Never tell people how to do Things, Tell them what to Do.

Posted on October 11, 2018 by Rod's World

This list is from John C. Maxwell’s excellent book: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Get It Here.

What would happen if a top expert with more than thirty years of leadership experience was willing to distil everything he had learned about leadership into a handful of life-changing principles just for you? It would change your life! John C. Maxwell has done exactly that in “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”. He has combined insights learned from his thirty-plus years of leadership successes and occasional mistakes with observations from the worlds of business, politics, sports, religion, and military conflict. The result is a revealing study of leadership delivered as only a communicator like Maxwell can. Here is the list:

THE 21 LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

1. The Law of the Lid. There’s a lid to your potential; it’s determined by your leadership ability. Therefore, expand your leadership capacity and expand your ability to impact the world.

2. The Law of Influence. As Maxwell says a number of times throughout the book, “The true measure of leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.”

3. The Law of Process. We can’t snap our fingers and become great leaders overnight. Maxwell tells us: “Leadership develops daily, not in a day.”

4. The Law of Navigation. Steering the ship is relatively easy. Leaders chart the course—seeing where they want to go and charting the most effective course to get there.

5. The Law of Addition. Leaders serve. They focus on creating value for others. It’s not so much “What’s in it for me?” but “How can I serve?” That’s the law of addition.

6. The Law of Solid Ground. Maxwell tells us that trust is the foundation of leadership. We must stand on the solid ground of solid character—living with integrity, being trustworthy.

7. The Law of Respect. People “naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.” We must cultivate our strength if we want people to respect us and be willing to follow our lead.

8. The Law of Intuition. As Emerson says, we must trust ourselves—“every heart vibrates to that iron string.” As a mentor of mine once said, “Trust yourself. Always.”

9. The Law of Magnetism. Who you ARE is who you will attract. Want to attract great people? BE GREAT. That’s the law of magnetism.

10. The Law of Connection. We must connect with others. Maxwell tells us, “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.”

11. The Law of Inner Circle. Our potential as leaders is determined by those closest to us. Whose in your inner circle?

12. The Law of Empowerment. You need to be confident enough to give power to others. Trust yourself and trust your team to crush it.

13. The Law of the Picture. People will do what they see. We need to create a “picture” of what awesome looks like which inspires people to follow our lead. Embody your ideals.

14. The Law of Buy-In. You have a great vision. Fantastic. (And essential.) But know this: People buy into YOU, the leader before they buy into the vision.

15. The Law of Victory. Victory. Leaders are FIERCELY committed to winning. Period. That relentless pursuit of victory is essential. (We’ll chat about this more as well.)

16. The Law of Big Mo. Mr Momentum. Is a very close friend of effective leaders. We need to create (and celebrate!) little wins—always remembering that progress is uber-powerful.

17. The Law of Priorities. It’s not enough to be busy. We need to be effective. Leaders take the time to properly line up their dominoes and focus on what’s most important.

18. The Law of Sacrifice. The higher you go, the more you need to be willing to give up. Leaders trade-off freedom with responsibility.

19. The Law of Timing. As Jim Collins says in Great By Choice, not all moments are created equal. Leaders know when to lean in and seize the moment.

20. The Law of Explosive Growth. Maxwell tells us about “leader’s math”—if you want to multiply your growth, create more LEADERS not followers.

21. The Law of Legacy. What do you want people to say at your funeral? Leaders keep this vision firmly in mind and dedicate their lives to its fulfilment. A quick inventory: Favourites? Strengths? Weaknesses?

“In a study of ninety leaders from a variety of fields, leadership experts Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus made a discovery about the relationship between growth and leadership: ‘It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguish leaders from their followers.’ Successful leaders are learners. And the learning process is ongoing, a result of self-discipline and perseverance. The goal each day must be to get a little better, to build on the previous day’s progress.

So how many of the Laws do you work on daily, here’s what the world says about Leadership:

1. You can’t do it on your own, Go that way and it will work out is what the leader is there for.

2. Master, Miss, Ms, Dr, Mrs, Mister, they are titles, being a leader is not: If You’re Out There.

3. Actions not words, Leadership 101.

4. Obviously, they are speaking about Donald Trumps leadership style, aren’t they: When I’m Gone.

5. I don’t take up the Challenge every day, do you?

6. Presence, Presence, Presence, Leadership: My Immortal.

7. Mark Yarnell died in 2015, lauded as the Worlds greatest network Marketer, he was truly inspiring — “I’ve lived a “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” life he said. “I’ve squeezed every ounce of joy out of every single day. It’s been an absolute blast!” And, he encouraged each of us to become the best possible version of ourselves while living a life of freedom.

8. Even for your mistakes, that’s what real leadership is: Responsibility.

9. Are you the former or the latter, Your Choice.

10. Trying leadership on: Try.

11. Word origin of ‘courage’: Middle Eastern & Old French – corage, heart, spirit Latin cor, heart. Where we find our passion, In the heart.

12. I recently came back in contact with Fiona, the woman who showed the leadership to get 13 disparate individuals to travel from Australia to Moscow to run a marathon in the name of ending world hunger, her leadership was inspirational at the time. It was the year before the Berlin Wall came down and communism ended in Russia: Fight Song.

