I have been told that reviews make a difference. My last one was in 2019. So, I am putting a request out into the WordPress space that I would like some more recent ones.
Here’s a quote and song to keep in practice until relaunch day: January 3. 2023.
I have noticed that a lot of my recent views have been of my homepage. This is not where the magic and healing occur. Take a few seconds to scroll, down. You never know what you may find.
I used to religiously write two blogs a week, that is how I got to over 700 blogs and 4,000,000 words on possibility and being read in 160 of the 194 countries across the planet.
Let’s go back to January 3, 2022. Why is that date significant? That is when I wrote my last blog. I had a crazy thought that nobody was reading my words even though empirical evidence showed this to be untrue.
I have sat in front of my keyboard many times and nada.
I have just completed my dear friend Clare Elizabeth Dea’s Love and Money course. One result out of it I did not expect was to get my words back, but I frigging did.
I like celebrations so I will write my first official blog on January 3, 2023.
Until then here is a quote and a song to get back in practice..
Imagination belongs to hope. It’s the creative dance of possibility
We have arrived at that time of the year, The First of the First, and we play the New Year Resolution game. I changed it several years ago to the Passion game. I ask myself this group of questions:
What will you never give up on?
What activities make you lose track of time?
What fascinates you?
What’s something you would do every day if you could?
At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
What is something you would hate to go without for a day?
Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
How do you describe passion? 1. A strong feeling or emotion: He spoke with passion. 2. an object of someone’s love, liking, or desire: Art is my passion. 3. strong liking or desire: love. She has a passion for music.
Passion is actually derived from an Ancient Greek word: πάσχω “to suffer, to be acted on so there have been many a quote on the subject, here are a few over time:
15. The CEO of Linkedin India closes our session with a profound station on passion.
Inside our passion, we must Think Deeply, Speak Gently, Love Lots, Laugh Often, Work Hard, Give Back, Expect Less, Be Present, Be Kind, Be Honest and Be True to Ourselves. Remember we hold the passion, the others are just our aides.
Today’s playlist is passionate and from the heart: We begin with Sade followed by Lady Gaga. Next is Anda Day, then Demi Lovato. Hailee Steinfeld is the song before the penultimate number by Mumford and Sons and we complete with Rachel Platten; enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYrsRhCOQtEKTUMGpA53C4NID
I am passionate about Interculturalism, I have created an ethos for it: Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. I have two Facebook groups to spread the ethos around the world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183421768519278: Interculturalism and https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949: Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to humanity. You can join on the links, Until next time we meet, my dear friends.
Have you ever received awful advice from your supposed friends as you excitedly tell them about your latest adventure? They think they are trying to protect you from the possibility of failure, which, in effect, also shied you from the possibility of making your dream a reality.
Here are a few ill-advised tips (lies) people will likely tell you when you decide to pursue your dreams, and why they are dreadfully mistaken.
You can follow your dreams someday, but right now you need to buckle down and be responsible.
You are totally screwed if it doesn’t work out.
It’s safer to stay at your day job.
That’s impossible.
Only a lucky few “make it”.
You might fail and failing is bad.
You will sacrifice too much for too little.
You need more money saved before you take the first step.
You don’t need any help. It’s smarter to go after it alone.
That sounds like a lot of hard work.
All supposed good advice but in the end white lies. Only you can take the steps that fulfil your dreams. And what has society said about the cost of a lie over time. Here are a few of my favourite quotes:
1. Lord Byron, one of the best-known poets had an unusual death for a creative. He died fighting in the Greek War of Independence.
15. Because a lie must be remembered for ever so you can tell it again.
So in writing this blog I have come to the decision that the only option is to gather a tribe of truthtellers around you and deal with the consequences of this. Hopefully you have done this in some form or another.
Today’s playlist is modern in nature beginning with two Pop Diva’s Adele and Pink. Sam Smith breaks up the women with Elizabeth Young and Billie Ellish following. The penultimate track is Justin Timberlake and we finish with The Black Eyed Peas, Enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYrsBV-7gSv-r5uyd0oJ2eKSZ
Living in the world of no lies is not easy as is creating a world wide ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. That’s why I have created two Facebook groups: Interculturalism: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183421768519278 and Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to humanity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949. If you are reading this I would love you to join one or both to help spread it around the world.
