I have a handmade poster on the wall in my lounge room created by one of Melbourne’s most famous sculptors for a fundraiser held at Werner Erhard and Associates aka Landmark Education but you would not know the old name unless you were a veteran of the work. It has a title: Life is a mystery to be lived, Not a problem to be solved. I mistyped it as loved when I wrote the title of this blog and seeing there are no mistakes, or so they say it remains as that. Deborah was like that, she loved life and created the most quirky statues in our beloved city of Melbourne back in the 1980’s.

So what do you consider mysteries in your life, some fairly famous people made comment on it. Here are their contributions:

1. Well known author Dean Koontz whose novels are billed as suspense thrillers, but frequently incorporate elements of horror, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and satire claims our minds as hallways of mystery.

2. And Frank Herbert, sci fi author extraordinaire created many realities for us to experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-yKhDd64s&list=PLgzTt0k8mXzH4S1z0Ny3y2mTkIMSf7APH

3. How boring would the planet Mary Oliver describes in this statement be.

4. But getting there is definitely a mystery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIhAK-dgng4&list=PLgzTt0k8mXzH4S1z0Ny3y2mTkIMSf7APH&index=2

5. And don’t forget the present as well.

6. Relate to life as a mystery, not wasted time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6x8EzloiXU&list=PLgzTt0k8mXzH4S1z0Ny3y2mTkIMSf7APH&index=4

7. And Bil gave the world the present of being a great cartoonist.

8. From one of the few people who have seen the earth from space comes this profound statement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qrOvBuWJ-c

9. This thought has passed through my mind often.

10. In your face from the man who had had an ism named after him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiH9edd25Bc

11. The curly headed one gets really profound in this quote about art and science.

12. I’ll contemplate this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcDTUMLQJI

13. It’s okay, you are on the right path.

14. Such an empowering quote from Anais Nin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC-pLmriiTo&list=OLAK5uy_lcCeuQSSyK5bCWEMAMcDxRYW_GoBVlgz8

This isn’t a perfect world. We’re probably on our one thousandth second chance right now and we are not ashamed to admit it. Because even though we have failed a lot, it means we have tried a lot too.

The only difference between an opportunity and an obstacle is attitude. Getting a second chance in life is about giving yourself the opportunity, the mystery to grow beyond your past failures. Here’s how:

1. Let go of the past.
2. Identify the lesson.
3. Lose the negative attitude.
4. Accept accountability for your current situation.
5. Focus on the things you can change.
6. Figure out what you really want.
7. Eliminate the nonessential.
8. Be specific.
9. Concentrate on doing instead of not doing.
10. Create a daily routine.
11. Maintain self-control and work on it for real.
12. Forget about impressing people.

Today’s playlist contains some famous artists as well, as well as one lengthy spoken word piece. We begin with Eminem, then my two unknowns, MKTO and Mike Perry. Then back to the seventies with David Bowie and George Harrison.The penultimate number is U2 and we complete with spoken words from Anias Nin: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYru-oyktakkeRTeHfW7mji_j

My major mystery in life is to work out what it would take to have the world ethos be Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. To spread this I have two Facebook groups, Interculturalism: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Interulturalism and Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to humanity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949. Any of you are welcome to join as you come from around the planet. Until we meet again, my dear friends.