13. Remember, it’s your actions that create the opportunities for others to become leaders too.

14. I would change the middle quotes to Goes there own Way: Go Your Own Way.

15. It’s OK to take walks, but it’s leadership that makes the difference after all.

As author Hans Finzel observed, ‘Leaders are paid to be dreamers. The higher you go in leadership, the more your work is about the future. At the same time, leaders are practical enough to know that vision without action achieves nothing. They make themselves responsible for helping their followers take action.” Great leaders are BOTH visionary *and* practical.

Today’s songs begin with John Legend, then we travel to the rap of Eminem. Rock takes over for the next three tracks with Evanescence, MxPx and Janis Joplin. It closes out with a very cute video of Rachell Platten and a whole lot of kids and finishes with a classic Fleetwood Mac number: Never tell people how to do Things, tell them what to Do

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

In a Cat’s eyes, All things belong to Cats.

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Rod's World

I am part of a year-long training program called Warriors of Love where we declare a life essence and bring it into being powerful. I chose Intimate Belonging, my friend suggested I read Braving The Wilderness by Brene Brown: Get it Here.

I really enjoy Brene’s take on life, so I have been doing that this week, what really spoke to me was the following:

4 PRACTICES OF TRUE BELONGING

“What emerged from the responses to these questions were four elements of true belonging. These elements are situated in the reality of the world we live in today. The theories that emerge from this methodology are based on how we engage with the world in our everyday lives; they’re not hypothetical. This means you can’t develop a theory of true belonging without addressing how our increasingly polarised world shapes our lives and our experiences of connection and true belonging. I didn’t intend to write a book about belonging set against a backdrop of political and ideological chaos. But that’s not my call to make. My job is to be true to the data.

As you take a look at each of the four elements, you can see that each is a daily practice and feels like a paradox. They’re going to challenge us:

People Are Hard to Hate Close Up. Move In.
Speak Truth to Bullshit. Be Civil.
Hold Hands. With Strangers.
Strong Back. Strong Front. Wild Heart.”

Imagine if we everyone did this every day in their lives, what a different place the planet would be. In fact, how have we looked at belonging over the decades, here are a few of my favourite takes at it, profoundly Brene influenced:

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1. Love and Belonging do not come out of a Mills and Boon episode, It comes from doing things that seem imperfect, that is vulnerable and real.

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2. One of my daily battles, between the intellectualism of my mind and the love I have in my heart for my community: Love Myself.

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3. Another Famous quoter named Brown. No relation, he was an African American baseball player born in the 1940’s.

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4. Not by someone named Brown, but the worlds most famous, Ms Anonymous, this is an excellent recipe for well being: We are all Connected.

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5. No change required, just genuinely being who you know you are.

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6. Who wired us to use our mind to feel a sense of belonging not our hearts, a lousy person: You’re Worth It.

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7. After 5 years of Mental Health episodes I woke up one day and made this decision, my life changed overnight.

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8. A prominent 20th-century Jewish rabbi who was raised in Germany expelled to Poland by the Nazis and fled to America, Heschel’s sister Esther was killed in a German bombing. His mother was murdered by the Nazis, and two other sisters, Gittel and Devorah, died in Nazi concentration camps. He never returned to Germany, Austria or Poland. He once wrote, “If I went to Poland or Germany, every stone, every tree would remind me of contempt, hatred, murder, of children killed, of mothers burned alive, of human beings asphyxiated.: No Tears Left to Cry.

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9. Self Love 101.

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10. Have to think about this one, I apparently have not felt it fully: Feels.

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11. Part of the four, Strong Back. Strong Front. Wild Heart.

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12. When we talk about these, get vulnerable, we realise that: We are all in This Together.

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13. If you feel like you belong where you are, why would there ever be a need for snobbery?

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14. Renee has ten questions in her about Renee on her website, they were asked by a garden gnome apparently. My personal favourite: If you could have a room full of any one thing, what would it be: The most delicious food from all over the world. Seriously. I travel to eat. It may seem shortsighted to you, but I swear I would be much happier than the jackass with a roomful of gold: We Belong.

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15. How far can we take belonging?

This box is a flub-up.

Aldo Leopold was an American author, philosopher, scientist, ecologist, forester, conservationist, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his book A Sand County Almanac (1949), which has sold more than two million copies. Leopold was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics and in the movement for wilderness conservation. His ethics of nature and wildlife preservation had a profound impact on the environmental movement, with his ecocentric or holistic ethics regarding land. He emphasised biodiversity and ecology and was a founder of the science of wildlife management. I think we forgot to take his advice.

Byron Katie has another great metaphor. She tells us that thinking the problem of belonging is “out there” is kinda like thinking the imperfect image on the movie screen is the problem. Nope. It’s the lint on the projector’s lens. Clean THAT off, and the movie screen of life is golden. “As you inquire into issues and turn judgments around, you come to see that every perceived problem appearing ‘out there’ is really nothing more than a misperception within your own thinking.”