I am not an anti vaccer, this is because as a young child to be kept alive I received quite a lot of vaccines and accepted that you had to take things that you may not like but were in the end good for you. Another term I heard recently regarding this area was Pro-choice which I thought related to the abortion movement, or it did in the seventies.
I have seen people posting via social media utter nonsense, that horse medicine is better than vaccines, that COVID is an international plot and the purpose of the vaccine is to put a microchip in you. If someone started a conversation about these subjects I would have to request that they stop as I am far too logical to listen to it.
What upsets me is that in these hard times I have heard of cases where people have written off friendships because we agree to disagree. Nobody gets through life without losing someone they love, someone they need, or something they thought was meant to be. Here are some lessons we have learnt over these painful times:
You are not what happened to you in the past.
Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t.
Struggling with problems is a natural way of growing.
It’s OK to fall apart for a little while.
Life is fragile, sudden, and shorter than it often seems.
Emotionally separate yourself from your problems.
Don’t make a problem bigger than it is.
View every challenge as an educational assignment.
Things change, but the sun always rises the next day.
Giving up and moving on are two different things.
Perfect relationships don’t exist.
You must love yourself too.
Don’t let others make decisions for you.
Resentment hurts them, not you.
Consciously nurture your inner hope.
It’s better to be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie.
Not getting what you want can be a blessing.
Laughter is the best medicine for stress.
Worrying is literally a waste of energy.
Even when it’s hard to move, take small steps forward.
You are better off without some people you thought you needed.
You are only competing against yourself.
Life is not easy.
Your future is unwritten.
You are not trapped, you just need to relearn a few things.
Everything in life is two-sided.
You always have a choice.
Let others in when you are in a dark place.
If you ask negative questions , you will get negative answers.
The end is a new beginning.
This is not the first time that disagreements like this have happened over time, I’m sure there are quotes over the decades that discussed this dilemma, lets have a look:
1. I is not worth going over the limit if you know their opinion is different to yours.
11. Eugenia is an inspirational writer and poet. I believe this quote relates to her second book of poetry “Take a step right now towards your dreams“.
15.And for our final lesson, we look at the action versus the practice.
So from writing this, I have come to the solution that we can disagree to disagree but we do not need to give up our friendships.
Today’s playlist has two of my favourite songs on it, I will let you guess which one’s. We begin with 2 pop legends:John Legend and Shakira. Three lesser known groups and artists follow: Erasure, Prince Mpfarutsa and Bliss and Eso. The penultimate track is Carrie Underwood and we finish with Rag and Bone Man: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYrt9dG5wUc1bJ9E1_DkZkEow
COVID has tested my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included, but I have set up two Facebook groups to help with the spread of it: Interculturalism – https://www.facebook.com/groups/183421768519278 and Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to Humanity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949. Whereever you are in the world reading this, I invite you to join our merry bands of travelers.
Have you ever written yourself advice in the past or the future. I have done both several times at different periods in my life, the first being in our counter-culture English teachers class in High School. I came across a list a friend wrote recently and feel it has some great advice as it was written around the same time in his life. It was for his future self to his younger self.
Your thirties, forties and fifties won’t feel like your thirties, forties and fifties.
Bad things will happen to you and your friends.
Everyone can make a huge difference.
First impressions aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
Big results come when you narrow your focus.
Love yourself. Become your own priority.
Sometimes you just have t go for it.
In order to get, you have to give.
Not much is worth fighting about.
Don’t try to impress everyone.
Keep having fun.
Keep it simple.
Little things stick with you.
Keep your opinions to yourself.
Manage your time.
Manage your money.
What you learn in school does matter.
Dreams will remain dreams forever if you don’t take action.
