Sometimes, Strength Comes In!!

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Rod's World

I have been to events where I have felt totally alone in a crowded room. Yet every person in that room has their own unique story, it is just that most of the time we do not know them, sometimes even the stories of our closest friends. Marc and Angel Chernoff, in their book Getting Back To Happy: Website link. say the following:

Every passing face on the street represents a story just as captivating, complicated, and crazy as yours. When you look at another person, any person, remember that everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through through something that’s inadvertantly changed them and forced them to grow. Everyone you meet has struggled, and continues to struggle in some way, and to them it’s just as hard as what you’re going through. Marc’s grandmother told him the following – “If you think you know someone who never feels the way you do right now – who never feels a bit lost and alone, and downright confused and crazy – you just don’t know enough about them. Every one of us contains a measure of ‘crazy’ that moves us in strange, often perplexing ways. This side of us is necessary; it’s part of our human ability to think, adapt and grow. It’s part of being intelligent,” she said. “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of this kind of madness.”

She continued, “And sometimes how you feel simply won’t align with how you want to feel – it’s mostly your subconscious mind’s way of helping you look at things from a different perspective. These feelings will come and go quickly as long as you let them go…as long as you consciously acknowledge them, and then push through them. At least that’s what I’ve learned to do for myself, out of necessity, on a regular basis. So you and I actually struggling through this one together , honey. And I’m pretty certain we are not the only ones.”

So what does the world say about the fact we are not alone, here’s some of my favourite quotes about it:

1. We say we do not like rainy days, but without them we would not survive very long.

2. Every year my friends from around the world on Booker Looker land send me birthday wishes that remind me that I am not alone and that I am well loved: There must be an Angel.

3. A salient point made by the creator of the Four Hour Week, Tim Ferris. Remember it is the darkness our most profound insights come to us.

4. How did you meet your best friend?: Freak Like Me.

5. Makes me think of the Liverpool Football club theme song, We’ll never walk alone.

6. The remedy to we are not alone: Travel outside the city until you can see the Milky Way, look up: You Are a Child of the Universe.

7. God is a word that does strange things to me, which god are they talking about, Zeus or the christian one. Anyway, I think what they are saying is to have faith.

8. I have friends who live in other countries but whenever we meet, it feels like we have been apart five minutes: Song For You far Away.

9. Under all gifts you can give in the world, lies Love. this is what all the great prophets spoke of, unfortunately mankind misinterpreted it.

10. Is this from Ernest Hemingway’s of Mice and Men? Not sure, but quite profound: You Are Not Alone.

11. More proof that underlying all is Love, it just that life’s circumstances make us forget at times.

12. Here’s the cute photo quote: Postcards From Italy.

13. Green’s rapid rise to fame and idiosyncratic voice are credited with creating a major shift in the young adult fiction market. ) He is an American author, vlogger, writer, producer, actor, editor, and educator.

14. This is not necessarily an easy thing to do. I remember during my six years of mental health issues I would pretend to be not home when my relatives came around because I was so sure that I was alone and that they were pretending to care about me. Luckily for me they never gave up on me: Mama, Weer All Crazy Now.

15. And if you want to sing along with Michael, here is the chorus.

When times are tough, and some piece of you is chipped and broken, it’s easy to feel like everything – all of you – is broken along with it. But that’s not true. You will wake up again tomorrow, and each new day is a chance to begin again.

Todays playlist begins with the Eurythmics, a band named after a Steiner education method, Halestorm follow with a rap anthem then the timeless Desiderata. two pop icons in James Taylor and Michael jackson come next followed by Florence and the Machine. We close out with a timeless anthem by Slade. here is the link to the Youtube playlist: This Weeks Playlist.

Namaste until next time we meet, my dear friends:

How Wonderful it Is!!

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Rod's World

I’ve had to ride over to my sisters place to write the blog today as the day after commencing my new research online business Rods Rocking Research: Here’s the Link. my computer went blank screen and its a two week turnaround as Apple doesn’t have parts for a 2011 MacBook pro anymore. I was going to write on vulnerability via Brene Browns book Daring greatly but I didn’t put it in my Crumpler bag so its back to Marc and Angel’s Getting Back to Happy which was already in the bag.

