I don't have hobbies as I define the term. However, here are some of my favorite non-work activities:

Movies, selective TV, dining out, computer activities, discussion groups, theater, concerts, dance performances, exchanging massages, touching and holding, heart communication, reading, learning, growing and awakening, walking, making love, whitewater rafting, sports, hot tubbing, weekends away, traveling near and far, exploring new places, museums, etc.

Movies with themes related to spirituality, relationships, and personal growth. Some of my favorites are What the Bleep Do We Know!?, The Secret, Sleepless in Seattle, Resurrection, Contact, Crossing Delancey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, When Harry Met Sally, Field of Dreams, Into the West, The Horse Whisperer, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Chariots of Fire, Don Juan DeMarco, The Notebook, The Dark Crystal, Rudy, It’s a Wonderful Life, Defending Your Life, Cocoon, Powder, Forrest Gump, Groundhog Day, Whale Rider, Seabiscuit, Mindwalk, Happyness, Elizabethtown, Pan’s Labyrinth, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Meet John Doe, Finding Nemo, Annie Hall, American Graffiti, Casablanca, Bridges of Madison County, Music from the Heart, You’ve Got Mail, The Empire Strikes Back, and Gandhi. I don't like violence, explosions, car chases, action-adventure, or sophomoric humor.

Songs with lyrics that mean something important to me, music that touches my heart, spiritual music, soft rock, New Age, folk, meditation music, country, oldies ('50s/'60s/'70s), soft jazz, show tunes, classical, more

Non-fiction books: Spirituality, relationships, personal growth, psychology. Examples of favorites: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks, Ask and It Is Given by Esther Hicks, A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, Building Your Field of Dreams by Mary Manin Morrissey, Loving What Is by Byron Katie, A Course in Miracles, The Heartmath Solution by Doc Childre and Howard Martin, The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav, Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by God? by Margaret Paul, Nonviolent Communication; a Language of Compassion by Marshall Rosenberg, The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz, Love and Betrayal by John Amodeo, Dare to Be Yourself by Alan Cohen, Illusions by Richard Bach, Enchanted Love by Marianne Williamson, Real Love by Greg Baer, Real Love in Marriage by Greg Baer, The Conscious Heart by Kathlyn & Gay Hendricks, Conscious Loving by Gay & Kathlyn Hendricks, If the Buddha Dated by Charlotte Kasl, If the Buddha Married by Charlotte Kasl, The Unimaginable Life by Kenny & Julia Loggins, Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach, The Right to Write by Julia Cameron.

Fiction Books: Books with a theme related to spirituality, relationships, and/or personal growth. Some science fiction. Examples of favorites: 2150 A.D. by Thea Alexander, The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You by Dorothy Bryant, The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, and the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

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In addition to all the things I've already mentioned? I'll think about it.

Activities I dislike doing: anything that involves heights (flying, sky-diving, parasailing, etc.), more to come...

Foods I dislike: raw or stewed tomatoes (but I like tomato sauce – go figure), tomato soup, eggs (in any recognizable form), butter, margarine, milk, cream, peanut butter (but I like peanuts), beets, oysters, clams (except fried), mussels, escargot (snails), creamed vegetables, bananas, menudo

What irritates me (or worse): lying, stealing, rape, people who don’t care to learn, pushy people, people hurting other people, cruelty, bullying, any form of abuse, people who smoke in the presence of others who don’t, heavy drinking, driving under the influence, consistent negativity, hostility, bigotry, self-centeredness, reckless driving, people who are inconsiderate of others, judgmental people, people who get angry easily, people who are overly focused on money, women who want to be taken care of financially by a man, people who are controlling, physical aggression, violence of any kind, people advocating war, people who think their way is the only way

What scares me: heights, flying, having my arms trapped behind me, someone I love being missing, being attacked by someone I love, reckless drivers, people who want to hurt me, well-made and written horror films

Who I Am:

The most important things in life to me are following Spirit without hesitation, awakening spiritually, actualizing more of who I really am, learning to easily create reality consciously, making a positive difference in the lives of other people and in the world, giving and receiving genuine love, creating and maintaining a magnificent long-term intimate relationship, and fulfilling my life’s purpose.

I’m a Cultural Creative, an adult Indigo, a former hippie/folkie who still holds a lot of values from my hippie/folkie past, a male feminist, an INFP on the Myers-Briggs, a true introvert who sometimes acts like an extravert, a type 4 on the Enneagram, a Highly Sensitive Person, an unusually intelligent man, and occasionally a comedian. A good part of the time I’m looking either outside the box or else inside myself for answers. In other words, I’m not a run of the mill, every day guy. I don’t share much of Middle American consciousness or values and am proud of being unconventional.

Other people usually think I'm 10 or 15 years younger than my chronological age and are amazed that I'm not in my 40s. I usually feel like I'm even younger than that. I believe that age is just a number anyway and that we’re as old as our consciousness is.

