I will face whatever Comes!!

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Rod's World

What does the following question raise for you – What if I didn’t have to prepare to be present? Danielle LaPorte also suggests to do these three things in her book White HOt truth:

Identify where you are already meeting with spirit in your life
It’s important what you call your practice
There is no competition
Remember , it’s about ongoing practice , not permanency

Over my years I have meditated, taken a Buddhist name, done Landmark for seven years, ran marathons in Australia and Russia, but I like this summation by Danielle:

Even with steady devotion to your growth, your practices will ebb and flow. Some days you’re going to be riding high, dancing to merge with Shiva himself, or fasting to feel the pulse of the higher realms. other days , you’re just doing what it takes to not feel like shit.

So what are your life affirming practicing and what do the wise ones say about it, Lets have a look:

1. I once wrote the statement that we all have the same 24 hours in the day as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. Some people thanked me and others went apeshit. Where do you hold the truth in the above quote?

2. If you have had a bad day, you always have the opportunity to rise afresh: All I Ask.

3. Beauty is not attained by outer work like plastic surgery, it is purely inner work.

4. Who and What and Where you are is exactly where you are meant to be, how could it be different. Accept this and your life will become a whole lot easier: Who You Are.

5. This image seems to be of someone walking on water, rise up and you can do that.

6. Some people say we choose our parents before we start to live our lives, if this is true we are definitely strong enough to get through the bit after birth: Strong Enough.

7. That simple smile, thank you or words of gratitude can change a life, and you may never know.

8. With a heart to inspire single women to live their best lives and to never, ever settle, Mandy cuts to the heart of the matter with her inspirational, straight-talking, witty, and often wildly humorous take on life and love. She’s also not afraid to talk about the many realities of being single in a world that still asks “And WHY are you still single: Happiness is an Inside Job.

9. When I was a child I loved my magical friends, the education told me they weren’t real. Now I’m discovering that probably this was not true.

10. They say that when it becomes too hard, the place to go to heal, is the music that enlivens us, I agree: I’ve got the Music in Me.

11. Worship what you love and Love the way you worship. Failure does not mean your dreams are dead.

12. Quite a life affirming belief from Kanye West. Could you think this, or even say it. Mohammed Ali, move over: Stronger.

13. let go of the non life affirming things in your life, you will feel like you have lost kilograms of weight.

14. The affirmation queen, Louise Hay began her literary career at the age of 50. So do not give up on what affirms you in your life just because it hasn’t happened yet: Flowing Life.

15. Remember in life affirming practices laughter is the best medicine.

Womens circles have existed for millennia, mens circles similar to King Arthur’s Round Table are returning. We find it impossible to be aware all the time, be your kind of devotee, your light chaser.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

The Soul of Service!!

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Rod's World

I’m suffering a hit of ecstatic bliss at the moment because I received Danielle LaPorte’s new book White Hot Truth in the mail this week. Subtitled Clarity for keeping it real on your spiritual path – from one seeker to another the small portion I have read delivers on all fronts.

I flipped the book open and came to the section on service, hence the title, the chapter also includes the words conscious optimism and giving from your fullness, I love this statement. In the chapter is this following quote:

I am driven by two main philosophies; know more today

about the world than I knew yesterday, and lessen the suffering

of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you – Neil Degrasse Tyson.

The one comment I wish to make on the Manchester bombing is the graciousness the homeless man showed to the victims, he could of quite easily snuck off into the darkness of the anonymity of that subculture. For his kindness he has been gifted six months free rental of a house by the owner of Manchester United . This is what should be remembered about that horrendous event, not the event itself.

So what happens when you live from a space of giving, let’s have a look:

1. A mining magnate in my country of Australia has gifted $400 million dollars , about 10% of his wealth to various charities. He said that making money is not about having bigger houses it’s about making a difference if and when you can.

2. Live the life you were really meant to, his holiness the Dalai Lama says happiness does not come from loving yourself first, it is from helping others and compassion: Give.

3. A kind gesture can be as simple as smiling at the person sitting next to you on the tram, train, or bus.

4. Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier: Love Life.

5. Perhaps an oxymoron but you need to create space so that you can give one of the great gifts in life, the joy of allowing others to give to you.

6. Time is a made up conversation, how much do you value it. The gift of quality time is priceless to another, much more than an object: Time after Time.