Chapter 8 is entitled Getting Unstuck: Embrace Change and take Action When Necessary so I thought a discussion on taking action would be appropriate after riding over here.

1. Foundational is not a word I would associate with Pablo Picasso, although I suppose you use foundation when you are creating a painting.

2. All those negative thoughts our mind throws up from our memories will not overcome our fears but placing one foot in front of another and just beginning certainly will help: One Foot.

3. Explode into action and your life will explode along with it!!

4. There are three tenses, Past , present and future, Gandhi points out which one you take action in: Lets Live for today.

5. Honoré de Balzac , born Honoré Balzac, was a French novelist and playwright. The novel sequence La Comédie humaine, which presents a panorama of post-Napoleonic French life, is generally viewed as his magnum opus.

6. The man who forgot the influence that the Metoo movement has had on the planet, Big Tone talks to our abilities: F**kin Perfect (explicit version)

7. What a sobering term, “Comfortable Inaction” I think that is why the world is where it is right now.

8. As my friend Amanda said at one Unleashing retreat , get off your fucking arses: Say Something.

9. I instantly though of the movie Field of Dreams, In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

10.How long is it since you fell over or made a mistake regarding your career, time to step out: What a Girl Is.

11. Yoda speak!!

12. Celebrate good times: Celebration.

13. Sounds of Silence and acts of doing is Walts suggestion.

14. Seth Godin is Yoyodyne, launched in 1995, used contests, online games, and scavenger hunts to market companies to participating users. In August 1996, Flatiron Partners invested $4 million in Yoyodyne in return for a 20% stake.At Yoyodyne, Godin published Permission Marketing: Turning strangers into friends and friends into customers. In 1998, he sold Yoyodyne to Yahoo for about $30 million and became Yahoo’s vice president of direct marketing: Video Killed the Radio Star.

15. Stop thinking so much, time to get out of your head and get out of your body.

Marc and Angel say it is never too late or too early to be who you are capable of being. There’s no time limit on when you can start living the life you’ve always dreamed of. there is no mystical door that shuts after you turn a certain age, blocking you off from experiencing the things you want to be.

The playlist for today is very eclectic. It begins with someone I have never heard of called Walk The Moon, followed by the 70’s classic The Grass Roots. Then on to pop diva Pink and Justin Timberlake. Who is Dove Cameron. Some funk from Kool and the Gang and that song from The Buggles to end. Enjoy.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

When you make a difference!!

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Rod's World

In my senior years, I have fulfilled one of the wishes my dear father had for his children, that we follow him into the noble profession of teaching. I was expelled after Year 11 for not going to school so the standard route to it had the door slammed on it. Over 40 years later I find myself being a one on one English tutor to one of China’s top general’s daughter, A Venezuelan biochemistry lecturer who can speak about ten words of English and a Chinese Medicine doctor who treats his 200 patients in Shanghai via Skype.

So, my question to you today is, how do you make a difference in other peoples lives? A lot has been written about it over the centuries, and here are some of my favourite ones:

1. Robert Green “Bob” Ingersoll was an American lawyer, father of the feminist Eva Ingersoll Brown, a Civil War veteran, politician, and orator of the United States during the Golden Age of Free Thought noted for his broad range of culture and his defence of agnosticism. He was nicknamed “The Great Agnostic”.

2. AKA Money doesn’t buy you happiness and you can’t take it with you: Where Is the Love.

3. Reminds me of my paradigm statement: Love and Respect for All – Everyone Included, get on board, people.

4. Nelson was born Rolihlahla Mandela, Nelson is his anglicised name. No matter, we all love Rolihlahla for what he gave to the planet in the name of peace: Nelson Mandela song.

5. Then, we move onto the man, who wore a loin, freed the second largest nation in the world from the colonial rule when they didn’t want to give it up.

