Is No iPhone the first step?

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Rod's World

I lost my iPhone two days ago, meaning when I am travelling away from my abode I am literally off the grid unless I run into someone I know. At first it felt kind of weird, but I have become more and more used to it. It made me think of a journey my friend took down the length of the Yarra River in my home city of Melbourne : The Comfort of Water

I also remember hearing about a family who travelled around their country seeking out fellow off gridders: Off-grid.net .

The quotes I have chosen are directly related to the subject with a few left field ones thrown in for good measure: Lets begin our journey :-

1. Hollywood actor Ed Begley Jr. could have chosen a life of fast cars and flashy woman. Instead after hearing a speech at the First Earth day he had his aha moment and it transformed his relationship to the planet. Here is a story about his eco-house Live by Example.

2. Lets have an unplug day a month and build up our off the grid moments from there.

3. When you go off the grid you give up your attachment to the physical things that drive most people’s lives. You still retain these essential things though.

4. Mainstream society destroys our basic needs, putting yourself off the grid trains you to be self-sufficient. Here is one of his blogs on The myth of Human Progress.

5. When we are kids we didn’t know what a dollar meant, try living off one dollar. Here is the impressive 2013 documentary on that exact subject: Living on One Dollar.

6. I’m sure many of you have visited places that shudder, there is no WiFi connection. I remember these as moments of deep connection with the people who had been brave enough to journey outside the grid.

7. Vincent Kartheiser, the actor who played Martin in the widely popular Mad Men series announced in 2010 he was taking on Simple Living. He no longer has a car and is slowly giving away everything he owns.

8. Several years ago I attended an Anti-clutter workshop at my local library. The first question the woman asked who was running it was How many towels do you have. She had people raise their hands from 4 to 30, and yes there were people who had 30 for two people.

9. Known for diverse roles such as Hellboy and Clay, president of the Motorcycle club in Sons of Anarchy, Ron Perlman is another actor who has joined the growing umber of actors who have followed this path.

10. All the characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books would be considered off the grid. As he states, not all those wander are Lost!!

11. The quote is from a Maine organisation in the United States, but the link I have added is for off the Grid living in my home country, Australia: Is it possible?

12. I became curious writing this as to how many people live off the grid, this article states it is as many as 1.7 billion. Its informative and well written: There are lots of us.

13. I believe it would take something special like Fire in my Belly to live totally off the grid, I am very attached to my internet.

14. You can’t buy the smiles with things that these simple enjoyments put on children’s faces.

15. Earthing is seen by many as being an alternative, even maybe hippy term. But the simple act of walking on the earth barefoot is having more and more evidence support it for its health benefits. Definitely off the grid, the wearing of no shoes. This article points them out: Barefoot for better Health.

I get my iPhone back in 3 days but think I will take on the practice off going out without it and see what ensues on my path to off the grid living from there.

Namaste my dear friends and speak to you Thursday, I was a day late again as it is up to my sister what day we go op-shopping with my mum.

How do you Give?

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Rod's World

I volunteer at a local council social enterprise Darebin Intercultural Centre where we spread the ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. I created a public open Facebook page allowing people to support this ethos : Access to the Interculturalism Page.

What has brought about the increase of social enterprises when people who make raw organic chocolates and plant trees with a percentage of their profits like Pana Chocolate in Australia go to their website. Newman’s Own is a food company founded by actor Paul Newman and author A. E. Hotchner in 1982. The company gives 100% of the after-tax profits from the sale of its products to Newman’s Own Foundation (a private non-profit foundation) which in turn, gives the money to various educational and charitable organisations. In 1982 Newman summarized his initial intentions regarding distribution of his company’s profits: “My profits will be divided between a number of tax-deductible charities and causes, some church-related, others for conservation and ecology and things like that.” This has been happening for over 30 years, a remarkable effort that has surely enlivened many great projects.

Why did people start leaving the capitalist driven mentality that its all about the profit. Lets check out the 15 quotes that look at the world of social enterprise:

1. The quote by Maya Angelou “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” also speaks to what Albert is pointing out, you can’t take it with you and what remains are people’s feelings.

2. Hard to read but the last line is clear, Leave a Legacy. There is the famous story about the lists of the worlds most famous wealthy men in the 1920’s before the Great depression. After it none of them were on it and none of them were remembered.

3. We have an education system that seems to be more and more about this, I remember the saying that when your children are born most of the tools thye use will not have been. Why do they insist on teaching children their parents and grand parents knowledge.

