A Relationship Is Like A House!!

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Rod's World

Shit, I forgot to do my Thursday blog, sorry if you rely on it for your morning coffee break but I been having such a great time lately it slipped my mind. This morning I am feeling joyful after attending my friend Cat’s awesome graduation for the process she created called the Cor Method. Here’s the link, travel to Melbourne for eight weeks, it’s worth it: Link To A New Life.

I have been to both graduations and often find myself moved to tears by the amount of heart the participants reveal to their families and friends. From singing to dancing to spoken word each is creative in their own way, all speaking from the heart.

So what has the people of planet Earth said about opening one’s heart to the people in your life, let’s have a look:

1. Many of the participants spoke of the negative stuff their mind was saying to them, but then their hearts took over, superb!!

2. I prefer the former, hate has never resolved anything for me: Love and Hate.

3. Gangaji currently writes and tours as a teacher. She holds that the truth of who you are is already free and at peace, which can be realized simply by ending one’s search.

4. The course definitely allows more space for this: Love Myself.

5. Maya loves the Cor Process too.

6. Lots of famous people know the power that is contained in the heart: So Much Magnificence.

7. Having revealed their hearts to the people they love, the participants need not worry about the former.

8. You could palpably feel the hearts cracking open last night: Hallelujah.

9. When you reveal all of what is in your heart some of this may happen.

10. The eyes have it every time, for me: Bette Davis Eyes.

11. How old is your Inner Child and does She/He still enjoy play?

12. You know where it is hanging out, Go there: Yogi B Truth Hurtz.

13. And how could I leave out the Persian poets?

14. Why Cat is such a heroine in having created this bundle of transformation work: Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.

15. The final lesson for today, Is a life without mistakes a real life?

I must acknowledge how I got to know Cat was through her delightful partner Ryan McRobb, through many connections. They give me hope as to what a joyful relationship could be like.

Today’s playlist has some long live tracks, I prefer live tracks to those from the studio, it’s more real. Using 7 artists in each blog and having done over 450 blogs you discover new artists all the time, we begin with one of them, Michael Kiwanuka, then one of my standard songs about self-love by Hailee Steinfeld. Then two great live tracks by Deva and Miten and Jeff Buckley. For a song about eyes, there is only one choice, Kim Carnes. The heart has to have some Bollywood so Vassan is next, and for some silliness, we complete with Eric Idle: A Relationship is Like A House.

In my heart lies the expression: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. Come for holidays in Melbourne and do the next course, we have some ace B and B’s here. Till we meet again, my dear friends.

We Are All Visitors to This Time, This Place!!

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Rod's World

Narrin-ik Mandy. Wurundjeri-wilami-ik, Wurundjeri-baluk-ut. Marramb-ik Dja Dja wurrung ba Nguirai illum wurrung, German ba Irish, Dhunba-njan Woiwurrung. Mundainai-njan Liwik-bulok nugel-ik, ba Lalal ba Gugung nugel-ik, ba Murrup Galada Birrarung, Mundanai-njan Biik-ut. Biik-dui, Baanj Biik, Murnmut Biik, Wurru wurru Biik ba Tharangalk Biik. Bungul-al Wiliam-u. MUndani-njan kirrip-bulok nugel-ik.

This is Wurundjeri language, The native language of the indigenous people who inhabited the land where my home city, Melbourne was established. Translated it reads:

My name is Mandy. My clan is the Wurundjeri-wilam, within the Wurundjeri-baluk patriline. I am also Dja Dja wurrung, Ngurai Illum wurrung, German and Irish. I speak Woiwurrung. I embrace my many ancestors and my many Grandfathers and Grandmothers, and the Spirit River, Birrarung. I embrace the Below Country, On Country, Water Country, Wind Country, Sky Country and the Forest Country above the clouds, which is Bunjil’s home. I embrace my many friends.

Indigenous wisdom was nearly wiped out in my country under harsh policies that did not see the indigenous people included in the census. The following story exemplifies this:

In 1935, an Australian of part Indigenous descent left his home on a reserve to visit a nearby hotel where he was ejected for being Aboriginal. He returned home but was refused entry to the reserve because he was not Aboriginal. He attempted to remove his children from the reserve but was told he could not because they were Aboriginal. He then walked to the next town where he was arrested for being an Aboriginal vagrant and sent to the reserve there. During World War II he tried to enlist but was rejected because he was an Aborigine so he moved to another state where he enlisted as a non-Aborigine. After the end of the war he applied for a passport but was rejected as he was an Aborigine, he obtained an exemption under the Aborigines Protection Act but was now told he could no longer visit his relatives as he was not an Aborigine. He was later told he could not join the Returned Servicemen’s Club because he was an Aborigine.

