Just got back from a Warrior of Love Retreat, this is us at the end:
The theme was Belonging, to community and self. We did an interesting practice called the quadrant where you got to hang out in four fields – The Pleaser, The Lone Wolf, The Village and The Leader. I discovered that I am a bit of a pleasing lone wolf who likes hanging out in villages in the hope it will rub off on me.
So here is an exercise to help empower your situation :
A silhouette of a human being stands before you, perhaps a friend, perhaps a lover, perhaps a perfect stranger: They need you to connect with them, they need you to share this moment, they need you to be you – just the way you are. And they need you to respect them, just the way they are. Here are 13 practices to help achieve this:
- Smile without hesitation
- Give without expectation
- Comfort without lying
- Guide without misleading
- Forgive without resentment
- Rest without judgement
- Notice with critiquing
- Appreciating without comparing
- Listen without interruption
- Question without objection
- Challenge without mocking
- Consider without doubting
- Discuss without criticizing
These exercises help you become more of the real you, what do we say about truly being you, here are some examples from over history:
1. It seems Beyonce can do a little more than making sexy Youtube videos and sing.
2. I like this quirky to be list: Mama, Weer All Crazy Now,
3. Turning down all those doubts in your head help free your heart.
4. Stay true to your school, you are its main student and you choose who the other students are: Be True To Your School.
5. You were in a unique line of one when you arrived.
6. Find your Others: Self-Care.
7. There are 7 billion people on the planet, not all of them will like you.
8. From my second favourite Buddhist master, Thich Nhat Hanh comes this powerful insight: Who You Are.
9. Two things we know will happen – birth and death, the in-between is your life to live.
10. Moment to moment your life can change, unfortunately, we do not live our lives like this for quite a bit of our lives: Lose Yourself.
11. My name is Rod Williams, my unique version of that name.
12. The philosophy of the woman who changed the Beatles forever: Walking On Thin Ice.
13. Edwin Elliot or Edwin Bailey Elliott was born June 1, 1851, in Oxford, England and died July 21, 1937, also in Oxford, England. He was a mathematician who worked on invariant theory. Outside mathematics, Elliott had many interests. Music, natural history and literature were all high on his list of hobbies. However, these were often more than mere hobbies. For example, he founded the oldest literary society in Queen’s College.
14. You are your own superpower: No One.
15. And for your final lesson on being you, being your unique self is how people can best enjoy you. If they don’t, time to move on.
fate controls a lot of who walks into your life, but you decide who you let walk out, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go. In choosing to be a Warrior of Love I am surrounding myself with people who make me a better person, and I choose who to let go of those who don’t.
The playlist today begins on the last century with Slade and The Beach Boys. We then return to modern times with Savanahh Christina and Jessie J. Some rap from Eminem next and a surprisingly tuneful number from Yoko Ono follows. We finish with Alicia Keys: You Are Not a Pretzel!!!
Learn to accept that is often not people who have been in our lives we miss but the feeling we had when we were with them. Times change, and what presences Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included may as well. Remember you can get these blogs in your inbox by filling in the form on the right-hand side. Until we meet again, my dear friends.
I am an Interculturalist 