7. “Don’t Just

Don’t just learn, experience.
Don’t just read, absorb.
Don’t just change, transform.
Don’t just relate, advocate.
Don’t just promise, prove.
Don’t just criticize, encourage.
Don’t just think, ponder.
Don’t just take, give.
Don’t just see, feel.
Don’t just dream, do.
Don’t just hear, listen.
Don’t just talk, act.
Don’t just tell, show.
Don’t just exist, live.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

8. What’s your gift to the world, how are you doing in giving it away to others: Pablo Picasso.

9. Don’t be a two handed taker!!

10. There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up: Just the Way you Are.

11. Minimalism is a current fad, to make your life simpler by cleaning it up, giving away what you don’t use and not taking stuff you don’t need.

12. One of my dear friends is having treatment for cancer at the moment, I send her a song from Youtube on a regular basis to cheer her up, I also call her the divine one: Standup.

13. This is called the pay it forward philosophy, join the movement.

14. I am one of the chronic givers who fights the battle with being able to receive, I was well trained by my mum to be a lifelong volunteer: Castle on the Hill.

15. Give from Love.

So I will finish with another paragraph from Danielle:

Use your Soul. Stop, drop and send light. You believe in it so use it. After you dry your tears from the latest shooting or news headlines, take four minutes – twenty if you can – to sit in silence and very specifically send love, positive energy, healing, light and prayers to the person, people, place or situation on need. How many times so we say to someone, “I’m sending you Love”?Really send it

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Do you know who you Are?

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Rod's World

I am about to begin my journey as a Sacred Love Workshop leader. I came up with the concept on the dance floor at Mojo Dance one night when I looked around and noticed that most of the people would go home alone but that they were all beautiful people and deserved so much more. About half an hour later the term Sacred Love came to me, and the concept that we had stopped being vulnerable with each other and telling each other our sacred stories.

I am still reading Daring Greatly, up to the section on vulnerability, the true caring and feeding of our spirits. Lets open up the board on vulnerability:

1. Declaring herself as a poet and a woman in progress, Raquel Franco in her book of poetry Keep me Wild delves deeply into the bravery it takes to be vulnerable.

2. I had to choose carefully so I didn’t end up with 15 Brene Brown quotes on vulnerability, but I like the simplicity of this one: You are so Beautiful.

3. Considered an important figure in postmodern literature. Steven Poole of The Guardian praised Murakami as “among the world’s greatest living novelists” for his works and achievements. I love his cure.

4. How many years do we forget this for between the openness of our childhood to having it be OK again: Vulnerable.

5. I have a new friend tell me about her twin sisters death a month after I met her. I asked her why she had told me. She said that she felt she could trust me with anything.

6. In my Sacred Love workshop you will practice declaring you weaknesses and your strengths for each chakra: When you Believe.

7. We must never forget the shadow as well as the light, we need to go to both places to free our vulnerability.

8. Open your heart the whole way, the most courageous act a human being can partake in: Open Your Heart.

9. They say masked balls are the epitome of High Society. Myself, I reckon an unmasking ball would be a much more inviting evening.

10. I don’t understand these modern gurus who make you pay thousands of dollars to yell and scream for a weekend as a way to be empowered when the above is what connects people and turns you into a leader: Thank U.

11. In the classic relationship movie Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf, this quote is lived out on the screen . It was nominated for 23 awards.

12. From Avatar, the classic scene: I see You, do you have the courage to say it to your loved ones and friends: I See You.

13. One of the great paradoxes of life, if we withhold our trust of others we never reach the plateau of Love and Joy.

14. I wonder what the tipping point is for reversing this situation for the planet, the Dalai Lama is working on it: Unconditionally.

15. Finally use all of it.

The quest is to know yourself first and then this will allow others to reveal themselves to you.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

How do You ……..?

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Rod's World

The Challenge of leading in a culture of never enough is in chapter six of Daring Greatly which is headed Disruptive Engagement: Daring to rehumanize Education and Work. One of the questions asked in it is What’s the most significant barrier to creativity and innovation? The answer given is quite lengthy, but worth reading –

“I don’t know if it has a name, it’s the fear of introducing an idea and being ridiculed, laughed at, and belittled. If you’re willing to subject yourself to that experience and if you survive it, then it becomes the fear of failure and the failure of being wrong. People believe they are only as good as their ideas and that their ideas can’t seem too “out there’ and that they can’t ‘know everything’ The problem is that innovative ideas often sound crazy and failure and learning are part of revolution. Evolution and incremental change is important and we need it, but we’re desperate for real revolution and that requires a different type of courage and creativity”.