Their culture is the oldest culture in the world and has much wisdom to offer, here is some indigenous wisdom from around the world:

1. The love of the land is a paramount thing that Western society could learn from them, not the rape and pillage in the name of commercial profit.

2. So many ancestors have handed their wisdom on the next generations: On Sacred Ground.

3. They had so many wise ways, I suppose it was their form of therapy without the expense.

4. A great place to start: Rise.

5. Indigenous wisdom across the planet, Mother Earth, Father Sky.

6. Settlement of new lands 101 by the great? European empires throughout history: Highway To Hell.

7. In my country is has been the women who have cared for the planet.

8. Many governments seem to have forgotten this with their reaction to the Climate Change issue the planet is facing at the moment: With or Without You.

9. My indigenous friend Stevie uses this as part of the name of his organisation Dardi Munwurro – Strong Spirit.

10. Simple wisdom, but we and the planet are always changing, so why not fulfil your dreams: Give It A Go.

11. Add your favourite things you would like to give up.

12. 60,000 years versus 250, makes sense to me: Wiyathul.

13. Oops, missed by that much.

14. Catherine Astrid Salome “Cathy” Freeman, OAM (born 16 February 1973) is an Indigenous Australian former sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She would occasionally compete in other track events, but 400m was her main event. Her personal best of 48.63 currently ranks her as the sixth-fastest woman of all time, set while finishing second to Marie-José Pérec’s number-three time at the 1996 Olympics. She became the Olympic champion for the women’s 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame: Cathy wins gold.

15. And this statement speaks to why we, Western society have so much to learn from our indigenous brothers and sisters.

Ngaga-Dji! Ngaga-Dji! – Hear us, hear us. They are waiting to offer it to us, when will we listen?

The playlist today begins with an artist I thought I would never choose, Yanni. Then Jonas Blue, new to me then we rock out with AC/DC and U2. Timbaland comes next then we honour Australian indigenous folk with Gurrumul and we finish with Cathy Freeman winning gold: We are all Visitors to This Time, This Place.

I also honour indigenous cultures for showing Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

It’s Not About Perfect, It’s about Effort!!

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Rod's World

Today I’m writing about making decisions. I attended an evening run by some German Trainers I did some of the most advanced training I have done in my life. We played the Possibility labyrinth game where there were only two instructions, beep if you took an incorrect path and go if you did not meaning you got to have another chance to move forward. There was no marking and sometime the next step was outside the marked areas making it a very challenging game.

We also got to look at a difficult decision we wished to make in our lives and listen to our bodies contemplating a yes or no answer and take a step towards the answer it provided. I chose the opposite answer to the one my mind had been telling me. I felt clarity about it after doing this where before I had been living out of my expectations of what I hoped would happen.

So what has society written about making hard decisions over the centuries? Let’s take a walk down that pathway:

1. Don’t regret asking that person out, or moving continents.

2. Each decision you make could change the direction of your journey quite dramatically. Do not worry, you are on the right path, it’s your path: Don’t Stop Believing.

3. That old Gut Feeling, It knows what’s best for you.

4. One foot in the front of the other, or jump and learn to fly on the way down. Either way, something will happen: Fight Song.

5. And sometimes they don’t end up with the same result.

6. All those what if, it won’t work out thoughts, that just you mulling it over. Underneath it all, you already know if the answer is Yes or No: Dear Anxiety.

7. So, where do you want to be, time to decide.

8. How close do you get to a million before you have the courage to leap: Unstoppable.

9. In the background you already knew it was time, didn’t you?

10. Nicholas Sparks decided to start writing based on a simple remark from his mother when he was 19 years old that introduced him to the possibility:

‘”Your problem is that you’re bored. You need to find something to do…” Then she looked at me and said the words that would eventually change my life: “Write a book.” Until that moment, I had never considered writing. Granted, I read all the time, but actually sitting down and coming up with a story on my own? …I was nineteen years old and had become an accidental author: A Thousand Years.

11. Very surreal, this quote, what does it mean?

12. Breath in, Breath Out, and Decide. It sounds simple enough but at times is far from that: Take My Breath Away.

13. One of the biggest decisions we make in our life. The one to partner someone through life.

14. It’s like walking through the deep jungle, sometimes the path does not appear to be there, yet the indigenous people have moved through it for centuries: Follow Your Arrow.