6. Yay, I get to play my favourite 60’s rock anthem by Carlos’s band from Woodstock: Soul Sacrifice.

7. Step up to the plate, my darling young ones.

8. As kids we were going to be nurses, doctors, firemen and astronauts, you still have time to live your dreams: Embraceable You.

9. Some more Nelson wisdom.

10. Who is Alexandra Trenfor? Quora’s answer is: I don’t really know, so I did some research. Perhaps she’s a blogger? I could find no other references to her. If you find out, let us know: Teacher.

11. The bliss of blessing yourself and others, Yum!!

12. As I could not read the name under this beautiful quote, I looked it up. You get the prize for it, Mandy Hale: Take Care.

13. And the simplest way to make a difference is…

14. Come on and feel the noise, as it makes a huge difference in people’s lives: Cum on, Feel the Noize.

15. And we finish on a sad note with a quote from a president a nation killed for trying to.

I live in the conscious community of Melbourne, Australia. I could list countless people who make a difference on a daily basis, love you all. But I will finish with the gift Julieta gave to my dad wherever his spirit is hanging, “Rod, you are a very good teacher.”

The Playlist for today owes a lot to the 1970’s. The Black Eyed Peas start it off, then the anthem the Specials rode to fame on about Nelson. Then from the 70’s Santana, Willie Nelson and Jethro Tull. Back to the present with Drake featuring Rihanna then a rollicking number from Slade to finish who I saw in the rain with my younger sister at the Melbourne Showgrounds in the 70’s

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Cats, as you know are impervious to threats!!

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Rod's World

Yes, the blog title did appear as a quote for giving some things up in Google images and I fell in love with it because it is so true. page 114 under Perspective in Marc and Angel’s book Getting Back to Happy: Here’s the link. The title is We have to give up some things to get what we ultimatley want in life: Marc and Angel write, This might be one of the hardest truths to swallow, and that;s why we mention it several times throughout this book. We have to say no to good things to be able to say yes to important things. We simply can’t do it all. So be mindful, and choose wisely. What you choose to focus on grows stronger in your life. At every moment, thousands of little things are competing for your attention. All of these fall into two categories: things that are priorities and things that are not.

So, what are your priority things versus your things that are not? For each of us they are profoundly and subtly different on each day. What have we said about what we need to give up to fit in those things that deserve our priority, here’s a few goes at it:

1. I regretted not travelling more in my youth, now my body is not so sure about climbing mountain peaks and thin air like in Nepal.

2. When were you last broken down? It doesn’t feel good but you are still here walking the path one step at a time: Break Free.

3. Is your life over because those bad things happened to you. The answer is no, you are still on this planet to fulfil your destiny.

4. Being patient, believing and never giving up, the recipes to your dreams: Don’t Give Up.

5. Time after Time, the journey to greatness.

6. I am accused of smiling far too much: Make me Smile.

7, I keep thinking about my Intercultural slogan for the new world paradigm: Love and respect for All, Everybody Included.

8. From the great philosopher Ms. Unknown comes the great line: Success is failure turned inside out: Teardrops.

9. I have not given up on you, remember to breathe next time we meet.

10 Put on the glasses to read this one. Ten things to do at number 10: Fast Car.

11. The grandfather of the positivity movement, Dale Carnegie reminds us of a poignant fact.

12. Faith

a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty

lost faith in the company’s president

b (1) : fidelity to one’s promises

(2) : sincerity of intentions

acted in good faith

2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God

(2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion

b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof

clinging to the faith that her missing son would one day return

(2) : complete trust

3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs

the Protestant faith

— on faith

: without question

took everything he said on faith: When We Were Young.

give up 13

13. It is one of the most awesome things in the world, because it is known as unconditional love.

give up 14

14. I spent 8 years as a devout buddhist praying every day, some of the things in my life now were’nt in the pictures I was imagining: Black Hole Sun.

15. Mary Anne Evans known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Back in the 18th century women didn’t write books.