The rehumanizing of work and education will take courageous leadership, so who is out there commenting on it,, let’s have a look:

1. How did you act when you were challenged, did you lead others or were you a victim to it?

2. Always remember that people you are leading have qualities that you must take in consideration: Don’t you worry Child.

3. If your people are just coming to work to collect their money at the end of the week, you are not doing your job as a leader, you are managing the Titanic just before it sinks.

4. If you train people to replace you and make yourself redundant that is closer to the mark of leadership: Mother Teresa.

5. I used to try and run away from my struggles, sometimes over a thousand kilometres, the only thing was when I got there, the reason for the struggles was still there because it was within me.

6. When I saw this I just had to include it to showcase why we should be very very afraid: Trump on Woman.

7. They can give you tips and techniques but it is what you do with them after the event that matters.

8. If you are doing it for another circumstances in your life will start to get in the way, if you are doing it for yourself, well that’s a different matter: Pony.

9. This may be the only quote by Joshua J. Marine, there is little information about who he actually is.

10. Does leadership come from the head or the heart, I’ll let you answer that: Heart of Gold.

11. One word: Leadership = Oprah.

12. The road to Leadership is not the road of less. It is in being better, more skillful and wiser: Wiser.

13. The quickest road to true leadership is to learn the lessons the first time they are revealed to you.

14. There are many books on the art of leadership out there, this quote speaks to the fact that that is what true leadership is, an artform: Art for Art’s Sake.

15. As I mentioned before in great leadership there is a quality of redundancy, that it would happen if you were not there.

So, famous people and totally obscure people make comment on leadership which means you still have the time to exhibit yours this lifetime, Go for it , we need you and it to flourish.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

You are my greatest Adventure!!

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Rod's World

I am re-reading Brene Browns great book, Daring Greatly. I must admit I haven’t completed it in three tries because I get so much out of it each time I put it down and reflect on the wisdom received before I get to the end. The latest is a line: It’s not what you do, Its why you do it that makes the difference. It’s in the section about The care and feeding of our spirits. In it Brene talks about a distinction called shadow comforts – the difference between doing something to empower ourselves versus numbing behaviour.

What does life do to empower our spirits and what does it say about it, time to journey:

1. From one of the greats comes advice to believe our intuition first over others words.

2. When you behold a guru in action, passion grabs a hold of your spine and begins a kind of erotic pole dance and strip tease upon it, revealing more and more of itself in you, until you too become fully aroused to live. It’s your soul speaking: Soul Kind of Feeling.

3. Meher Baba said – There are two types of ego. The false ego has innumerable wants and desires. It says, I am a man, I want this; I am a woman, I want that; I am sick; I want to be happy; I am rich; I am very poor…. It is always “I.”

But when this ego is annihilated a transformation takes place: the false “I” is replaced by the real “I,” and the experience, “I am free from desires and wanting, I am infinite, I am one with God” is gained. That is the Real Ego.

4. Explains itself, really: Teardrops.

5. I went to a church service last Sunday for the first time in maybe twenty years. I loved the way they were so positive and spoke about faith and Love and not having to believe in the fire and brimstone God of my early religious days.

6. We have all seen those pictures of idyllic African children in circumstances we would not survive with our instant gratification upbringings: sage advice I say: Move On Up.

7. One of the great free spirits who fought against the bubble of the Royal Family she was placed in when she married Prince Charles. Sad ending!!

8: What’s your favourite song that touches you where words alone can’t: I’ve got the Music in Me.

9. “If you love a flower, don’t pick it up.
Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love.
So if you love a flower, let it be.
Love is not about possession.
Love is about appreciation.” – Osho

10. My essence is that of curiosity, that each moment occur as something brand spanking new: Curious.

11. Anger is very much a shadow comfort in that you are the one it hurts.

12. When you know everything about your life, you may have reached the last two words of this quote: Bad Habit.

13. To me this is the most essential part of our daily diet.

14. From little things, big things grow, start right now: From Little Things Big Things Grow.

15. And finally, Pastor Bob Marvel, what a name sums it up so coolly, put the cream in your spirit first, the rest will handle itself after that.

So a question from Brene – Are my choices comforting and nourishing my spirit, or are they temporary reprieves from vulnerability and difficult emotions ultimately diminishing my spirit? Are my choices leading to my Wholeheartedness, or do they feel me leaving empty and searching? It’s up to us to live a life that fulfils the former.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

A Compassionate Soul is Inner Beauty!!