A very bouncy playlist today. We begin with Hailee Steinfeld, then we do the connected dance. A positive number from Cimorelli, Arian Grande next, followed by Calvin Harris with a guest list of mega-stars. A boppy musical number from High School Musical, finishing up with an anthem from Pat Benatar: In a Cat’s eyes, All things belong to Cats.

Namaste until next time we meet, my dear friends:

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If at First, you don’t Succeed, You’re Normal!!!

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Rod's World

In her excellent, book: Mindset, The New Psychology of Success – How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential: Get it here. Carol Dweck, Stanford University psychologist in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea-the power of our mindset. Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. The major difference between the two is as follows, Carol writes:

“The growth-minded athletes, CEOs, musicians, or scientists all loved what they did, whereas many of the fixed-minded ones did not. Many growth-minded people didn’t even plan to go to the top. They got there as a result of doing what they love. It’s ironic: The top is where the fixed-mindset people hunger to be, but it’s where many growth-minded people arrive as a by-product of their enthusiasm for what they do. This point is also crucial. In the fixed-mindset, everything is about the outcome. If you fail—or if you’re not the best—it’s all been wasted. The growth mindset allows people to value what they’re doing regardless of the outcome.”

“Is it ability or mindset? Was it Mozart’s musical ability or the fact that he worked till his hands were deformed? Was it Darwin’s scientific ability or the fact that he collected specimens non-stop from early childhood?”

“People with the growth mindset know that it takes time for potential to flower.” ~ Carol S. Dweck, PhD.

So how has the growth-minded mindset been viewed over the centuries, here are a few of my favourite sayings:

1. Out there on the edge, that is where we discover what we love to do. What it is that we really want to spend our time on.

2. What happens to the hundreds, even thousands of children’s mindset who were going to be astronauts when they grow up and that of the rare few that actually make it: How Far I’ll Go.

3. The yellow ones say it all.

4. As long as you really believe 100 per cent, another way of saying doing something you love: I Believe In Miracles.

5. First attempt in Learning, Forever Acquiring Important Lessons, First Action in Learning equals your flaws.

6. My group is called the Warriors of Love, brought together by my mentor Arion Light to spread Essence work around the globe: Essence.

7. Did you see that chance fly by? No sorry, it isn’t part of my growth mindset.

8. Definitely, from the land of the growth mindset, a challenge may not exist as a concept in Fixed Mindset land: Hey World, Don’t Give Up.

9. “Every child needs someone to be crazy about them.” These are the words of Salome Thomas-EL, award-winning teacher and principal, and nationally recognized educator. They shape his life-long commitment to answering the question, “How do we ensure that every child achieves their greatest potential?” This question lies at the heart of the national dialogue on education policy, the day in and day out work of school personnel, and the hopes of every parent. Central to this challenge is how we succeed with children who are facing the most serious barriers to success: poverty, violence, neglect, and low expectations.

10. It’s easier to master when it is truly doing what you love: #that Power.

11. Everything, your body is not deaf, like we think it is at times.

12. They have growth mindsets, they came out as someone’s bundle of joy just like the rest of us: Not Afraid.

13. From Carol, three amazing important W questions to ask yourself each day.

14. Beep, Stop-Go: I am not my Hair!!

15. Obstacles, challenges, mistakes, frustrations, etc. etc. , all part of life.

What is the danger of the fixed mindset? If you are stuck in this mindset it can get us in (a lot of!) trouble. Let’s take a quick look at the “growth mindset”: “In this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. The growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way—in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments—everyone can change and grow through application and experience.”

Some rock rhythms in today’s playlist. It begins with a soundtrack hit from Alessia Cara, then Hot Chocolate have us believe in miracles. We then rock it out with Lucinda Williams and Michaele Frente. Then pop from this century with Will.I.Am, an Eminem anthem finishing with India.Arie: If at First, you don’t Succeed, You’re Normal

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

We want Presence, Not Presents!!!

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Rod's World

Amy Cuddy’s TED talk on Your Body shapes who you are is the second most watched after Sir Ken Robinson’s one on Creativity. Her book on Presence, funnily enough, called Presence: Get it Here. is a powerful look into what separates the great from the ordinary. In it, Amy states:

“The opposite of powerlessness must be power, right? In a sense, that’s true, but it’s not quite that simple. The research I’ve been doing for years now joins a large body of inquiry into a quality I call presence. Presence stems from believing in and trusting yourself—your real, honest feelings, values, and abilities. That’s important, because if you don’t trust yourself, how can others trust you? Whether we are talking in front of two people or five thousand, interviewing for a job, negotiating for a raise, or pitching a business idea to potential investors, speaking up for ourselves or speaking up for someone else, we all face daunting moments that must be met with poise if we want to feel good about ourselves and make progress in our lives. Presence gives us the power to rise to these moments.”

Presence = “the state of being attuned to and able to comfortably express our true thoughts, feelings, values, and potential.” Note: That’s not a *permanent* state of nirvanic bliss. It’s a moment-to-moment experience in which “We are no longer fighting ourselves; we are being ourselves.”