The point Marc and Angel make finishes with these words: Focus on the few key things that are most important for you to succeed today – to take another small step forward. And too remember that giving up other things isn’t just about making small immediate sacrifices; it’s also about gradually gaining the resources you need to do something significant. If you want to achieve an important goal or outcome in your life, you have to give up the things that conflict with it. That doesn’t man you have to intentionally suffer. it just means you can’t have it all – you have ot sacrafice something that you value less than whatever it is to you ultimately want to achieve.

The playlist for today comes from a different method, the first six songs followed each other on Youtube and the last is a beautiful tribute to someone who gave up, Chris Cornell. Pop diva Ariana Grande, Pop icons Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush are followed by 70’s star Steve Harley. Then on to the 80’s with Womack and Womack and Tracy Chapman. then we return to this century with Adele and Norah Jones.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

There is a voice that doesn’t use Words!!

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Rod's World

It’s here, arrived in the mailbox today, Yay!!. I’m talking about Marc and Angel Chernoff’s wonderful new book Getting Back to Happy: Here’s the Link. I have been a huge fan of theirs since I came across their first book and their Facebook page a couple of years ago, definitely one of the top five list creators on Social media. if you are one of my booker lookers you know I share their posts unashamedly because they can make a profound difference.

I used the method I always use when I write about their insights, open to a page and the right thing will be there, so on page 52 in the Mindfulness chapter is the following piece of wisdom – Inner Peace is Knowing how to belong to oneself, without external validation: In order to understand the world you have to turn away from it on occasion. Sometimes the need to justify yourself to others causes you to cease to be at peace with your thoughts. Don’t look for anyone else to give you permission to be yourself, or validation to be happy in the present moment.

So let’s wander off into the world of Inner peace and see what wonderful quotes have been expressed about it over time:

1. I had an amazing example of this in my life recently. I became seriously content for the first time in my life, and in doing so I gave up the wish that the women I had met had to be the one, something that had been controlling my thoughts for months.

2. From one of the two greatest philosophers in the world, Ms Unknown and Anon. comes a reminder to be calm in your heart: A Great Big World.

3. Although born a prince, Buddha Sakyamuni realized that conditioned experiences could not provide lasting happiness or protection from suffering. After a long spiritual search, he went into deep meditation, where he realized the nature of mind. He achieved the state of unconditional and lasting happiness: the state of enlightenment, of Buddhahood. This state of mind is free from disturbing emotions and expresses itself through fearlessness, joy and active compassion. For the rest of his life, the Buddha taught anyone who asked how they could reach the same state.

4. How much my inner proofreader wants to change center to centre but for my American friends I will give that thought up: Riders on the Storm.

5. We all have this within us, its called the shadow and the light, they travel together.

6. 42: Silence is Golden.

7. They say time is money, they cannot pay you enough for this.

8. The place to start looking for it is inner, not outer so what they do doesn’t threaten your Inner Peace: Hello.

9. Hi, my name is Zero (really). I’m the author of Not Everyone Will Understand Your Journey: Lessons learned from the path less travelled. Some of the work I’ve written over the past few years has been shared millions of times across the internet, so there’s a good chance you’ve already read some of it — although it doesn’t always have my name attached. Cool name.

10. You can become such a famous cartoon bear I don’t even have to put the name down here: Anything is Possible.

11. Francis de Sales was a Bishop of Geneva and is honoured as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation. He is known also for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation, particularly the Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God.

12. How often do you ask yourself, who am I really: Remember Who You Are.

13. Love me some heart opening, any time of the day!!

14. My daily to-do list: I Gotta Find Peace of Mind.

15. it reads like ancient hieroglyphics, but you get the point don’t you.

I’ll finish with some more wise words from Marc and Angel – It’s important to remind ourselves that the greatest enemy of good thinking and mindfulness is busyness. We all have seasons of wild schedules, but very few of us have a legitimate need to be busy all the time. Too often, we simply don’t know how to prioritize well and say no when we should.