4. You will find in Social enterprises this is a very important part of their lives Their offices are set up as a common space so that people feel they are part of a community. Another organisation I am involved with Collective Potential is currently working out of one of the new co working hubs that are breaking out over the world, where creative’s share space and ideas. Revolver Creative.

5. Lets return to 1982 for our first song, social enterprises definitely do not cry What about Me?

6. Social minded organisations are incredibly focused on this , thats its about their customer base not themselves, with out customers there is no self.

7. A lot of Social Enterprises are about this, educating the masses to empower themselves after being in contact with their organisation. As Bob Marley sang : Get Up, Stand Up.

8. These like minded social entrepreneurs know that its not about their first million, they are here for a much grander purpose, the survival of the planet.

9. The worlds most famous Cigar smoker, Winston Churchill points out the courage of standing up for your beliefs and listening as to how they will serve the world.

10. My friend Miroslav Petrovic is one of the greatest at doing this I know The Way of the Heart. Social Enterprises do not hold back in this area.

11. I love these word circles, for Social Enterprise they are all inspiring

12. Who more than Mahatma could dare to make a statement like this, can you about your social enterprise.

13. I suppose I could not write this blog with out a mention of our friend Social Media. My backdrop picture states I only post about peace, love, truth, harmony, self-growth, bliss, beauty, life, light, wonder, happiness and the goodness on the world: only the brave will hang in with me. Social Enterprise is my tool for this at http://www.rodhasawaywithwords.com.

14. But in Social Enterprise you must always remember this!

15. George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950) was a Nobel Prize and Oscar-winning Irish playwright, critic and socialist whose influence on Western theatre, culture and politics stretched from the 1880s to his death in 1950. I see Social Enterprise as the major positive change of this century so far.

Well as you may be able to tell from my writing I see Social Enterprise as the way forward in our restitution of our society from where mainstream media and big business are trying to take us.

Namaste until next Monday , my dear friends.

‘

Find Where It is, Follow your Bliss!!

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Rod's World

it is important to note that following one’s bliss, as Joseph Campbell saw it, isn’t merely a matter of doing whatever you like, and certainly not doing simply as you are told. It is a matter of identifying that pursuit which you are truly passionate about and attempting to give yourself absolutely to it. In so doing, you will find your fullest potential and serve your community to the greatest possible extent.

Joseph Campbell did a series of interviews at George Lucas’s Skywalker ranch in California during 1988 that would bring to the world the expression Follow your Bliss. There has been much spoken about it, with a lot of it being on YouTube 57 videos on Joseph Campbell’s Work.

So what does bliss mean to you. Bliss is defined as ecstasy or extreme happiness in daily life, or theologians refer to it as the ecstatic joy of heaven. Bliss is one of my five core desired feelings, the others being Peace, Love, Helping other People Evolve and Abundance. These are what I use to live my life and achieve my results from. It is from the Desire Map work process developed by Danielle LaPorte. It has transformed how I relate to life.

What do we as humanity say about bliss, I have chosen 15 quotes most of which mention bliss but several that don’t, lets see how it has been construed over the decades. Here we go :

1. People have tried to lead others to the state of bliss for a long time, this list seems to be a great way to get there.

2. Amy is an author, media personality, and expert dating, relationship, & wellness coach and medical intuitive. Her motto is Live Joy, be Kind, Love Unconditionally. One of the most quoted women on the internet, she says bliss is everywhere, its up to you to choose it.

3. In the state of bliss, everything is loved. Something that I and most of the people I know seem to battle with given how society is presented on a daily basis. keep up the good work everybody.

4. Here’s another version of bliss I definitely do not agree with, this is how governments control the masses, through their ignorance.

5. To me this quote signifies braveness, creativity, unlimited possibilities and positivity. It signifies everything that a young child naturally possesses and as we grow older we are stripped of these traits and are replaced with fear of failure. Picasso made me re-evaluate my life and I came up with a list of things I must do in order to keep my inner child alive.

6….”To maintain the state of bliss, the infinite consciousness must have the most ingenious ways of both having monotony and overcoming it, of so combining order with randomness that the principle of order does not issue in dead uniformity, nor the principle of randomness in chaos. Alan Watts gave a fascinating talk on the subject placing bliss somewhere between the two, its long but well worth it. Control and Randomness.

7. Remember the joy of the imaginary friends and the fairies and wizards we could see when we were young, Adele sings about this on her new album Back in those days.