How do you relate to being present, for me, it has been an ongoing dichotomy with that little voice in my head that says Who do you think you are to………………….., fill in the dots. How has the world related to Presence over time, here are a few of my favourite takes at it:

1. In September 2011, Mos Def joined the cast of the environmental children’s hip-hop musical – Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature – as narrator. He stated “the earth was given as a trust to mankind, so we have a responsibility to look after it, take care of it, treat it with respect ’cause it’s a gift from the creator to us… We’re so dependent on the natural world. The natural world’s also dependent on us… If we don’t treat it good, it’s not gonna treat us very good either.”

2. Perfectionism, often related to as the booby prize, when do perfectionists begin their projects: Living in the Moment.

3. During my Mental Health period, it was the presence of my siblings that got me through, not their words.

4. I have reduced my Facebook online presence from seven days a week to three to express the above scenario: Glorious.

5. We all know people who enter the room, and the room stops.

6. Where’s Wally: In my Presence.

7. Remember to add value wherever you are at any time.

8. I am still seeking that special someone: Boo’d Up.

9. In 1969, Harbhajan Singh established the 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) Foundation to further his missionary work. The Yogi’s brand of Sikhism appealed to the hippies who formed the bulk of his early converts. The Sikh practice of not cutting one’s hair or beard was already accepted by the hippie culture, as was Sikh vegetarianism. They liked to experience elevated states of awareness and they also deeply wanted to feel they were contributing to a world of peace and social justice. Yogi Bhajan offered them all these things with vigorous yoga, an embracing holistic vision, and an optimistic spirit of sublime destiny.

10. Another way Eckhart Tolle expresses the Power of Now equalling being present: Redemption Song.

11. Soul presence, very special.

12. Drescher’s first acting break was a small role as the dancer Connie in the blockbuster movie Saturday Night Fever (1977), in which she delivered the line “So, are you as good in bed as you are on the dance floor?” to John Travolta’s character. She is a uterine cancer survivor: Fran Rocking It.

13. Marshall gifted the world Non-Violent Communication. According to his biographer, Marjorie C. Witty, “He has a fierce face– even when he smiles and laughs. The overall impression I received was of intellectual and emotional intensity. He possesses a charismatic presence.

14. Right Here, Right Now: Right Here, Right Now.

15. Some of these conversations are silent.

Amy also asks us to recall a moment when you felt personally powerful. A time when you felt fully in control of your own psychological state—when you had the confidence to act based on your boldest, most sincere self, with the sense that your actions would be effective. Maybe it was at work, at school, at home, or in some other part of your life. Take a few minutes right now to remember and reflect on that experience of your personal power, on how it felt.

It’s that feeling we seek in our life, it’s available moment to moment if we let it blossom.

We begin with some modern tunes this playlist. Starting off is Jason Mraz, then Macklemore, Drake and Ella Mai. Then back in time to Bob Marley, Fran Drescher, yes, the Nanny, finishing off with a Fatboy Slim classic: We want Presence, not Presents.

Namaste until next time my dear friends, there’s now a search button to look up your favourite blog subjects:

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Failure is a Bruise, Not a Tattoo!!

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Rod's World

Eric Greitens has an unusual combination to his four careers: Navy Seal, Rhodes Scholar, boxing champion and recognition as one of the top 100 American humanitarians. His admirable book “Resilience”: Get it Here.is a series of edited letters written between himself and one of his former SEAL comrades.

In it, he writes: “You will fail. Especially in the beginning. You will fail. And that’s not just OK, it’s essential. Without resilience, the first failure is also the last—because it’s final.

Those who are excellent at their work have learned to comfortably coexist with failure. The excellent fail more often than the mediocre.

They begin more. They attempt more. They attack more. Mastery lives quietly atop a mountain of mistakes.

The exceptional artist throws away hundreds of photographs. The exceptional writer wears out the eraser. The exceptional investor puts money into losing ventures. If every risk you take pays off, then you probably aren’t actually taking risks. We don’t want to excuse recklessness and foolishness as “just taking risks,” but we should understand that those who have built true excellence in their lives are always fighting at the edges of their ability.

What distinguishes the exceptional from the unexceptional? A willingness to fail, and an exceptional ability to learn from every failure.”

I cannot admit that I have learnt from every failure and moved forward immediately, but I am getting better at it, how about you? What words of wisdom have society written about our friend resilience, let’s have a look:

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1. Fits in with the saying as soon as you stop learning you begin to die.

2. Asking for help powerfully from a place of strong relationship calls out to me, totally different to a barely heard impotent, Help Me…: Changes.

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3. Nelson Mandela’s solution: Fall Down, Get Up every time.

4. It’s those who face the storm who build the greatest resilience and do it the fastest: Riders ON The Storm.

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5. Steve Maraboli’s parents migrated to the U.S. to escape poverty in Chile. Steve Maraboli has created, contributed to, and impacted Humanitarian, Education, and Empowerment programs in 40 countries. Steve is a recipient of the prestigious United Nations Award for Philanthropy and continues to serve in support of Global Literacy and Education.