The playlist for today begins with Christine Aguilera, then back in time to The Doors and The Tremeloes. Back to the present with Adele then an iconic Aussie band of rockers Icehouse, some wisdom from the Lion King, finishing with some soulful Lauryn Hill.

Namaste until next time my dear friends.

The real Santa Claus is at the Mall!!

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Rod's World

I have found an old favourite book of mine: Debbie Ford’s The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Creativity, Brilliance, and Dreams. I suspect it may not be my copy as there are quite a few underlined sections in it. I suspect that it may belong to my sister, Ruth. It is one of these under-linings that caught my attention, the statement We only see that which we are.

This statement brings to mind the premise that we judge our lives based on that which we believe to be true and that this is not necessarily the case. So how do we break out of this lifelong habit of assuming that our world is fixed? It covers all areas of our lives and there have been many fine quotes written about it, here are a few of my favourites:

1. It is often difficult to remember that failures occur to point us towards that we are truly meant to be doing. For some time it feels like life sucks big time.

2. Unfortunately, one thing we cannot keep only seeing that which we are: Planet Earth.

3. The planets favourite bard has a go at it, pointing out that it takes our relationship to others to make up our daily lives.

4. Adams was an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, a lover of fast cars, technological innovation and the Apple Macintosh, and a radical atheist which makes his statement a bit contradictory: Stuff that Works.

5. Takes the half glass full to an entirely new level, doesn’t it?

6. And how C.S. went about changing our beliefs with his classic novel The Chronicles of Narnia: Who You Are.

7. They say you can change a habit by doing something else for 21 days, is it the same for our beliefs?

8. I think we have all had those moments where we feel we need to contact someone even though we haven’t heard from them when these arise they may contact you out of the blue: As you Are.

9. Peace cannot happen through the use of weapons, books are another matter.

10. It’s up to us because we can, It’s our time – Rod Williams: What About Us.

11. What history are you on the planet to make?

12. Remember to breathe next time we meet: The night we Meet.

13. Even for the mountain climbers, this is true.

14. And that which we are is Enough, always Enough: Never Enough.

15. And I finish with the quote I have on the side of my altar, often credited to Nelson Mandela, but actuaally it’s from Marianne Williamson here.

Debbie says – I like to think of it in terms of energy. Imagine having a hundred different electrical outlets in our chests. Each outlet represents a different quality. The qualities we acknowledge and embrace have cover plates over them. They are safe, no electricity runs through them, But the qualities that are not okay with us, which we have not yet owned, do have a charge. So when others come along who act out one of these qualities they plug right into us. She finishes the paragraph with the line: It is only when you’re lying to yourself or hating some aspect of yourself that you’ll get an emotional charge from someone else’s behaviour. So it’s up to you to keep working on those areas and install a cover plate.

The music for today begins in the past with Duran Duran and Texan singer Guy Clark. We then return to this century with Jessie J. A recent discovery of mine, Rag and Bone Man is next, then the versatile Pink. Someone new to me, Lord Huron follows finishing with one of the magnificent tunes from The Greatest Showman soundtrack.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Comparision is the thief of Joy!!

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Rod's World

In Time for my Life: 365 Stepping Stones The Stepping Stone for today, the 10th May is as follows – Feel more emotions that are positive. Increase the number of times that you experience the positive emotions, such as elation, joy, comfort, enjoyment, happiness, success, fullness, satisfaction, excitement, certainty, freedom, liberty, peace of mind, security, gratitude, personal power, contentment, pleasure, love, passion, support, fascination, trust, positivity, upliftment, awe, richness, abundance, enthusiasm and one I am adding community.

The one that jumped out at me was contentment because at the moment I am the most content I have been in my 63-year long life following an exercise I did with my mentor a mere three weeks ago. He asked me who was I trying to be that I wasn’t that prevented people from getting to know who I really was. So we listed the qualities More available Rod was meant to have and scored them out of ten. The highest I gave myself was four. He then asked me what do my family and friends say about me. They were I was generous, loving, kind, loyal and supportive. I scored myself eight for a couple of them.