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Rod's World

Where I sit and wait for my English students there is a notice board above me. I noticed a new flyer today: Sing along with the Compassionate Voice community choir. it started me thinking what have I done to express compassion in my life.

Over the years I have done a lot of voluntary work, but is that compassion for others. I also was a regular demonstration attendee, going back as far as anti Vietnam War and Apartheid rallies. I also tithe as much as I can of my finances.

A recent death very close to me has had me think more about this lately asking questions like could I have done more in the time that led up to it and how do I relate to the family of the person involved.

How does the world deal with compassion, let’s have a look:

1. The great gift the movie Avatar gave to the world, the saying I See You, this quote expresses that well.

2. I learnt this from my mum and dad. Edna was a brown owl and op shop volunteer her whole life until she could no longer do it and Ian was a member of Rotary: Hallelujah

3. This is the greatest compassion the world needs, Self Love 101.

4. And from the time before Women’s Rights one of the great philosophers points out the importance of compassion and it’s travelling companions wisdom and courage: Peace, Love and Understanding

5. Action, right now, are you compassionate enough to do it?

6. We and everything around us are starseed traveling on a rotating ball at 1,000 miles per hour, try and imagine that for a day and see what changes it brings in your life: Til It Happens to You.

7. One of the friendlier verses of the bible. Difficult to misinterpret this.

8. Self Love again, harvest it well and your heart and mind will be available to others as well: Harvest.

9. Let’s get out there and have humanity survive, my compassionate ones.

10. All of these things are powerful beyond belief: Turn Your Life Around

11. Nobility, beauty and grace: Beautiful things to have in ones life, well said John Connolly, Before becoming a full-time novelist, he worked as a journalist, a barman, a local government official, a waiter and a gofer at Harrods department store in London.

12. Dostoyevsky’s literary works explore human psychology in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmosphere of 19th-century Russia, and engage with a variety of philosophical and religious themes. He was a huge anti violence disciple. Good on him I say: Don’t Forsake Me

13. I can’t resist quotes with cute animals in them, there, I said it.

14. Raise your IQ with a daily act of compassion: Song of Joy

15. E.T. , the human one points to the necessity to suffer those moments of pain in our lives, they have made us who we are.

I like the music tracks today, sometimes I am not sure about them, perhaps I should show myself more compassion.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

I didn’t have to work hard for that!!

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Rod's World

Universal Lesson: When we forget our peaceful nature, we can ask the Universe to remind us of what is real. From Gabrielle Bernstein’s The Universe has Your Back it states if you have gone through a particularly rough period of time the act of praying to your dominant life reality soon restores your belief in the planet and yourself.

So how do we determine our realities? A lot of it is gained through our childhood, our formative years and our education. Yet many of us do not exist in these realities as life deals us another route. Can we get back to them, let’s have a look:

1. I am an English tutor, a Community manager, a dancer, a brother, an uncle, a son. What do you add after these two vitally important words?

2. What would it be like to free yourself from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries? What can you do each day to discover inner peace and serenity: Limits.

3. It is often what we are taught that creates our reality. Paulo Friere used critical pedagogy: Advocates of critical pedagogy view teaching as an inherently political act, reject the neutrality of knowledge, and insist that issues of social justice and democracy itself are not distinct from acts of teaching and learning.

4. Remember that you do not need to change your reality just because someone else disagrees with you, after all, it is only their opinion: All We Know.

5. Its interesting quotes can be printed with spelling mistakes, running is a way to change your reality, but I think the earth spins beneath your feet.

6. Probably the most famous reality quote in the world, Chinese philosopher is claimed to have written the iconic Tao Te Ching, which seeker of the truth does not have a copy of this in their book shelf: Forest.

7. Perhaps a little graphic, this quote points to the face that sometimes we are blinded to what is our current reality.

8. I sometimes hanker for childlike innocence over wisdom, how about you: Agnus Dei.

9. Joseph Campbell was an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. His philosophy is often summarized by his phrase: “Follow your bliss.” Yes Please!!

10. I have found time and time again that this statement is true, my soul is where my reality lives: Heart and Soul.

11. We have a lot of realities during a calendar year, here’s a hint how many.

12. Imagine if all our realities were dreams competing with each other, that would be an interesting world to live in: Imagination.