6. The unexpected moments in your life: therein lives your resilience: 10 Unexpected Songs.

7. The Japanese way of life, structured to succeed at all levels.

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8. I know of Alain through his School of Life, of which there is a branch in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia. The School of Life titles its courses according to things we all tend to care about: careers, relationships, politics, travels, families. An evening or weekend on one of its courses is likely to be spent reflecting on such matters as your moral responsibilities to an ex-partner or how to resolve a career crisis: Art for Art’s Sake.

9. Resilience teaches you to trust in your innate wisdom.

10. As we age, we all get cracks: Express Yourself.

11. Mine come from Motorbike accidents, how about you?

12. I love nature when it is at it wildest, it reminds me that the calm is not when nature/life is at its most impressive: She’s like the Wind.

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13. And some Jungian theory to up the ante.

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14. They say it takes a special person to be a millionaire, and even a more special one to become one again after they lose everything the first time: Bounce Back.

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15. Unbreakable, they are the resilient ones, it’s in all of us.

Life’s reality is that we cannot bounce back. We cannot bounce back because we cannot go back in time to the people we used to be. The parent who loses a child never bounces back. The nineteen-year-old marine who sails for war is gone forever, even if he returns. “What’s done cannot be undone,” and some of what life does to us is harsh…

You know that there is no bouncing back. There is only moving through. Fortunately, to be resilient we don’t need to go back in time.

What happens to us becomes part of us. Resilient people do not bounce back from hard experiences; they find healthy ways to integrate them into their lives.

In time, people find that great calamity met with great spirit can create great strength.”

After walking us through a mini-Physics lesson, Eric tells us that there’s no bouncing back. There’s only moving through.

We can never return to who we were before a challenging experience. What we—as resilient people—must do is integrate the experience into our lives and use the challenges as fuel for our own growth.

As Eric advises, “great calamity met with great spirit can create great strength.”

Another return to the last century for most of today’s playlist: We begin with Bowie, a new version of a Doors Classic by Snoop Dogg, then a Various Artists compilation of unexpected hits followed by Ten CC, Madonna and Dirting Dancing. We return back to finish in our time with Big Sean: Failure is a Bruise, Not a Tattoo.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

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Strength isn’t the ability to feel Strong!!

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Rod's World

How do you relate to the story of David and Goliath? “David has nothing to lose, and because he has nothing to lose, he has the freedom to thumb his nose at the rules set by others.” In his excellent book David and Goliath: Get it Here. Malcolm Gladwell writes

“It was not the privileged and the fortunate who took in the Jews in France. It was the marginal and the damaged, which should remind us that there are real limits to what evil and misfortune can accomplish. If you take away the gift of reading, you create the gift of listening. If you bomb a city, you leave behind death and destruction. But you create a community of remote misses. If you take away a mother or a father, you cause suffering and despair. But one time in ten, out of that despair rises an indomitable force. You see the giant and the shepherd in the Valley of Elah and your eye is drawn to the man with the sword and shield and the glittering armour. But so much of what is beautiful and valuable in the world comes from the shepherd, who has more strength and purpose than we ever imagine.”

So how has the world handled turning a weakness into strength, here’s what they have said:

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1. Feel those feeling, if you don’t they will keep coming back stronger and stronger until you have the strength to deal with them.

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2. Light and Shadow all rely on Love: California Love.

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3. Due to his father’s untimely death, J.C. Penney could not fulfil his dream to become a lawyer. Instead, he had to become a lowly store clerk, the rest is history.

4. You can choose how to relate to your perceived weaknesses:

5. Well done, You!!

6. Fear = Forever Enduring, Always Ready; Forgetting Everything is All Right; Fear Expressed Allows Relief: When You Believe.

7. Maya Angelou, one of my top ten.

8. One foot in front of another, no looking back. That’s how I became a marathoner from a 60 a day cigarette smoker in six months: No Looking Back.

9. Vulnerability = Brene Brown’s fabulous TED talk on the subject, Google It.

10. And from the other side of the world, here’s their say on it: When I am Overcome by Weakness.

11. Remember these questions from your job interviews?

12. The answer isn’t running away, it’s in turning to face them and overcoming the storm: Riders On the Storm.

13. Take a dose of courage daily and you will give strength to those areas of your life that may need some loving.

14. Another way of looking at doing what it takes: The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

15. We all have growth spurts in our life that allow us to do things after them we couldn’t do before.

David and Goliath.

It’s time to revisit our ideas of strength and weakness.

It’s time to see that underdogs and misfits have advantages in their disadvantages and that we can powerfully turn difficulties into opportunities.

Here’s to embracing ALL of who we are as we optimize, actualize and give our gifts to the world!

There are songs by three greats no longer with us in the playlist today. We begin with Tupac, then Hilary Duff doing some country, a Whitney Houston anthem follows, a great new singer Damita, from Syria Ghada Alatrash, then Jim and the Doors, finishing with a powerful performance by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Mint Juleps: Strength Isn’t the Ability to Feel Strong.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends:

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I don’t want Life to imitate Art!!