My spirituality is a central part of my life, and I’ve consciously been on a spiritual path since I was very young. The interfaith spiritual path I follow includes mysticism, Eckhart Tolle/The Power of Now, Abraham-Hicks, New Thought (Association for Global New Thought, Unity, Religious Science, etc.), A Course in Miracles, Conversations with God, Buddhism, Sufism, Unitarian Universalism, and more. I find something I like in nearly every spiritual path.

I practice my spirituality by ministering, using the Law of Attraction and consciously creating, contributing to others, asking for guidance and following it, attending to my intuition and to synchronicity, meditating, praying for myself and others, doing my inner work, being kind and compassionate, attending spiritual classes and workshops, attending New Thought churches, attending other spiritual activities, reading spiritual books and articles, writing and speaking about spiritual awakening, recalling the spiritual truth in all circumstances, and more. My entire life is an expression of my spirituality. Even sex is a sacred act for me – one that creates a permanent spiritual bond.

I’m also fascinated by some strains of psychology (especially the more spiritually oriented ones). I’ve been particularly influenced by Transpersonal Psychology, Humanistic Psychology, Inner Bonding, Focusing, HeartMath, Nonviolent (Compassionate) Communication, the Sedona Method, the Work of Byron Katie, Voice Dialogue, the Option Process, and Gestalt Therapy.

My work is an expression of who I am. However, it's not an easy matter to define what my work is (as I said, an expression of who I am). I’m an actor (film, stage, voiceovers, etc.), a spiritual/relationship/life coach, a writer, an educator, an interfaith minister, a public speaker, and a variety of other things. I substitute teach in high school and do a variety of other things as my “day job.”

You can see me working as an actor in “Into the West” (now on DVD), as a collector in "The Lost Room" (played on the SciFi channel in December), as a newspaper reporter in “Bordertown” (coming soon, hopefully), as a man in Austin in “Comanche Moon,” the prequel to “Lonesome Dove” (probably coming November, 2007, on CBS-TV), as a photographer in episode 9 of season 3 of "Wildfire" (coming about April, 2007, on ABC Family channel), as a dancer at a party in "Save Me" (coming 2007), and as a club patron in "Naked Prey" (coming 2007). My acting name is Michael John Gabriel.

Some of my areas of special interest as a coach and workshop presenter are awakening to who we really are; actualizing our potential; relationships, love, intimacy, and sexuality; finding loving relationships; growing through divorce and separation; experiencing abundance in all areas of life; building genuine community; transforming fear into authentic personal power; creativity; writers', artists', and performers' issues; spiritual issues and crises; success and ease in education; and life purpose/mission.

Politically, I think of myself as part of the spiritual left (Network of Spiritual Progressives) and call myself a Green Democrat, though I'm not especially interested in politics. Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich speaks my language. Few politicians do. I'm a long-time peace activist (since the middle ‘60s). In general I tend toward spiritual rather than political approaches to social and world issues.

Physically, I am in an ongoing dance with a neuropathic disorder called Trigeminal Neuralgia. It causes me intermittent severe pain in the right side of my face and head. I’ve had symptoms about half of the time since late 2004. I am in the process of completely healing myself of it (despite what traditional medical opinion is about TN). If you really care to know more, look it up on the internet.

I was spiritually called to Santa Fe, NM, moved here in 2001, and love living here. I'm in my right place, and I'll stay here until I'm spiritually called somewhere else (if that ever happens). In the past I lived in Shawnee Mission, KS, Lawrence, KS, Berkeley, CA, McKinleyville, CA (very briefly), and all over the Seattle/Bellevue, WA area.

I ended an off and on 2+-year relationship in September, 2005, and I'm once again patiently looking for the woman and relationship of my dreams. I love being in relationship, sharing my life with a woman I love, and developing emotional intimacy (when I have the right woman to do that with, of course). If you know someone who might like to meet a man like me, please send her my way. See my description below of the woman of my dreams. I'll be eternally grateful to whomever introduces me to her.

Being a writer by nature, I can (and sometimes do) write prolifically – but only if I get engaged with a topic. I love to tell stories. I have a sense of humor that some people don’t understand without my explaining it (which wrecks it, as far as I’m concerned). And I’m unusually open about myself, in case you haven’t already noticed. On the other hand, I’m very busy and am thus selective about what I get involved in. Often I'm not selective enough, though, and I sometimes overextend myself.