Remarkably since then I have had access to some of the qualities More Available Rod wished for by being OK about the fact that is not the real Rod. So what do people say about contentment, let’s have a look:

1. I live my life from five core desired feelings from the Desire Map process: Read about it here. They are Potency, Divinity, Beauty, Magnificence and Ignited.

2. The Power of Now – Eckhardt, Happy – Pharrell Williams, Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin and countless other things can take you there: Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

3. Seeds turn into beautiful plants, in this case, one of the ultimates: Peace.

4. Remember, they say you cannot take chattels and goods with you. But if you have led a contented life you will die wealthy: Happier.

5. For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by ataraxia—peace and freedom from fear—and aponia—the absence of pain—and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. He taught that the root of all human neurosis was death denial, and the tendency for human beings to assume that death will be horrific and painful, which he claimed causes unnecessary anxiety, selfish self-protective behaviours, and hypocrisy. According to Epicurus, death is the end of both the body and the soul and therefore should not be feared. He also taught that the gods neither reward nor punish humans; that the universe is infinite and eternal; and that occurrences in the natural world are ultimately the result of atoms moving and interacting in empty space.

6. My to-do list to attain my Core Desired Feelings, what would you add: Listen to your Heart.

7. Many great and small acceptances, sounds relatively easy, yet we make it quite difficult at times.

8. My first cousin’s name is Peter, a simple name, a profoundly content man: Simplicity.

9. A. B. Facey wrote a book in my country, Australia in the 1980’s. He wrote it nine months before his death. It became an immediate bestseller because even though his life was hard he saw it as a very fortunate one.

10. I see this as the Golden Triangle of Life. With all three pieces in place: Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs: Faithful.

11. Three words: Internal, not External.

12. I need to contemplate this one. William Blake was a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors”: More Than This.

13. Yes, it is!!

14. There is always someone who would love what you have in your life. In my county Australia, we all live in the top ten percent of the world yet our mainstream media is full of complaining, go figure: Ironic.

15. Unaffected by outward circumstances, let that sink in…

Contentment means embracing a sense of satisfaction and sufficiency. Contentment sees the cup half full, the beauty and bounty that are available to us. It allows us to take pleasure in what we have and what we are, even life’s simplest offerings. It frees us from envy and longing and so makes us generous.
Although contentment is influenced by external circumstances, it is an internal attitude and can be cultivated no matter what our situation. Contentment looks for the riches that can be found amidst poverty and the small marvels that can be found in the most dire conditions. It is the close kin of gratitude and wonder.

Music for this blog travels the world. We begin with Jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin with his very non-jazz number one hit, followed by heart throb Ed Sheeran, then back to the 80’s with Roxette. We then catch a flight to India with Sabee Sohal, followed by Phora, then back in time to Roxy Music and Alanis Morrisette.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

namasteflower

The biggest Adventure you can Take!!!

Posted on May 7, 2018 by Rod's World

The biggest adventure I have taken in my life was to go to the then Soviet Union and Run the Moscow Peace Marathon the year before the Berlin Wall came down. Back then my passion was to make a difference on a world scale by ending world hunger. We ran under the badge of WorldRunners, a group based out of America. It was an amazing experience worthy of its own book but I actually wish to write about what makes something our passion for Life.

Marc and Angel Chernoff ask 10 questions around this subject:

1. What will you never give up on?

2. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

3. What activities make you lose track of time?

4. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?

5. What fascinates you?

6. What is something you would hate to go without for a day?

7. What’s something you would do every day if you could?

8. Would you rather have less work to do or more work you actually enjoy doing?

9. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

10. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

I suppose number six comes closest to answer my passion for blog writing as my I am an Interculturalist blog now number over three hundred. But what has the world said about our passions, let’s have a peek at some of these powerful quotes:

1. The richest man in the world is a living example of this – Bill Gates, Right, he created Microsoft. Long before that, however, he was an amateur programmer who was passionate enough about computers that in the eighth grade, he managed to get excused from math class to design things like early video games.