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Rod's World

What obstacles do you have in your life and what do you do about them? Do you run from them, work out a way around them, or do what it takes to overcome them. In his insightful book ” The Obstacle is the Way: The timeless art of Turning Trials into Triumph.”: Get it Here. Ryan Holiday writes:

“WHAT IS PERCEPTION? It’s how we see and understand what occurs around us—and what we decide those events will mean. Our perception can be a source of strength or of great weakness. If we are emotional, subjective, and short-sighted, we only add to our troubles. To prevent becoming overwhelmed by the world around us, we must, as the ancients practised, learn how to limit our passions and their control over our lives. It takes skill and discipline to bat away the pests of bad perceptions, to separate reliable signals from deceptive ones, to filter out prejudice, expectation, and fear. But it’s worth it, for what’s left is the truth. While others are excited or afraid, we will remain calm and imperturbable. We will see things simply and straightforwardly, as they truly are—neither good nor bad. This will be an incredible advantage for us in the fight against obstacles.”

We ALWAYS have a choice as to how we respond to any given situation. Between stimulus and response, there’s always a choice. We want to choose wisely. How has society written about overcoming obstacles over the decades, let’s take a journey:

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1. Time to check in with that part of you that embodies your essence, your spirit, your angel guide, etc., etc…

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2. Love that description: The Fear and The Mess, you and your friends are here to handle that: 500 Miles.

3. Remembered more for his insightful quotes, American career politician Frank Clark points out that a life led without challenges will not take you far.

4. If you read any biography of the great ones, whichever century they came from, the major content is what they had to overcome that made it worth living for: You’ve Gotta Fight.

5. In 2014, Jordan became the first billionaire player in NBA history. He is the third-richest African-American, behind Robert F. Smith and Oprah Winfrey.

6. You can leave port and the sea will be flat as a tack, over the horizon are the thirteen-foot waves that make you a great sailor: Sailing.

7. An exercise, list the things you can now do you couldn’t a year ago.

8. You shall overcome, One Day: We Shall Overcome.

9. Garth Stein became famous for writing a book called The Art of Racing in the Rain, the novel follows the story of Enzo, a race car-obsessed dog who believes he will be reincarnated as a human. While his owner, race car driver Denny Swift, teaches him about the art of racing, most of Enzo’s ideas and knowledge— including the Mongolian legend that a dog who is prepared will be reincarnated in its next life as a human come from watching television.

10. Want radical responsibility in your life, take on more challenges: Don’t Give Up.

11. You, You or You, choose which one works for you.

12. Raised by his mother after his parents divorced at an early age, In 1989, Hawke made his breakthrough appearance in Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society, playing one of the students taught by Robin Williams’s inspirational English teacher: Believe In Yourself.

13. Yes, they were meant to be there so you could learn the lesson.

14. Not 42, but an equally empowering distinction: Everybody.

15. When you’re happy and you know it, overcome your obstacles and turn them into a challenge.

Overcomes obstacles by declaring them as challenges, It’s a beautiful idea. Psychologists call it adversarial growth or post-traumatic growth. “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” is not a cliché but fact.

The struggle against an obstacle inevitably propels the fighter to a new level of functioning. The extent of the struggle determines the extent of the growth. The obstacle is an advantage, not adversity. The enemy is any perception that prevents us from seeing this.”

Today’s playlist contains four songs that can rightly be called anthems due to their popularity back in the day, a gospel ditty, some spoken word and finishing with a love song. The Proclaimers, The Beastie Boys and Rod Stewart lead off with three of the anthems. Joan Baez slips in for some gospel then Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush remind us what not to do. Some spoken word by Eric Thomas culminating with pop diva Ingrid Michaelson makes for an enjoyable listening experience: I don’t want life to Imitate Art.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends

namasteflower

Purpose is the Reason you Journey!!

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Rod's World

As Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” Marc and Angel Chernoff, in their wonderful life-aspiring book Getting Back To Happy: Link to Get It. have the following to say about this quote:

“Any goal you might have might seem impossible when looked at as a whole. The trick is recognising that it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Small acts of positive intention will only help to strengthen your resolve, reignite your passion for living, and. ultimately make it easier for you to turn your life for the better.

It’s important to remember that no act of changing your situation will cause regression, as long as that act is positive and intentional. With this in mind, one simple thing to start with when things are getting stressful, and your passion for taking action is sapped, is to take ten minutes taking a walk to clear your mind. A short walk does wonders. It gives you something new to look at, gets your body moving, and is a quick way to get yourself physically out of your present situation.”

On that ten minute walk we get to remember our passion, to reignite it, here are some of my favourite quotes on the subject of my and your passion:

1. Self Love 101.

2. Gabby Bernstein walks the talk of this quote: Tap Into The Power of Presence.

3. Time to Wake Up!!

4. One of my top ten, here’s some Maya: Still I Rise.

5. Your passion is your gift to the world, please fulfil it.

6. What is you favourite dance floor, time to go there: Dancing Queen.

7. How to get over your fear of heights, don the parachute.

8. Four simple letters that will transform your life: Love has come to Town.

9. From the world most quoted, Ms. Anonymous come a moment to remember when it gets tough.

10. They say that going down to the sea and watching the power of the ocean is a potent way to get in touch with your passion as you see whats possible: We Belong to the Sea.