8. My friend Jessica from Canada likes owls, we swap pictures of them on Facebook. I agree with this statement, that is what is in our unconsciousness that challenges our ability to attain the state of bliss.

9. It is a term used to falsely justify apathy on the given subject in the form of a catchy cliché. A prevalent saying of the people in the West when confronted by the truth. Steven Fry points to why this categorically untrue.

10. Is bliss sweet and internal, it seems to be far off the beaten track of normality. Here Alice ensures the Mad Hatter that he is well on the path to it.

11. Bliss to me is a state of where Everything is a gift. Acceptance of all the above allows the opening of the heart through trapping nothing inside.

12. I’m sure all parents can relate to this state of Bliss. Here’s a song from Jennifer Lopez about it – I love my Child.

13. That must be why they say we need to re declare our Love for each other each morning, so we can remember this.

14. Before they learn duality babies have the most wondrous blissful look, this video clip by Nahko Bear reminds me of that wondrous state – Aloha Ke Akua.

15. For the last quote we go to the master of Bliss, Joseph Campbell. He makes you a promise that if you follow your bliss and don’t be fearful of it, doors will open that you cannot imagine.

Having delved into this divine state, we can see that it is possible to attain it, but that you have to put in some determined effort. It just doesn’t happen by itself.

Namaste until next Monday , my dear friends.

Indifference is costing us the Planet!!

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Rod's World

The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.

I have always been a volunteer, my 88 year old mum Edna trained us to be involved in the community, she was a Brown Owl and involved in the local church all through our childhood. Mine has mainly been activism, environmentalism and Interculturalism being my latest passions.

Dr Suess’s character The Lorax , was heard to utter “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

So what does the world have to say about activism and why is there so littl eof it to counter mainstream media’s charge toward destruction.

Here are 15 quotes that may provide the answer. Let’s have a look

1. Ross Perot, America’s voice that states truths and the answer to the Greens party in Australia, points out it is not words that make the difference in activism its the actions.

2. One of the youngest winners of the Nobel Peace Prize at 16, Malala Yousafzai survived being shot in the head to being the best known activist for women’s education on the planet.

3. Jamaica: home of Zombies and Devils, their best known import Bob Marley, chose his activism to be Is this Love.

4. Ricky Gervais is one of the planets best known atheists as well as a great actor and comedian. He is very active in pointing out the benefits of atheism compared to the craziness of the religions that seem to control the planet.

5. Alice Walker is one of my heroines, Alice become a civil right activists in the 60’s after meeting Martin Luther King Jr. , turning to writing she released the iconic The Color Purple which the famous line I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it. comes from. At 81 she is still an activist for human rights and all living beings.

6. My friend Jeffrey Slayter says we are all going Sane in an Insane World, he provides a lot of information to help us do this Info for your Sanity., John Lennon agrees with him about the insanity.

7. Another great African American Female activist Audrey Lorde accuses the human race that their silence will not protect them when the shit hits the fan.

8. Samuel Clemens better known as Mark Twain was credited with writing the Great American Novel, The adventures of Huckleberry Finn was not astray from pointing out that you can not hide from the wrongs of the world by shutting your eyes to them.

9. Its interesting that in mainstream media you do not read much about our famous female activists of the world. Winona LaDuke is a Native American of Ojibwe ancestry who has fought for Tribal Lands since the 80’s. The point she makes in this quote shows the ridiculousness of our world at the moment.

10. Malala declared herself a feminist after hearing Emma Watson famous speech on gender equality We are Equal. Direct and to the point Malala states that we will not succeed in our Activism while there is no gender equality.

11. Probably the greatest activist who used Love and non violence to get what he was seeking this man freed a nation without firing a shot in anger.

12. I love Arundhati Roy, brave and outspoken. This quote on why activism is an act of courage in the face of the attempt by the mainstream to silence them and not listen.

13. This should be taught in All schools, must more useful than Maths.

14. Comes a time, a song by Neil Young The Song. states that we drift through the world then something happens and we choose to stand up for what we believe in as Martin Luther Kings quote is referring to.

15. This quote by Arundhati is the quote I use on my public Facebook group called Interculturalism. This is where people come to join together to actively spread the ethos of Love and Respect for All Everyone Included. It is growing slowly but everybody is welcome to join and contribute.

Activism is one of the things that will save us from what they are setting up. Be active in whatever area in life you choose, but be Active.

Namaste until Thursday, my dear friends