What he did different was he interviewed his father who at the time was in his early 50’s. So what have we as a human race said about sage advice for the future, let’s have a look:
So this made me think about advice my parents had given me over the years and the times I ignored them. As my friend said, looking back they were right most of the time. This is one of the gifts of eldership.
For today’s playlist we begin with one of my favourite Australian singer/songwriters Anne McCue. Then the second Elvis, Elvis Costello. Three fine female singers follow: Shakira, Marilyn Monroe and Billie Ellish. The penultimate song is a 60’s classic by Scott McKenzie and we finish with Martin Luther King: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYrt4bcuSvPP1abdV9OUkpqgs
Supporting, guiding and making contributions to other people is one of life’s greatest rewards. Everything you do comes around. Who knows what our futures will be, all I know that mine will include spreading Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. I have set the plan in place through my two Facebook groups: Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to humanity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949 and Interculturalism: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183421768519278. You are cordially invited to join one or both of these groups as the more supporting this ethos the merrier.
I had a coaching session with my friend Lou today and as per usual she asked me what was showing up and what would I like to work on today. We have been in lock-down for over 200 days in my state of Victoria in the last year and I was feeling it today so I stated that I felt a little empty inside especially in my hands. We did some exercises and I noticed that I was forming fists of anger instead of contacting my heart to resolve the issue of what was having me feel this way.
When do we go in the direction of our heads ILO our hearts to resolve matters of the body. Often I do it when life has pushed me over, when really it’s time to stand up and push back even harder. Where there is a fork in the road and choices to make, make the ones your future self will thank you for. Today,start:
Choosing you.
Appreciating what you have.
Believing in yourself and your dreams.
Being positive.
Taking action.
Letting go.
Picking yourself back up.
Ignoring negative people.
Staying in touch with close friends and family.
Making time for fun.
Spreading love and kindness.
Being the change you want to see in the world.
So what has society said about listening to the heart over the centuries, let’s have a look:
1. Advice Pocahontas gave to the invaders of her land.
7. Bold, Brave and Strong, such worthy attributes in life.
8. Bryant McGill is a human potential thought leader, international bestselling author, activist, and social entrepreneur. He is one of the world’s top social media influencers reaching a billion people a year:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa7PUQAQ3zo
9. There is a right way to listen, this explains it well.
Believe in your heart. Listen to your soul as well. Trust your instincts. Acknowledge your own strengths. Dream it and dare it. Do what you are afraid of, and capable of. Follow your vision. Know that anything is possible. Know you Can.
A couple of classics on the playlist today. Elton John leads us off. Then Roxette do that song about hearts followed by Neil Young. 2Pac does a rap cover of Roxette next with Michael Kiwanuka rocking one out next. The penultimate song is Eminem and we complete with Twenty One Pilots: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYrsF_nUjfphbe4SiEWUmM-ug
I think your heart wants the best for you but sometimes we forget this when we make mistakes following it and we get scared off. My ethos for Interculturalism: Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included comes from my heart-space. I use two Facebook groups to support the spread of it. The first and oldest is Interculturalism: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Interulturalism, the second is Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to humanity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949. You are always welcome yo join our band of merry travelers, just click on the links. Until next time my dear friends.
Last Thursday in my home town of Preston, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia we reached a notable breakthrough. It was 200 days we have been in Lockdown since the start of the pandemic, number six in fact with short breaks in between. You could let this take you on a deep ride of despair or contemplate what your new future will be after the light has returned..
So how do you find strength in hard times It is these losses that make us stronger and eventually move us toward future opportunities for growth and happiness. here are some thoughts to get through this stage:
You are not what happened to you in the past.
Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t.
Struggling with problems is a natural part of growing.
It’s OK to fall apart for a little while.
Life is fragile, sudden, and shorter than it often seems.
Emotionally separate yourself from your problems.
Don’t make a problem bigger than it is.
View every challenge as an educational assignment.
Things change, but the sun always rises the next day.
Giving up and moving on are two different things.
Perfect relationships don’t exist.
You must love yourself too.
Don’t let others make decisions for you.
Resentment hurts you, not them.
Consciously nurture your inner hope.
