Michael's Stories | Martha's Stories | Shalom's Stories

President & Co-Founder Michael Volchok shares his stories

Today: Michael relaxing in a field of Dandelions
Birth of Blessed Herbs Twenty years ago and struggling to support 4 children, we were asked to pick Mullien and bought groceries with the $30... Read more. I like the woods The thoughts of humankind, the pressures of our small mindedness and the vibrations of our busy lives have not been laid down there... Read more. My first experience with herbs All the infection left his leg and the wound drained naturally, I became a believer... Read more. My personal pain and hope. I have lived most of my life with a deep uneasiness that never allowed me any real lasting peace. Yet, I am finding that I have hope, despite these old and crusted patterns of behavior. Read more. More stories by Michael - Drying our first herbs - Searching for true species - Washing roots - Our first powder machine - Our first liquid extracts - About my wife Martha - Pricing herbs - Advice on buying herbs - Handling & Storing herbs - Where we find our herbs - Environmental Concerns - Where we are today - Go lightly , Go simply.	Go Lightly, Go Simply by, Michael Volchok During the course of the last thirty-five years, since that first day I wrote in the sand on the beach, "Who am I?" I have been searching and seeking and been deliberately watching my behavior as it relates to myself and others around me. Over the years I have become painfully aware of the suffering that we cause one another as we live our lives mostly in our separate cocoons of reality, only now and again making any real and deep connection with others. There are many different ideas we share in these pages but I think they all come down to the same thing and that is that we are all interconnected in very subtle and real ways and what happens to one of us, really is felt by all of us the whole human body. It is a process. We have religion or we have no religion, we study, we read, we play, we indulge, we avoid, we love, we seek, we find, we give up, we work at it harder, we take and we give and we eventually find that there is someone inside of us that is worth loving and caring for and genuinely feels compassion and concern for not only themselves, but for the whole human family. Our spiritual paths, our longings, our sincere crying out to give love and receive love finally takes root (probably we always had the roots but just needed the water to blossom.) I now believe we have the capacity to heal ourselves. We need to accept ourselves, forgive ourselves and to recognize that we are not our problems, that we are bigger than our problems. When sharing with our loved ones we can say together, "We are not our problem, we are bigger than our problem, we are more than our problem". Breathe deeply together, let the anxiety and pain flow out and away. Breathe in love. Believe that the Creator of our Universe sustains us all in good times and in bad times. Let us not take ourselves so seriously that we suffocate ourselves in our personal growth processes. Yes, growing up and becoming a more responsible and loving individual is serious but we have every tool we need inside each and every one of us. Let us relax and let the goodness flow out. We have spent long enough running after our old mental loops of –I am not this, or I am not that. Where has it gotten us to? We feed ourselves the same negative messages way too often. It is high time to give ourselves a very big break and lighten up!! We know we want good. We know we do not support bad. No one and nothing will ever be perfect. All is just as it is and when we cooperate with each and every moment, slowly, and with trust in our innate goodness, we can deal with whatever comes our way in a healthy, meaningful and righteous fashion. We can do right. Let us pray for one another along our way. Let us remember we are all interconnected in the most deep and profound ways possible. Let us support one another in brotherly and sisterly love. We all make mistakes in judgement. It is human. Let us forgive and forget and hold in our mind and hearts the image of the human race, all over the planet, standing side by side, in harmony and love. Allow ourselves the freedom to be. Martha wrote this small poem which I think is appropriate now, Go lightly, simply. Too much seriousness Clouds the soul. Just go and Follow the flowing moment. Try not to cling To any experience. The depths of wonder Open of themselves.