Guardian Angels

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

Do You Believe in Angels?

I do. Because I grew up catholic, my belief in angels was something that developed in a very natural, organic way.  When I was about 6 years old, I was having terrible nightmares that were keeping me up at night. After telling my mom about this, she suggested I prayed before going to bed. She told me that we all had a guardian angel who protected us at all times.  My mom also bought me this beautiful porcelain angel that she placed right above my bed. My nightmares immediately ceased.

What are angels?

After reading many definitions for "angel" from different sources, I chose the simple definition google offers.

an•gel   /ˈānjəl/

noun
1. a spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent or messenger of God, conventionally represented in human form with wings and a long robe.
2. a person of exemplary conduct or virtue.
3. a person who supports a business financially, typically one who invests private capital in a small or newly established enterprise.

I have encountered many "human"angels in my life - from my childhood best friend to two total strangers who came to my rescue when my car got stuck in the snow on a bitter cold Minnesota winter day.

We also have probably been "angels" to at least one other person in our life.  Just think about how your actions and your simple presence affect your surroundings and every single person who interacts with you. These people that are touched and affected by your actions and energy also have the same effect on others. It is like a domino effect. Well, I would describe it more like a source or "core" that branches out in every direction and multiplies exponentially.

According to the definition provided by google, there is an "angel" who financially supports newly established enterprises. We could say then that I was an "angel" to the production of "Looking for Clarissa" - at least an "angel INVESTOR." Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had chosen to not invest in this film. I start thinking of all that money I spent on the production of the film and on attorneys I hired to litigate this case... the money I lost in business due to Alfieri's slanderous allegations. I would have close to $500,000 in the bank!... Or would I? Does it really matter?

What matters to me is that when I decided to put money in this project, I did it believing it was a good investment into a future I wanted - film production. I was also helping a loved one achieve his dream of becoming a film director.

I have been so fortunate to encounter so many angels in my life path. Some have come to help me learn valuable lessons. Others have come to simply keep a door toward new ideas and opportunities open so I can walk through it.

Because we are angels to one another, we always have the opportunity to be generous and kind with our actions.  A selfless act of kindness is certainly angel-like behavior.

Thank you  - Mom, dad, Teresa, Karla, Marcela, Norma, Fernando, Sandra, Flor, Eloisa, Lourdes, Ken, Jason, Diana, Marjorie, Angie, David, Vivian, Gina, Arthur, Brian, April, Natalie, Alessia, Erik, Raul, Jorj, Tieg, Carlos, Jaime, Mike, Natalia, Hugh, Noel, Ian, Martha, Ka, Andrea, Erica, Jenna, Zee, Marco, Mary, Ricardo, Laura, Matt, John, Can, Christine, Roxane, Eva, Miguel, Marianne, Frances, Debra, Hass, David, Brad, Patricia, Dan, Becky, Sharon, Angelica, Alan, Bobby and Kevin.

And a special "thank you" to all those angels who have been supportive during this Trevino-Alfieri saga. I don't need to give specific names. You know who you are.

Some of these angels are still an important part of my life while others have left in not the best of terms. It really does not matter. What I know is that they have all touched my life in a meaningful way - they have helped me become who I am in the world today.

Disclaimer – As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.

From the Midwest to Hollywood

I have always liked California and its beautiful weather all year round. Being in California always gave me a sense of freedom and being on vacation. I had been visiting Los Angeles for many years before I decided to get an apartment in the LA metro area in 2009.  It seemed like the sensible thing to do since I was to start a Master's in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica and had also started working with GATE (Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment).

I had been living in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota) for many years and was ready for a change. To be totally honest, I have never really moved 100% to Los Angeles. Because I have a business in Minnesota and that is where my source of income is, I have always kept my legal residence there.

We could say I am still a Minnesotan - an "adopted" Minnesotan who loves the lakes, cheers for the Vikings and the Twins... and constantly talks about the weather, especially when winter hits.

The weather is almost always beautiful in California - a real paradise. It is irrefutable that Los Angeles  is different from the midwest, specifically Hollywood and its Entertainment Industry - so different that it could be a different planet.

I remember having lunch with Jason, someone I had recently met at the time. He had been an actor and lived in LA for a long time. He told me he could not take it anymore, that he had to move away. So he did. He happened to be visiting when he and I met. I also remember he looked at me and said with a concerned tone in his voice, "just don't let Hollywood get to you. Don't forget who you are. Don't lose yourself by becoming Hollywood."  I remember not really understanding what he was saying, especially with becoming"Hollywood." Now I know exactly what he meant.

After five years in Los Angeles, the following is a list of some of the things with which I have become involved since I stepped into the "Entertainment Industry."

1) Transformational Entertainment
2) Event Production
3) Public Relations
4) Six movie projects
5) Two talk shows
6) Script development
7) Work with best-seller authors
8) USM (University of Santa Monica)
9) Two lawsuits
10) A Hollywood scandal that came and left - soon forgotten by everyone (but me)
11) TMZ

The last three things mentioned on the list above might not seem like very positive experiences. Some of my friends and acquaintances in Minnesota feel bad for what I have gone through and ask me to go back "home" to Minnesota  ( 100% - full time) and forget about LA.

So Where is My Home Now????

I believe that a "home" is not a dot on a map. While a city might feel like a stable residence at a specific time in my life, in a few years I could be relocating somewhere else.  That does not mean that I have left my "home." After living in many cities and countries, I have learned that our true home remains unaltered because it is within us - it is in our heart. We take our home wherever we go.  We just have to  choose a geographical location where our spirit feels free to expand and evolve.