15. And for the final lesson of the day, decisions are a lot harder when these things are in play.

The decision was over whether to ask a woman I had met recently out. The circumstances do not allow for it at the moment. With the new space the clarity of making this decision has created, who knows what may happen.

A few pop divas in the playlist today, and some Country and Western. A rock anthem from Journey leads off, Then the first pop diva Rachel Platten. A spoken word piece then Camila Mora and Christina Perri. Another blast from the past with Berlin and we finish with some C & W from Kacey Musgraves: It’s Not About Perfect, It’s About Effort.

As you are making these hard decisions in your life remember, Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. Peace Out until next time we meet, my dear friends.

We Make A Life By What We Give!!

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Rod's World

What am I feeling? I am feeling pride in the 200 men I spent a day with at the Island of Men who had gathered to take a stand for we were in it together to become better men for each other, our families and friends, lovers and children. The day consisted of ceremonies and about twenty workshops on a wide range of subjects that could achieve the stated intention. The following poem was written by my mentor Arion about the day, it sums up what happened pretty damn well. Here is a link to his work: Living As Essence.

Men. When you take off your mask.
You break my heart, in every way.
You share wisdom beyond your years
And unbearable trauma under that smile

Men, when you take off the mask
You show me bone-deep loneliness
No longer covered by the effort of living
And you break my heart, again

Men, when your mask falls away
I see tender beauty
And breathtaking kindness
That shatters all I knew, as you

Men, without masks
I love you, I see you
I see the depth of your feeling
And the burden of keeping it down

Men free from masks
I see your tears and tenderness
And your ache to love and be loved
I see your true power stirring

Let celebrate all that is behind that mask
In you, me and all of us
Let’s start a rebellion
Where we wear the masks no more

Let us cry in each other’s arms
Then build a new world, together
A world that bows to tenderness
In every living thing

Let us break our hearts together
In our beauty and our pain
I love you, I love me
Let’s take this love, to the world.

So what has the world said about the power of community, here are a few of my favourites:

1. We attended a magnificent event and are setting up structures so that we can fulfil the third stanza.

2. There will be Shadow and Light moments on our journeys, but as it says when it’s hard, We’re In This Together: Let’s Stick Together.

3. But due to all of us, the vulnerability of men and the power that can create will not be a secret much longer.

4. And Yes, some of this happened: Bette Davis Eyes.

5. And heaps of Bro Love, which I define as being truly seen by another man, of whatever age.

6. I’m guessing this is not the Paul Ryan from the Tea Party in the States, great ethos though: I’m an Individual.

7. Mark Hyman, MD, believes that we all deserve a life of vitality and that we have the potential to create it for ourselves. That’s why he is dedicated to tackling the root causes of chronic disease by harnessing the power of Functional Medicine to transform healthcare. Dr Hyman and his team work every day to empower people, organizations, and communities to heal their bodies and minds, and improve our social and economic resilience.

8. Those African dudes know how to keep our intention simple: How Far I’ll Go.

9. Gentleman, make some noise!!

10. We Wee’d in nature on the island. it really gets you in contact with the power of the wellness offered by communing with the land: Oh, Well.

11. And didn’t they share this so beautifully in the Heartspace process?

12. A philosophical doctrine or approach to life that emphasizes social unity and generosity of spirit: Ubuntu.

13. Even Rumi’s on our side.

14. Here is my favourite movement creator, here are some of his words: I Have A Dream.

15. And for our final lesson, Men of the Island remember the power of the snowflake.

There is so much great stuff happening across the communities of the world to have its heart space be transformed. It was an honour to attend one of them on Sunday.

There is a playlist, it has one of Australia’s greatest silly songs amongst other classics. We begin with Bryan Ferry them move to Kim Carnes. Who remembers Jacko then a musical tune from Moana. One of the great early Fleetwood Mac numbers follows then a world music number from World Edition. We finish with the wisdom of Martin Luther King: We Make A Life By What We Give.

If you really knew me, you would know in my heart there lives the statement: Love and Respect For All, Everybody Included. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

Just In Case You Need Reminding!!

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Rod's World

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure,” says Marianne Williamson in a Return to Love. “It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so people won’t feel insecure around you. You were born to manifest the glory of God that is within you. It’s not just within some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’

We live in a new age. It’s a time of opening up and of healing and growth. It’s not passive but it requires surrender – the surrender of our old egos and patterns. As Charles Dubois once said, “The important thing is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you could become.”