Some of My Other Favorites:

TV: Movies, Grey’s Anatomy, Ghost Whisperer, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Gilmore Girls, Men in Trees, Brothers and Sisters, Wildfire, What about Brian?, Joan of Arcadia, Touched by an Angel, Everwood, Six Feet Under, The L Word, Quantum Leap, Oprah Winfrey, Saturday Night Live, Star Trek: Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, major award shows, some sports

Places: Santa Fe, Taos, Sedona, Flagstaff, Kauai, Maui, Seattle, Berkeley, San Francisco, Pagosa Springs, Durango, Estes Park, Eugene, Ashland, Shawnee Mission (because I grew up there), Vancouver, San Diego, Chaco Canyon, Kalalau Beach, Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Big Sur, Mont Blanc, the Riviera, Yosemite National Park, Firenze (Florence), Rome, Banff National Park, Australia (even though I’ve never been there), New Zealand (even though I’ve never been there), French Polynesia (even though I’ve never been there), Paris (even though I’ve never been there)

Foods: Southwestern, Mexican, most kinds of fish, Italian, Cajun, Thai, Szechuan, Indian, shrimp, garlic, potatoes, black beans, brown rice, bar-b-cue, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, Key lime pie, dark chocolate, chocolate cake with raspberry filling, corn, raw broccoli, raw snap peas, Santa Fe Seeduction bread, bleu cheese, hamburger, filet mignon

6 things I can’t live without: My spiritual connection, love, a computer with internet connection, a car, good movies, sex


Who I Want to Meet and Connect with as Friends:

I'm eager to meet everyone I'm spiritually meant to meet, people who share interests with me - especially people who share more than a few interests, and the woman of my dreams.

More specifically, I'm especially interested in connecting with you here if you have one or more of the following characteristics:

1. I know you in person.

2. Spiritually, you’re involved in one, some, or all of these paths: mysticism, Eckhart Tolle/The Power of Now, Abraham-Hicks, New Thought (Unity, Religious Science, Association for Global New Thought, etc.), A Course in Miracles, Neale Donald Walsch/Conversations with God, Buddhism, Sufism, and/or Unitarian Universalism.

3. You practice some form of the Law of Attraction (Abraham-Hicks, Powerful Intentions, etc.).

4. You’re seriously interested in conscious relationships as described by Eckhart Tolle, Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, Marianne Williamson, John Gottman, Marshall Rosenberg, Greg Baer, Charlotte Kasl, John Welwood, Barry and Joyce Vissell, Stephen and Ondrea Levine, don Miguel Ruiz, Richard Bach, Susan Page, Susan Campbell, Harville Hendrix, David Schnarch, Paul and Layne Cutright, etc.

5. You’re more than casually involved in personal growth and healing - for example, Inner Bonding, Focusing, HeartMath, Nonviolent (Compassionate) Communication, the Sedona Method, Voice Dialogue, the Option Process, Gestalt Therapy, and/or a 12-step program.

6. You enjoy the kinds of movies, theater, and TV that I do – especially spiritual entertainment – more than casually and enjoy discussing them.

7. You’re an actor or involved in film, TV, and/or theater production in some other way.

8. You’re a professional writer, aspire to be one, or have been one.

9. You work as a life coach, a relationship coach, a spiritual coach, and/or a minister.

10. You live in New Mexico, in another place I’ve lived, or in any of the places I’ve listed as favorites.

11. There’s something else about you that captures my interest that I didn’t think of to put in this list.


Here's a description of the woman of my dreams for anyone who is interested:

I’m seeking my spiritual life partner (some would call her my soulmate) - a woman to share real love in a conscious spiritual relationship, spiritual activities, personal growth and healing, heart communication, sexual passion, joyful experience and exploration of living, and true friendship in the context of a magnificent long-term intimate relationship.

I imagine that she, like me, is genuine, exceptionally open and honest, openly self-expressive, affectionate, loving and compassionate, respectful, nonjudgmental, positive-minded, committed to her spiritual life, emotionally fluent, able to be very present, loyal, rarely angry, skilled in finding mutually-satisfying solutions to differences, creative, unconventional, a perpetual learner, intelligent, able to be spontaneous, a people-helper (in some way), committed to equality in our relationship, inclined to alternative health practices, not overly interested in money, non-smoking, non-drugging, light or non-drinking, reasonably height-weight proportionate (a few pounds extra or under normal are OK), comfortable with her body and with being nude in appropriate places, reasonably fit, and attractive to me. It would work best for me if she either is or appears to be as young as or younger than I do. I suspect that she’ll have a sense of humor that’s compatible with mine.

She, also like me, loves movies (especially spiritual cinema), theater, selective TV, concerts, reading, learning, travel, exploring new places, dining out, exchanging massages, lots of touching and holding, sex, and lots more.

Since I want to continue living in Santa Fe, it makes sense to me that my partner also loves (or would love) living here, too.


Last Comment to Anyone Who's Still Reading:

If you made it all the way through this to the end, you must really be interested. Or else compulsive. (No judgments here; I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive myself. For example, I can’t stand to see newspapers that aren’t put back together neatly after someone reads them.)