11. No words needed.

12. I think this has been forgotten in standard education circles. One must go and seek out the education that does this for them these days: Light My Fire.

13. Your life suddenly becomes the long way home when you miss it.

14. Yes, it is. Free form Conscious dancing at 64: Dancing In The Streets.

15. Another passion of mine: More Love Letters.

Marc and Angel continue:

” Many of us are still hopelessly trying to find our passion – something we believe will ultimately lead us closer to happiness, success, or the life situation we ultimately want. And we say hopelessly primarily because passion can’t really be found. When we say we’re trying to find our passion, it implies our passion is somehow hiding behind a tree or under a rock somewhere. But that’s far from the truth. The truth is, our passion comes from doing things right. If you’re waiting to somehow “find your passion” somewhere outside of yourself, so you finally have a reason to put your whole heart and soul into your life and the changes you need to make, you’ll likely be waiting around for an eternity.

On the other hand, if you’re tired of waiting, and you’d rather live more passionately starting today and experience small positive changes, it’s time to proactively inject passion into the very next thing you do. Think about it:

1. When was the last time you sat down and had a conversation with someone you love, with zero distractions and 100 percent focus?

2. When was the last time you exercised and put every bit of effort you could muster into it?

3. When was the last time you truly tried – truly tried – to do your very best?

Stop waiting for better opportunities. The one you have in front of you is the best opportunity.

Todays playlist contains wise words, classic songs and a sea shanty. Firstly Gabby Bernstein and Maya Angelou pass on their wisdom, then two classics from Abba and Talking Heads. Aqua then take us down to the sea, The Doors light our fire and Martha nad the Vandellas close the set having us dance in the streets. Here’s the link to the videos, enjoy: Purpose Is The Reason You Journey.

Namste until next time, my dear friends:

The View From Here!!

Posted on August 27, 2018 by Rod's World

Debbie Ford was an internationally recognised expert in the field of personal transformation and a pioneering force in incorporating the study and integration of the human shadow into modern psychological and spiritual practices, She was the Executive Producer of The Shadow Effect movie. She personally led thousands of people from around the world through her renowned Shadow Process Workshop and was founder The Ford Institute. She was the New York Times best-selling author of nine books. Debbie died of cancer on February 17, 2013, but her legendary work lives on. In her fascinating and groundbreaking book, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, Debbie states the following:

To get past your ego and its defences you need to get quiet, be brave, and listen to your inner voices. Behind our social masks lurk thousands of faces. Each face has a personality of its own. Each personality has its own unique characteristics. By having dialogues with these sub-personalities you will turn your egotistical prejudices and judgements into priceless treasures. When you embrace the messages of each aspect of your shadow you begin to take back the power you have given to others and form a bond with your authentic self. The voices of your unembraced qualities, when allowed into your consciousness, will bring you back into balance and harmony with your natural rhythms. They will restore your ability to resolve your own issues and illuminate the purpose of your life. These messages will lead you to discover authentic love and compassion.

How do you relate to your inner voice, is it your best friend. here are some different takes on it:

1. Its that one statement that keeps repeating and repeating until you quiet your mind and take note.

2. Author of the Dune saga set in the distant future and taking place over millennia, deals with complex themes such as human survival and evolution, ecology, and the intersection of religion, politics, and power. Dune itself is the best-selling science fiction novel of all time and the series is widely considered to be among the classics of the genre: Awake O Sleeper.

3. From his inspiring Life’s little Instruction Book H. Jackson Brown points out that this powerful advice is not always in physical form.

4. It reads like song lyrics, here is the version of it: The Voice.

5. Sure enuff, she does.

6. Created Apple, set up Pixar, reinvented Apple, he listened to his inner voice: Without Me.

7. Guy Finley is the acclaimed author of The Secret of Letting Go, The Essential Laws of Fearless Living and 35 other major works that have sold over a million copies in 18 languages worldwide. Director of Life of Learning Foundation, a Centre for Spiritual Discovery in Merlin, Oregon, and the Foundation’s popular Key Lesson e-mails are read each week by a hundred thousand subscribers in 142 countries. Finley’s work is widely endorsed by doctors, business professionals, celebrities, and religious leaders of all denominations.

8. That inner voice does not always give you the best advice, as this statement by one of the greatest painters points out: Vincent Van Gogh.

9. I prefer the name the Inner Pilot Light, much more descriptive.

10. It’s your life, stop living the life other people say you should: It’s my Life.

11. People who remember that child say I am going to become POTUS or an astronaut are more likely to than those forget.

12. You Know: Shine on you Crazy Diamond.

13. If you stop listening one day this may happen.

14. It takes faith at times because what is occurring in the external world may not match: Faith.

15. Trina Hall is an award-winning & bestselling author of the new book, Note to Self: Empowerment. She is also a blogger, speaker and life coach. Trina has published articles in the Australian digital magazine, ONE mag. She has had a tumultuous life – getting knocked down repeatedly until she reached rock bottom. As a result, she has gained decades of incredible wisdom and insight. There is no beating life experience when it comes to learning and teaching!