Debbie Ford says in order to authentically love ourselves we have to embrace all of who we are, not just the dark but the light as well. And learning to recognize our own talents allows us to appreciate and love everyone else’s unique gifts.”

So here is Debbie’s remarkable exercise on this festive day:

‘Take a moment to quiet your mind. Take several, slow, deep breaths and slowly read through the list below. After looking at every word, say to yourself, ” I am _______,” for everyone. For example, I am healthy; I am beautiful; I am brilliant; I am talented; I am rich. Write down any word that you’re uncomfortable with, on a sheet of paper. Include words that represent things that you admire in someone else but don’t embrace in yourself.

Satisfied, secure, loved, inspiring, sensual, radiant, delicious, passionate, cheerful, joyful, sexy, forgiving, alive, fulfilled, energetic, confident, flexible, accepting, whole, healthy, talented, capable, wise, honoured, holy, empowering, embracing, divine, powerful, free, funny, knowledgeable, affluent, enlightened, realized, balanced, brilliant, successful, worthy, open, compassionate, strong , creative, peaceful, fair, famous, disciplined, responsible, happy, pretty, desirable, blissful, enthusiastic, courageous, precious, fortunate, mature, artistic, vulnerable, radiant, conscious, faithful, magnificent, cosmic, attractive, complete, centred, cherished, romantic, warm-hearted, lucky, assertive, thankful, gentle, quiet, full, soft, wanted, extravagant, decisive, juicy, tender, willing, timely, irresistible. generous, beautiful, calm, carefree, easy going, patient, non-judgemental, cool, thoughtful, spiritual, loyal, connected, articulate, spontaneous, organized, reasonable, humorous, acknowledged, content, adored, playful, clean, fruitful, punctual, fun, understanding, self-assured, dedicated, optimistic, forward, intelligent, credible, active, glamorous, fearless, vivacious, warm, focused, innovative, nurturing, superstar, wonderful, leader, solid, champion, rich, choice-maker, simple, genuine, giving, assertive, adorned, prolific, productive, bold, sensitive.

Debbie says we all possess all of these qualities. All you have to do to manifest them is unconceal, own and embrace each one. So how does the world relate to being magnificent, let’s have a look:

1. 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.

2. Find the others who can see it: You are so Beautiful to Me.

3. Time to walk tall.

4. You, Yes, You: Magnificence.

5. Mini practice, I am _______.

6. Shadow and Light, they travel together: All of Me.

7. I honour your uniqueness.

8. Double it, there you go: Brave.

9. Self Explanatory.

10. As an artist, Rudy Francisco is an amalgamation of social critique, introspection, honesty and humour. He uses personal narratives to discuss the politics of race, class, gender and religion while simultaneously pinpointing and reinforcing the interconnected nature of human existence: Love Poem.

11. From the worlds most famous quoter, Ms. Unknown, what you give and get by receiving from others.

12. I’m thinking of a very daggy song: Born to be Alive.

13. Not by Helen Keller, but it could be.

14. I saw my friend Leela yesterday, who has the prettiest smile in our community yesterday, it always makes my heart sing: Make me Smile.

15, And to finish, this beautiful ode to you.

We are taught not to acknowledge our greatness. Most of us believe we possess some positive traits but not others. But we are all things: those that make us laugh as well as those that make us cry. We are every beautiful and ugly trait rolled into one. It is time to manifest all of your qualities. When you can own your entire list you will truly be in the presence of your version of God.

I think I have kept the best playlist for this festive day. We begin with Joe Cocker, then Miten and Deva, John Legend and I snuck in one Pop diva, Sara Bareilles. Then a beautiful spoken word ode from Rudy Francisco. We go back in time to finish with Patrick Hernandez and Steve Harley, enjoy: Just In Case You Need Reminding!!

Remember to spread Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included with those you relate with today:

Now a Soft Kiss.

Posted on November 24, 2018 by Rod's World

I am attending a retreat next weekend organised by my friend and Anam Cara Emeli Paulo via her self-development company Collective Potential: Check them out here. One of her heroes is Joseph Campbell so I thought to revisit one of his books Pathways to Bliss: Get It Here.

Joseph Campbell famously defined myth as “other people’s religion.” But he also said that one of the basic functions of myth is to help each individual through the journey of life, providing a sort of travel guide or map to reach fulfilment — or, as he called it, bliss. For Campbell, many of the world’s most powerful myths support the individual’s heroic path toward bliss. In Pathways to Bliss, Campbell examines this personal, psychological side of myth.