It’s better to be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie.
Not getting what you want can be a blessing.
Laughter is the best medicine for stress.
Worrying is literally a waste of energy.
Even when it’s hard to move, take small steps forward.
You are better off without some people you thought you needed.
You are only competing against yourself.
Life is not easy.
Your future is unwritten.
You are not trapped, you just need to relearn a few things.
Everything in life is two-sided.
You always have a choice.
Let others in when you’re in a dark place.
If you ask negative questions, you will get negative answers.
The end is a new beginning.
As Lockdown is a relatively new term in our vocabulary comments made on it come from our current time, but there are people who have come up with some classics, let’s have a look:
7. Ellen Burstyn is an American actress. Known for her portrayal of complicated women in dramas, Burstyn is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two Prime-time Emmy awards, and a Tony Award, one of the few performers to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting”.
15. And we finish with a quote by the famous Ms. Unknown.
Spend your time wisely today and pause long enough to appreciate it. Every moment you get is a gift. Don’t waste time by dwelling on the past. Spend it on things that move you in the direction of your future.
Today’s playlist contains 4 gods and queens of Rock.We begin with Lou Reed and Pavarotti, a mighty combination. Then the first of two Covid parodies, Coronavirus Rhapsody. Joe Cocker is next then followed by our next duet John Denver and Cass Elliot. Plane Music flies away next. The penultimate tune is the second parody by Ariana Grande and we complete with Johnny Cash: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYrt3Nm36QtzpKaeQy7e89nwm
With the world covered by lock-downs I sense that the world need my ethos: Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included and my two Facebook groups that spread it around the world Interculturalism: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183421768519278 and Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to humanity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949, you are invited to join our merry band. Till next time, my dear friends.
Those things I did 20 years ago, what I considered good or bad too often let me hide the beauty that was in front of me. I got caught up in my own head thinking that the few things that weren’t going my way were worthy of creating a manifesto of my life.
Here is a list of several things that this manifesto was made up of:
The inevitable frustrations of an average day.
The little failures you often feel self-conscious about.
How “perfect” everything could be, or should be.
Having complete confidence before taking the first step.
The intricacies of what’s in it for you.
Being an only-only activist for good causes.
The pressure to make a big difference all at once.
The temptation of quick fixes.
Having a calendar jam-packed with exciting, elaborate plans.
Being in constant control of everything.
Blaming Others.
Winning everyone’s approval.
Saving overly dramatic people from themselves.
The selfish and disparaging things others say and do.
Winning arguments.
Judging others for their shortcomings.
Society’s obsession with outer beauty.
Fancy and expensive physical possessions.
All the shallow relationships that make you feel more popular.
Distant future possibilities.
So what has the human race said about what is important later in life, let’s have a look:
15. It’s like a third stage in life, but you can’t life the third with out the first two.
As you continue to travel the road of life, do your best to avoid letting anyone or anything get in the way of your joy. Life a life that rocks and makes you laugh out loud every day of the year. Here are some things that will help with that:
Think Deeply.
Speak gently.
Love Lots.
Laugh Often.
Work Hard.
Give Back.
Expect less.
Be present.
Be Kind.
Be honest.
Be true to yourself.
Today’s playlist contains two spoken word pieces, both very different in origin. We begin with one of the U.S.A’s biggest recording star Tim Mcgraw. Kings and Queens follows from Africa then Jamaica’s Capleton and Chronixx – Help the Weak. Dhar Mann learns a lesson next. WE then travel back in the decades to The Beatles and Cat Stevens. We complete with the fame of Julius Erving: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYruLSCPtLlJbkIxfk9D8EFXw
So this blog definitely fits in with my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. Remember you can join my two Facebook groups I have created to spread it across the universe. The first is Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to humankind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949 and the second Interculturalism: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Interulturalism. You are invited to join and add your countries version of these. Until next time my dear friends.
Jamie Catto is a creative facilitator, mischief maker and trailblazer cutting through the bullshit to clear the way for authentic connection and inner understanding.
I am an Interculturalist 