe it is best to have a plan.
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Build your team

Every January untold numbers of men, exhausted from the holidays and filled with the best intentions sign up for a gym membership, buy the miracle work-out gadget, or start that new wonder-diet. So why aren’t we all in great shape, have money to spare and the jobs we love? The answer, of course, is that it is much easier to whip out the credit card than to jump on that treadmill, skip that snack, or save those dollars week after week. While you can get started by yourself, most men can't keep up the motivation and stick to a plan all by themself. This is where, like any athlete or professional, you need your support team.
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Books to get started

Who Moved My Cheese?
by Spencer Johnson
Easy to read in under one hour. I read it the first time in the bookstore before buying it. A great little tale about finding “new and maybe even better cheese” in the maze of life. Perhaps you too can join Haw in putting on your metaphorical running shoes, laugh, and announce to yourself: “It's... Maze... time!” rather than hanging around with Hem waiting for “the old cheese” to reappear.

How to Survive the Loss of a Love
by Melba Colgrove, Harold Bloomfield & Peter McWilliams
An excellent literary first aid kit for dealing with loss that almost always accompanies or precedes change. Whether you deal with obvious losses such as death or a break-up, not-so-obvious losses such a move, the loss of a cherished goal, or limbo losses such as waiting for a test result, or lovers after a fight, it is a great book to have on your book shelve. For now, keep in mind the advice from the first aid page: “You will get better. No doubt about it. The healing process has a beginning, a middle and an end. Keep in mind, at the beginning, that there is an end. It's not far off. You will heal.”

When Things Fall Apart – Heart Advice for Difficult Times
by Pema Chödrön.
Whether your spiritual tradition includes elements of Buddhism or not, here are 22 brief, heartfelt, endlessly applicable meditations on life. I think the author herself gives the best introduction to her highly enjoyable writing style on existential issues: “Although it was before I had heard any Buddhist teachings, it was what some would call a genuine spiritual experience. It happened when my husband told me he was having an affair. I remember the sky and how huge it was. I remember the sound of the river and the steam rising up from my tea. There was no time, no thought, there was nothing – just the light and the profound, limitless stillness. Then I regrouped and picked up a stone and threw it at him.”

More books.