In this highly enjoyable book, Campbell says: “There are something like 18 billion cells in the brain alone. There are no two brains alike; there are no two hands alike; there are no two human beings alike. You can take your instructions and your guidance from others, but you must find your own path.” Defining it as BLISS = THE TRANSCENDENT WISDOM WITHIN YOU – “Your bliss can guide you to that transcendent mystery because bliss is the welling up of the energy of the transcendent wisdom within you. So when the bliss cuts off, you know that you’ve cut off the welling up; try to find it again.”

So how does the world look at Bliss, lets take that journey:

1. Lisa starts her webpage as follows, Dear Highly Sensitive Soul, Everything happens for a reason, I am so glad you have found yourself here! Let me remind you how special and unique you are AND that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you! I know that being a Highly Sensitive Soul can sometimes feel like a curse, but in reality, it’s a blessing. You just need to know how to navigate your way through a world that doesn’t always understand what it means to feel things so deeply.

2. Make sure your daily reality is not too far from your bliss: From Little Things.

3. Probably Josephs most famous quote.

4. the ultimate form of bliss, to know self-love and love for another: All of You.

5. Not what I hold bliss to be, at all.

6. the opposite of bliss: Ignorance.

7. Thomas Gray was an English poet, letter-writer, classical scholar, and professor at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He is widely known for his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, published in 1751.

Gray was an extremely self-critical writer who published only 13 poems in his lifetime, despite being extremely popular. He was even offered the position of Poet Laureate in 1757, though he declined.

8. If you are looking out there for it, go back, wrong way: Baby It’s You.

9. Shadow and Light, they travel together.

10. Think I found this opportunity this weekend: Soul Kind of Feeling.

11. Appears to be getting harder and harder to do in these Tinder driven times.

12. All three spiritual fields please: Mind, Body and Soul.

13. The definition of Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs.

14. 4 great blissful quotes: Safety Dance.

15. The right ones will open.

LIFE IS CALLING but “When the call isn’t answered, you experience a kind of drying up and a sense of life lost.” Life is calling. Are you answering? If not, beware. No matter how much you try to numb yourself, the pain’s not going away. Not till you step up and answer the call. Then? Well, then God’s on the line and flowing through you. Enter: Bliss, Enthusiasm, all the things you want but are afraid you may not get so you keep on doing the same ‘ol, same ‘ol. 🙂 * ring ring * * ring ring * PICK UP, already! 🙂

Some great tracks today. We begin with Missy Higgins and Paul Kelly, followed by a John Legend classic. Then a Paramore super hit, then Beyonce. Over to our more obscure numbers, a great Aussie band The Dynamic Hepnotics, then a re-released obscurity by The Flaming Ember. We finish off with Men Without Hats with their dance ditty: Now a Soft Kiss.

Remember to spread Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included until next time we meet, my dear friends.

If you are Attentive, You Will See It!!

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Rod's World

I love 365-day quote books, and here is one of my favourites: The Golden Present – Daily Inspirational Readings BY SRI SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA – Get It Here.

These daily inspirational readings contain Swami Satchidananda’s teachings on the spiritual life” how to serve others and realize peace, truth, and union with the divine. Culled from twenty-five years of lectures to spiritual seekers in the West and the East, these readings are expressed with the simplicity and authority of one who speaks from his own experience. What is purity of heart? Here are two of my favourites:

“What you sow you reap. Don’t worry about the future and don’t worry about the past. A great thinker once said the past and the future are not even visible. But what is visible? The golden present. Think of the golden present, sow what is necessary, what is right. Sow good thoughts, sow good deeds, and I am sure you will reap good fruits. There is no question about it. What you do comes back to you. What you sow, you reap. So do the right thing in the present, and don’t worry about the future. The people who worry about the future miss the present as well.”

“Life must be a challenge. Only then is it exciting. In an obstacle race, you are forced to surmount all the obstacles: to jump over the hurdles, go through the barrels, crawl under the rugs, climb over walls. What would happen if, to avoid all that, you went around all the obstacles and asked for the winner’s cup? Would they give it to you? No. They would say, “You must go back and face all the obstacles.” … Make your life as exciting as possible, but always think of it as fun. The adversities, as well as the harmony, should be enjoyable. Don’t become sober and morose and have a castor oil face in the name of spirituality. Just be happy. Jump with joy. Even if you make a mistake, say, “Hey, I did this? Great! What a wonderful lesson I learned!” If you really want to, you can make everything fun.”