2. These people are the people who are the ones who take the first steps when there was no agreement and keep putting their feet in front of each other whatever happens to reach their goals. Think Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and their ilk: The Impossible Dream.

3. One word, Gandhi

4. Gary Vaynerchuk has 1.1. million Twitter followers yet posts on the subject Numbers don’t matter, Influence does because he knows that passion matters, not mere numbers: Priceless.

5. Boredom, a word much overused these days of instant gratification.

6. The timing between a gold medal performance can be as little as a microsecond, microseconds are also called passion: When you Believe.

7. Never used one!!

8. When was the last time you were abuzz with the energy that passion fills your body with: Come and Get It.

9. From sex worker to reciting one of her poems at Bill Clinton’s inauguration, Maya Angelou lived the above mission her whole life.

10. Make your soul grow, Yes Please: Make your Soul Grow.

11. This often occurs when you meet your beloved for the first time, I think I have goosebumps.

12. Now, Now, Now: Don’t Stop Me Now.

13. One of Steve Jobs great calls to the extraordinary, as he says you will know when you find it.

14. I read about Jon Bon Jovi opening pay as you feel cafe’s so that people could get healthy food, the act of a passionate man: We Weren’t Born To Follow.

15. Leave your comments at the bottom as to what you think this means.

So as you will have read my new passion is the blogs of I am an Interculturalist, where I spread my love of possibility, what’s yours?

Music for today is from the evergreen Tom Jones, a country number from For King and Country, the uplifting The Lion King, a pop diva number from Selena Gomez, a short speech from Sir Ian McKellen, then two anthems from Queen and Bon Jovi.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Thankful & Grateful!!

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Rod's World

I opened Marc and Angel Chernoff’s fine book 1,000+ Little Things Happy Successful People do Differently to the article: 12 Things to start caring about today. It begins “Life is about taking chances. it’s about doing something you initially thought you could never do. It’s about being a little bit crazy, following your heart, and not worrying about every detail of what everyone else thinks. And above all, it’s about learning to love who you are and what you have.”

It then follows with the 12 self-caring tools, here they are:

1. Start caring about your own happiness.

2. Start caring about your goals and dreams.

3. Start caring about how you invest your time every day.

4. Start caring about how you think and what you think about.

5. Start caring about how you treat yourself.

6. Start caring about how you treat others.

7. Start caring about how others treat you.

8. Start caring about your health.

9. Start caring about your education and your personal growth.

10. Start caring about doing the best you can.

11. Start caring about all the wonderful things you have right now.

I must admit I fluctuate between fulfilling these things on a day to day basis, I suspect that society does too. Let’s have a look at what they say about caring:

1. Rule 6, Take care how you treat others, there is such a thing as karma.

2. If you worry too much, you are not giving Peace a chance: Give Peace a Chance.

3. Rule ten for me, be the best you can.

4. How many lives have you turned around, include your self in the total: Stand up for Something.

5. Really an Eckhart Tolle moment, Live in the Now.

6. As I say to the woman I love, remember to breathe next time we meet, that’s what love does to me: I will always Love You.

7. Joel Scott Osteen is an American televangelist based in Houston, Texas. Osteen’s televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries. His sermons also broadcast 24 hours a day on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Channel 128. Osteen has written seven New York Times Best Sellers. In 2004, his first book, Your Best Life Now, was released by Time Warner and debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list. The book remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than 200 weeks.

8. Uncanny, it’s rule eight, take care of your health, both mental and physical: I’m Gonna Be.

9. Without the latter the former do not matter at all, they would be meaningless moments.

10. Imagine if every day was like a surprise birthday gift. Go on, you can do it: If Today Was Your Last Day.

11. Comes under rule nine for me, especially if you were or are parents. Start caring about their education and personal growth.