13. How do you create your reality, with action or words? I’m a fan of the former.

14. Deepak Chopra questions standard medical genre with the belief that “human aging is fluid and changeable; it can speed up, slow down, stop for a time, and even reverse itself,” as determined by one’s state of mind. His books are worth a read: Re-inventing the Body.

15. Finally, let your passions create your reality, why wouldn’t you.

You and I , we are ultimately responsible for which reality we hang about in, a statement worth examining day by day.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Keep the Ones that Heard You!!

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Rod's World

I just read a beautiful story about the forthem butterfly A business consultant uses in his presentation. It looks remarkably like a Monarch butterfly but the ethos of his talk is that we are in life for them. In business, if it was not for them we would not have one. In our lives, for our families, our community and our world for them.

He transformed one of his clients mission statements from our goal is to help our client achieve their goals to We help our clients vastly exceed what they thought they could achieve so that they play a bigger game which is then reflected in their families, in our community, in our country and in our World. Definitely for them.

So how have we, as a planet looked at the for them formulae, let’s take a journey:

1. Doing it for them you discover your community, we used to call them tribes.

2. In this ever increasing world of instant gratification, being for them is considered an exception by the mainstream who force need more, but more down our throats, resist with all your heart: Dear No One.

3. This is the best age to teach people to be for them, when they believe in monsters, unicorns, dragons and stare at the stars with wonder.

4. Allow for mistakes: I’ll be there for You.

5. He’s still alive, many are not.

6. Actions not words are what really matters, don’t say it if you are not going to do it: Animal Song for Children.

7. If you do this for them, they will never, ever, ever forget you. For you have touched their heart.

8. From the world’s greatest philosopher Mr./Ms. Unknown comes how to listen for them, it’s important: Perfect.

9. She Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow’d to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

forthem10

10. That beautiful time in our life when we are free of judgement and full of wonder, bliss: The protection Song.

forthem11

11. Strap them on and fly. You can do so much more for them when you are soaring.

forthem12

12. Advice to give for them, to empower them in moments of doubt: Let It Go.

forthem13

13. Not really for them, but a worthy question.

forthem14

14. This is what your family and friends want from you. So lets be it for them: I Touch Myself.

15. I think this covers both of the species, male and female. Lets be weird and insane for them.

I predict we are transforming to a for them world, with all the chaos being the old paradigm screaming as it goes out of existence. Become a for them practitioner, It’s the way of the future.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends

namaste4

Why don’t you Understand?

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Rod's World

One of the most obscure and funny workshops I have done is a jargon workshop. Each person had to do a five minute talk using the jargon of their profession and the other participants had to guess what their profession or career was. The one profession nobody could guess was aeronautical engineer. It made me realise that jargon can be very costly when dealing with people who do not work in your industry. Little wonder that you see a lot of blank stares from people at shops, online and in government institutions.

So what has been said about the cost of using jargon over the centuries, let’s have a look:

1. While wading through the whimsies, the puerilities and unintelligent words of many documents to apply for most legal actions we know why lawyers are one of the highest paid professions.

2. Chesterton is often referred to as the “prince of paradox”. Time magazine has observed of his writing style: “Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out: Perfect Illusion.

3. What words does your profession confuse people with?

4. The curly haired genius , Albert points out why using jargon is not the way to go: One Little Finger.

5. Mason Cooley (1927 – July 25, 2002) was an American aphorist known for his witty aphorisms. Perhaps he was using some of his own when he wrote this quote.

6. I think I know what two of these words mean, not sure about the others though: So What.

7. I am a one on one English tutor to three Chinese mothers, I would not dare do this to them.

8.I didn’t know Helena began her cosmetic empire in my country. She migrated to Australia at the age of 30 and began her empire in Melbourne before moving to London: Lay me Down.

9. Don’t know about this, at least books you can usually understand the words contained in them.

10. The Irish have a term Anam Cara, it means soul friend, I have the honour of being declared one by a dear friend: Anam Cara.

11. the dumbing down of society, methinks.

12. What culture are these words from, do they relate to yours: Instant Karma.

13. Katherine Anne Porter (May 15, 1890 – September 18, 1980) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist, essayist, short story writer, novelist, and political activist. Her 1962 novel Ship of Fools was the best-selling novel in America that year, but her short stories received much more critical acclaim. She is known for her penetrating insight; her work deals with dark themes such as betrayal, death and the origin of human evil.

14. The recommendation these days is to write blogs, because they personalise events, even for businesses, they are fascinating stories: Amazing Grace story.