So what is your Golden Present, for that matter what is societies, lets have a look:

1. This is the door you are meant to walk through.

2. Its where Self Love lives: Living In The Moment.

3. The greatest gift you can give to the other person in the conversation.

4. We travel back to the 17th Century for this piece of sage advice. Goethe still has an Institute named after him today: Feel This Moment.

5. Fully, Fully, Fully.

6. Touch Life Deeply, Yum!! : Truly, Madly, Deeply.

7. No Magic here.

8. But here there is: Magic.

9. The present of presence.

10. Time to Wake Up: Wake Me Up.

11. Are you touching Yours?

12. In the Now 101: The Air That I Breathe,

13. That reawakes your brilliance.

14. Nature does it for me: Spirit Bird.

15. And we finish with a cute horse quote: because we can, it’s up to us, it’s our time.

Sri says “If you make mistakes it doesn’t matter. Make mistakes and learn. The best teachers are your own mistakes. You learn even faster by your mistakes. Once I was at a conference with the great modern scientist Buckminster Fuller. He stood up and said, “Friends, forget about all the ‘Do this. Don’t do that’ business. Commit as many mistakes as possible, as soon as possible. You’ll become great.” It’s true. Every failure is a stepping stone. Remember, though, that you can’t use the same stone for each step. Every step should be on a new stone. That means you shouldn’t keep on making the same mistakes. Learn well from each one. The problem with many people is that they commit the same mistake over and over. Even so, they will eventually learn from their mistake and move on. Experience is the best teacher.”

Today’s playlist contains some beautiful songs. We begin with Jason Mraz, then Pitbull & Christina Aguilera. Savage Garden, Sia and Avicii fill the middle up. We return to the 60’s with The Hollies and complete with Xavier Rudd’s magnificent anthem to the soul: If You Are Attentive, You Will See It.

Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until next we meet, my dear friends.

How Do I Make It Up To You?

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Rod's World

Been journeying the workshop scene lately: Dancing Eros for Men – a 7-week journey into the female archetypes, Expand The Box and Possibility Lab, two 5 day journeys into radical responsibility and the Tantra is Love Sexuality workshop last weekend.

Each comes with notes and exercises of sorts and I am really enjoying reading and expanding from Clinton Callahan/s book Directing the Power of Conscious Feelings: Grab a copy. In this life-altering book, there are the distinctions between low and high drama. Low drama is what we play out with each other, fulfilling one of the roles of victim, rescuer or perpetrator in our day to day scenarios, we are very skilled at this as we are trained from a very early age to fill one of these roles.

High drama is taking responsibility for change in your life. The page I opened the book to has a list about how to train yourself in living in a high drama state, here it is:

Refuse to leave the adult ego state, where you are yourself in the minimized now of the present moment. Put a stake in the ground there.
Declare that you are not a victim. If there is not a victim, there can be no low drama.
Consciously feed your four distinct feelings: anger, sadness, joy, fear.
Detect if you are experiencing a present feeling or an emotion projected from your past or from an authority figure or institution ( Hint, if the feeling lasts longer than a few minutes, it is an emotion.)
Use your emotions to detect the healing you need to do.
Use your feelings to responsibly handle things

Make a boundary/become the boundary
Ask for what you want
Make a decision yes or no
Make a distinction, be precise
Start something/End Something

7. Neutrally observe what is going on. Choose what is.

8. Make a paper thin gap of nothingness between you and your box

9. Take radical responsibility for creating your circumstances. It is no one else’s fault.

10. If there are other people’s voices in your head, blast them away with your voice blaster.

11. Apologise for your patterns that have caused the breakdown.

12. Willingly enter the pain of remorse. Clear your resentments.

13. Be authentic about your inauthenticity.

14. Determine whose problem it is. If it is your problem, take responsibility. If it is not your problem, it is none of your business.

15. Get centred, Find and keep your attention. Stay unhookable.

16. Use your innate genius to continuously invent new ways to get out of a low drama. Share what you learn with your friends and your enemies.

For the terms you do not understand, I recommend getting the book. Responsibility is one of those words that can plug you in if you are operating from low drama, so what does our society say about it, here are a few statements about it:

1. Being in your now is another part of the training, some of us hang around in our now for 15 years, what if now was three seconds.