Debbie learnt of this through a visualisation her teacher Susanne took her through. She was asked to see a bus full of people. In her imaginary bus she saw lots of different people. Some of them were old, some were young. They were dressed in everything from miniskirts to bell bottoms. She saw fat girls, skinny girls, girls with black hair, red hair, big chests and flat chests. She saw every size and shape she could imagine. There were short people, tall people, circus people, people of every colour and nationality. There were hookers and saints. It was a big bus, crowded with people, many of whom Debbie didn’t want to know. Her first thought was ” I can do better than this”. Susanne informed her that she would have to get to know each of these passengers, even the one she didn’t like as they all had something to teach her.

How many travellers do you have on your bus, how many do you know, how many do you deny are there. Have a magical time getting to know them.

The playlist for today begins with two obscure artists, The Brothers Bright and Shel Silverstein. Then four powerhouses and my favourite quirky singer songwriter: Eminem, Jonathon Richman, he’s the songwriter, Bon Jovi, Pink Floyd and finishing with George Michael. Here’s are the videos for your enjoyment: The View from Here.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends:

The Power of Hope!!

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Rod's World

I haven’t written a political blog for a long time but I am reading the inspirational story of Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre here in Melbourne, Australia. The ASRC, as it is known is a refugee centre which receives no government funding who assists refugees who have nowhere else to go as there are people placed on our streets with minimal or no funding at all due to the harsh immigration policies of our federal government towards asylum seekers. Today, they are the largest independent human rights organisation for refugees and people seeking asylum, delivering more services on the ground than any other independent asylum seeker organisation in the country. Our work on the frontline with people seeking asylum informs our practice and enables us to effectively advocate for, and alongside people with lived experience.

The Official title of the book is The Power of Hope or: How Community, Love and Compassion can change our World: Link to buy it. It is the amazing tale of how Kon, himself from a refugee family in Australia came to set up this amazing organisation that has helped thousands of refugees survive in a country that has made the words asylum seeker dirty words.

So what is the official definition of the term Asylum Seeker, here it is: a person who, from fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, social group, or political opinion, has crossed an international frontier into a country in which he or she hopes to be granted refugee status.

How does the world speak about these two words, let’s have a look:

1. There are those rare people who have existed on earth who can hold values as high as these, Martin Luther King was one of them.

2. Labels are used to make people forget this, especially by mainstream media and governments: Human.

3. There is not a choice between staying behind and taking a bullet and getting on a rickety boat to seek asylum.

4. Often a family has to decide which member of a family to send to seek asylum as they cannot afford the exorbitant rates that money grabbing people such as boat smugglers demand people to seek safety, how would you feel if you had to leave your daughter behind.: The Best Day.

5. There are people running our country who have this fear and shame in their policy decisions.

6. There is a particular minister, Peter Dutton, who is digging a very deep grave for the reputation of our country worldwide: Set Fire to The Rain.

7. The two largest words say it all really, Human Rights.

8. This statement from ancient Greece sums up how mainstream media reports asylum seeking in our country these days: Believe Me.

9. Especially if your destination was Australia by boat, it means 5 years in a detention centre, including your children.

10. Especially if they are a fascist right-wing government as holds sway in Australia regarding asylum seekers: Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay.

11. Considered the founder of modern nursing, Florence has captured truly where our government has taken the boat arrival discussion in our country.

12. Kon has transformed a lot of ordinary Australian into non-spectators regarding the human rights of the people who are besmirched as boat people by our mainstream media courtesy of the evil media magnate Rupert Murdoch: Get Up, Stand Up.

13. Had to sneak in the worst long-term refugee cruelty, seeing Israeli snipers deliberately shoot children brought tears to my eyes, and I do not cry.

14. And what can we do about it, this group of school children spent a night in this cage to show their solidarity and disgust for the situations on the islands where children are held on a long-term basis: Who I Am.

15. Warsan Shire is a 30-year-old British writer, poet, editor and teacher, who was born to Somali parents in Kenya, East Africa. In 2013 she was awarded the inaugural Brunel University African Poetry Prize, chosen from a shortlist of six candidates out of a total 655 entries. Her words “No one leaves home unless/home is the mouth of a shark”, from the poem “Conversations about Home (at a deportation centre)”, have been called “a rallying call for refugees and their advocates”.

So I will finish with Kon’s words on the back cover of his book: “I hope you take from this book the message that we all matter. That there is a place for all of us. That once we know our own voice, live the values close to our hearts and follow our dreams, we can be unstoppable. Hope is only exhausted if we forsake ourselves, otherwise, no one can take our hope from us. It is both our sanctuary and our destiny to live a life with love, belonging, connection and community.” Thank you Kon Karapanagiotidis, you rock!!

Two classics amongst the songs today, we begin with the fine voice of Rag N’ Bone Man, two pop divas follow, Taylor Swift and Adele. Then a rapper new to me, Fort Minor. The superb Otis Redding and Bob Marley finishing with the Disney interpretation of Natasha Bedingfield. Here’s the playlist: The Power of Hope.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.