12. A mild harsh, but resonates being close to the truth for me: Making Excuses.

13. When is the right time and place to care, right here, right now…

14. The Buddhists have the four noble truths, so does the world of caring: If I sing you a Love Song.

15. Mandy Hale is affectionately known as The Single Woman TM around the world. In just over two years, Mandy has garnered a massive Twitter following of a half a million people from across the globe. With a heart to inspire single women to live their best lives and to never, ever settle, Mandy cuts to the heart of the matter with her inspirational, straight-talking, witty, and often wildly humorous take on life and love.

I have decided to finish this blog with Marc’s introspection for rule twelve: When I watched the Grammy Awards recently, I realised that many of the speeches musicians make when they accept an award go something like this: ” Thi means so much to me. My whole life has been leading up to this moment.” But the truth is, our whole lives have been leading up to every moment. Think about that for a second. Every single thing you’ve gone through in life, every high, every low, and everything in between, it has led you to this moment right now. This moment is priceless, and it’s the only moment guaranteed to you. This moment is your ‘life’. Don’t miss it.

If you are a regular reader you may have noticed I have a love affair with the work of Marc and Angel Chernoff, it has helped me through many a dark moment, I thank them for it.

Music today goes way back for a few – John Lennon and Yoko Ono start the journey, then we return to the present day with Andra Day, then flip back with Whitney Houston and The Proclaimers. Some rock from Nickelback, the little known Mr Heavenly, closing out with Bonnie Tyler.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Be Bold or Italic, Never Regular!!

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Rod's World

I really like the quote in today’s Forward Steps – the fantastic book compiled by Thea Westra: The link to her site. that allows you to take an action, a challenge, read a motivational quote, take a clearing, answer a question and have an affirmation for the day.

The quote is as follows:

I love the phrase: ‘In a world that’s round, it doesn’t make sense to take sides’. So with skills I do not have to position myself against anyone, I become curious about them and I want to teach them about me. When I approach communication and conflict management from that place< I am not butting heads with anyone, I am learning or teaching: Dr Rhoberta Shaler.

To relate to the world in this way seems to me to be an act of boldness, not to but into the run of mill way we are expected to live our day to day existence. How do you relate to boldness, there are some famous quotes on the subject, let’s have a look at them:

1. My friend and Anam Cara Emeli always reminds me to use the koan: remember to ask, the worst thing they can say is no.

2. They say one is the loneliest number you will ever know, I say only if it’s about you and you do not provide service to others: One.

3. Here’s the most famous quote on boldness, the one most people can finish when someone starts it.

4. Have it in your muesli every morning: Bold.

5. Dumas won the Pulitzer Prize for history for his six-volume history of Franklin, Critics accuse him of sheathing his boldness when it comes to the well-known relationship Franklin had with his slave Sally Hemings.

6. If you are going to make mistakes make them bold ones, they allow you to recover in a more audacious way: Space Oddity.

7. George definitely did this in his own life. Shaw’s expressed views were often contentious; he promoted eugenics and alphabet reform and opposed vaccination and organised religion. He courted unpopularity by denouncing both sides in the First World War as equally culpable.

8. The latter statement could be called the day your Boldness is born: You are Alive.

9. I just had to include this one.

10. Reminds me of the statement about baby birds, they jump off and learn to fly on the way down: I’ll Fly Away.

11. Neither does boldness!!

12. Not knowing what Chamba meant I looked it up. It’s a district in India according to Google, don’t know what it’s got to do with bad business. But I love how he states success can be achieved: Changes.

13. These are becoming more and more a part of my life as I enter the world of boldness through self-love and self-belief.

14. For each traveller they are a different love story, we get to be who we want to be in new and wonderful places that are just a name on the map until we get there: Gypsy.

15. And a friendly reminder what not being bold can cost you.

The clearing for today is Decide on actions, and with as much clarity and boldness as possible. Time to act on these decisions.

Music for today begins with one of Australia’s icons: John Farnham, then rapper Lil Lonnie, the masterful David Bowie, new to me Fragma, the superb Gillian Welch, from the land of movies Shrek and finishes with pop diva Shakira.

Namaste until next time , my dear friends.