2. But I can’t, Its too hard, I’m scared, which way is this: The Real Slim Shady.

3. One plays in the dirt, the other soars above storms.

4. Yes, you, you are one powerful motherf****: Diamonds.

5. What is your word for it?

6. Hal actually died at age 20. Hit head-on by a drunk driver at 70 miles per hour, he was clinically dead for 6 minutes, broke 11 bones, and eventually woke from a coma to be told by doctors that he would never walk again. Not only did Hal walk, but he also went on to run a 52-mile ultra-marathon and become a hall of fame business achiever—before the age of 30: Back From The Dead.

7. Another word for a perpetual victim.

8. The most natural path to fulfilling your destiny, take responsibility for your life: Buttons.

9. If you can own no matter, you instantly become free.

10. Actions not words, for me. I watched Question Time for our legislature yesterday and could clearly see why they lost the confidence of the general population a long time ago, it was like a bad stand up comedy performance: This is Me.

11. Reading mainstream media makes it okay not to do this, it is all low drama.

12. The three-sided triangle, the cause, the solution and the matter, Yes, please: What makes you Stronger.

13. What a great insight to have in our lives.

14. Are you really a leader if you do not ultimately accept it: Responsibility.

15. “A new civilization is emerging in our lives, and blind men everywhere are trying to suppress it. This new civilisation brings with it new family styles; changed ways of working, loving, and living; a new economy; new political conflicts; and beyond all this an altered consciousness as well…The dawn of this new civilisation is the single most explosive fact of our lifetimes.”

Alvin Toffler, from The Third Wave (1980)

Here is an example of low drama vs. high drama: You are the dinner table, and you would like some water to drink, and you say “I am really thirsty,” you are playing victim to a low drama, trying to manipulate someone else into rescuing you. If instead, you say, “Harry, will you please pass the water, you are playing the warrior in a high drama. High drama is that simple.

All but one song are from this century on today’s playlist: We begin with Eminem and Rhianna. We then shift to rock with Skillet, then three pop divas, firstly The Pussy Cat Dolls, Kesha and finishing the trio with Kelly Clarkson. Finally one for the kids by Dolly Parton. Here’s the playlist link: How Do I Make It Up to You.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

It’s preceded by Chaos!!

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Rod's World

Marc and Angel time. In chapter 6, Getting Unstuck . of their inspirational book, Getting Back to Happy: The Entry Portal. they write – “The truth is, it’s never too late or too early to be who you are capable of being. There’s no time limit for when you can start living the life you’ve always dreamed of. There is no mythical door that shuts after you turn a certain age, blocking you off from experiencing the things you want to do.

Human beings are experts at trying to avoid change, but change avoidance is one of the biggest factors that leads to unhappiness. When we find ourselves in situations that challenge our self-perception, we often react by feeling trapped or on guard. We often think that the worst thing that can happen is that the status quo will be interrupted. But who wants to spend their life thinking and feeling this way. Happily, life has a way of throwing up red flags when it’s time for us to make a change – we just . have to be watchful for them. With that in mind, take a look at this list and ask yourself: are any of these the reasons I’m unhappy with my life as it is now?

Fear is holding you back,
You catch yourself feeding the negative.
Your mind is everywhere except right here, right now.
You feel pressured to be someone other than yourself.
You feel like you’re competing against everybody else.
A relationship is making you miserable.
You feel bored.
You’ve been resisting change.
Other people are writing your story for you.

If any of these resonate with you, you certainly aren’t alone. Many people are afraid to step forward and change their situation simply because they don’t know how or because they’re afraid to fail. Remember it’s always better to take an imperfect step forward that to take no step at all.”

It seems that there are so many more change agents on the planet these days via social media, etc. but let’s have a look at what history has said about it:

1. Known for his statement on the difference between the East and the West: Asia is one. The Himalayas divide, only to accentuate, two mighty civilisations, the Chinese with its communism of Confucius, and the Indian with its individualism of the Vedas. But not even the snowy barriers can interrupt for one moment that broad expanse of love for the Ultimate and Universal, which is the common thought-inheritance of every Asiatic race, enabling them to produce all the great religions of the world, and distinguishing them from those maritime peoples of the Mediterranean and the Baltic, who love to dwell on the Particular, and to search out the means, not the end, of life.

2. The man behind the origin of the species conversation, this is his major reason for why they survive: We are all Related.

3. And what would our morning walks in Spring be like without the butterflies?

4. No one ever said there would be no pain: Smack That.

5. I grew up in an age where there was no internet, hard to believe.

6. Each wave of your life is a unique experience, take that in: Turn The Tide.

7. Advice from 25 centuries ago that is still relevant today.

8. The Monk who sold his Ferrari, Robin introduces a major reason why we need a change in our lives, It leads to gorgeousness: Gorgeous.

