I have attended two meetings in the same room over the past three days. One was on the future of Interculturalism in our local council area, which I love and the second was on Race discrimination and racial and religious vilification which I despise to the core of my bones. At each meeting, there were different energies, one of what was possible and the other what to do when it all goes wrong. It made me think of what effect energy has on a situation and is that the primary driving factor of any situation.
My friends Marc and Angel Chernoff wrote an immensely popular blog called “30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself”, it was an instant hit. Soon they started receiving this request: “I would love to see you revisit each of these thirty principles, but instead of presenting us with a ‘to-don’t’ list, present us with a ‘to-do list’ that we can start working on today together ” Here is the list they created in response to that request:
- Start spending time with the right people.
- Start facing your problems head-on.
- Start being honest with yourself about everything.
- Start making your own happiness a priority.
- Start being yourself, genuinely and proudly.
- Start noticing and living in the present.
- Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you.
- Start being more polite to yourself.
- Start enjoying the things you already have.
- Start creating your own happiness.
- Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance.
- Start believing you’re ready for the next step.
- Start entering new relationships for the right reasons.
- Start giving new people you meet a chance.
- Start competing against an earlier version of yourself.
- Start cheering for other people’s victories.
- Start looking for the silver lining in tough situations.
- Start forgiving yourself and others.
- Start helping those around you.
- Start listening to your own inner voice.
- Start being attentive to your stress level and take short breaks.
- Start noticing the beauty of small moments.
- Start accepting things when they are less than perfect.
- Start working towards your goals every single day.
- Start being more open about how you feel.
- Start taking full accountability for your life.
- Start actively nurturing your most important relationships.
- Start concentrating on the things you can control.
- Start focusing on the possibility of positive outcomes.
- Start noticing how wealthy you are right now.
So that is a pretty awesome list, I would suggest picking a few favourites and work on those for a while, attempting all of them at once would be a case for overwhelm, methinks.
So when the world looks at positivity, what does it have to say, here we go:
1. Without providing these basic and essential ingredients don’t expect to be on the A list for very long.
2. Simply walk the talk is what this says to me: Listen to Your Heart.
3. Such beauty in the words. “Building a thoughtfully crafted life”.
4. As I am writing this in the Darebin Intercultural Centre I sure this is deeply profound and very positive,: Shab be oon cheshmat khab narese
5. The adage you can’t take it with you is addressed in this quote.
6. That one life has breathed easier because you have lived, a worthy task to take on: Breathing.
7. Printers don’t work if the paper is crumpled, if you stop living a positive life by burning the trust in it, you will probably attain the same result.
8. From little things big things grow: From Little Things.
9. My friend Fleassy talks about your comfort zone and your safety zones. The comfort zone is what you challenge for positive growth in your life, your safety zone is your declared boundaries, to be protected for all you are worth.
10. How about every new acquaintance in your life you greet with these words: Rise Up.
11. You can always get more money, but you have a finite time to live a life of positivity.
12. It is also great to remember that positive doesn’t necessarily mean neat and tidy: Messing with the Kid.
13. Works for my life essence of Curiosity.
14. There are many different versions of positivity, pick your favourite: A Few of My Favourite Things.
15. And for our final lesson, I reveal the part of your body that your positivity resides in.
Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. right now is life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did and didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the “here and now” and experience life as it is happening. Appreciate the positive attributes that it holds, right now.
Today’s playlist contains Ireland’s greatest rock guitarist, and he’s not in U2, a jazz legend and a new version of one of Australia’s greatest songs. Roxette opens up, followed with a tune from Persia by Ebi Gheseye Eshgh. Then the pop diva track from Ariana Grande. John Butler, Missy Higgins and Dan Sultan rejig a great Australian anthem allowing the sultry tones of Andra Day to lead in the rocking guitar of Rory Gallagher. We finish with the majestic notes of John Coltrane Live: I Trust My Intuition and Live a Courageous Life!!!
In the meeting about the Intercultural Centre, it was grand to see up to 10 different cultures being positive together. It gives me hope that there is a future for ny ethos of Interculturalism: Love and Respect For All, Everybody Included. If you enjoy reading this ode to possibility register yourself to receive future blogs in the space on the right-hand side. Namaste until we meet again, my dear friends.
I am an Interculturalist 