9. From my top ten people on the internet, Alan Watts calls on us to dive into change and life.

10. No equals Next Opportunity: Stand Up For Something.

11. And suddenly it all clears and its time.

12. Nothing in nature stays the same, so why do we as human beings think that we are meant too: San Francisco.

13. What if where you went in life was simply the detour you needed to take to make the change you needed in your life at that particular moment in time?

14. A sobering thought, not something most people would look forward to, but a reality for a lot of humanity: California Dreaming.

15. And sometimes the change may be that our field is returned to fallow – ploughed and left unseeded for a season or more.

So if you are hanging around in the list above, what’s the alternative? It’s in recognising that changing your situation is about taking action in the present. It’s about asking yourself: what are the things that I can do to improve my situation now? It’s coming to terms with the ideas and thoughts in your head that are holding you back. It’s about deciding that you are going to stop waiting, stop making excuses, and start making changes, however small they may be. Allow the chaos to begin and your life will transform.

Today’s playlist is eclectic in its nature. We begin with my favourite Nessi Gomes track followed by some rap for my nephew from Akon. Two pop divas in Sylver and Taylor Swift follow, then a possibility anthem from Andra Day with the list being closed out with two 60’s classics from Scott Mckenzie and The Mama and The Papas. Here is the link for your enjoyment: It’s Preceded By Chaos!!

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

The Best Advice My Mother Ever Gave Me!!

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Rod's World

As we journey through our personal and professional lives, there will inevitably be periods of incredible frustration and despair. During these hard times, it will seem that we’ve lost everything and that nobody and nothing could possibly motivate us to move forward in the direction of our dreams.

But luckily we are all holding a backpack of support that comes in many forms – it can be a simple SMS or email from someone we listen to, an inspiring Facebook Meme, a book a friend recommends to us, a blog you come across such as this one, a helpful neighbour etc., etc., etc.

In Getting Back to Happy: link to the website. Marc and Angel Chernoff state that there are two opportunities when we are feeling discouraged and unmotivated:

1. To recognise and appreciate our backpack of support – our external sources of motivation – before a random guru (or someone with much more crooked intentions) has to steal it from us so that we can finally see what we have always taken for granted.

2. To be present and tap into our own hearts and minds – our internal sources of motivation – which have the power to push us back up on our feet and guide us down the road to our backpack of support, even when it appears to be lost forever.

What does the world say about support, here are 15 gems to enquire into it:

1. One of my musical friends is passing over to the other side and one of his closest buddies visited him for three hours recently. He wrote a post about it, that the most precious moments where when they went quiet together and just sat in the energy of their love for each other.

2. Not sure about having to remain consistent, doesn’t unconditionality allow for all states of play: Perfect.

3. For me, it’s my siblings. we have a deep love and respect for each other.

4. It’s time to let your self-judgements drop away and let your worthiness shine on: Shine on You Crazy Diamond.

5. The closer I get to this moment to moment the more joy is available to me on a daily basis.

6. I like the theory that mistakes occur to show us that we are going down the wrong track: Same Mistake.

7. Think Martin Luther King, Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, Wayne Dyer…etc, etc.

8. I just spent 5 days at the Expand Your Box training that investigates what you have recorded in your body and how they control your ability to express yourself at 100%. It was revealing and transformational: Jump In The Line.

9. A notion that is being supported more and more these days.

10. Let go of your gaseous nebula, it’s holding your transformation up: A Star Is Born.

11. The latter is not win: win it is winning happening on an ongoing basis.

12. From little things, big things grow: From Little Things, Big Things Grow.

13. I just love this image, I imagine myself as a 64-year-old replacing the child.

14. One of the difficult things to give away in life, absolute trust: Trust.

15. And a final word from Maya, actions not words is the best way of supporting yourself and your dreams.

No matter what your circumstances, you always have what it takes to take the next smallest step. As Epicurus so profoundly said. “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

Be mindful, be present. Keep going. One small step at a time.

The playlist for today contains a few quirky numbers: First two varieties of Pink, then James Blunt followed by an outtake from Beetlejuice featuring Harry Belafonte. Then two duets by Babara Streisand and Kris Christofferson and possibly my favourite Australian song by Paul Kelly and Missy Higgins. Pop Diva Christina Perri finishes it. Here’s the link for your visual and aural pleasure: The Best Advice my Mother Ever Gave Me.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends: