A few of my Favourite Things!!

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Rod's World

It seems I have reached the limit of Facebook pages I can like, it’s 5,000, the same as Facebook friends you can have, But I have built a collection of my top 10 or 20 over the journey that I offer to the Booker Looker universe because I believe their posts make a difference. Some of them I have no idea how we connected and others were recommendations from friends. So I thought I would list them for you so that you have the opportunity to gain the knowledge they share across the airwaves:

Nicky Hamid: Spiritual dude from New Zealand. His words are full of the most love for the planet and its occupants I have found: Link to Nicky.
Luminita Savic, AKA Purpose Fairy: Her blog on 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy went viral and she now appears on stages all around the world giving her worldly advice, one of the great list makers on the net: Link to Luminita.
Marc and Angel Hack Life – Practical Tips for Productive Living: After losing two very close people at an early age, Marc and Angel Chernoff began to write about the experience in a blog which has turned into their latest book becoming a New York Times bestseller, to me the most useful meme and list makers on the net.: Hack Life.
Brian Johnston at Optimize: made millions in the IT industry then went to Bali to read every book worth reading. Does a six-page PDF and 20 minute audio on the big ideas from each book, For those who are time poor but love new knowledge for $10 a month you get 5 new books, best ten bucks I spend: The Books.
Katherine Woodward Thomas: Katherine writes a daily mini blog on relationships and life. They are incredibly insightful, they are called Love out Loud Daily: Katherine’s link.
Dane Tomas: Creator of a revolutionary clearing method called the Spiral, Dane is my go-to man on all things in regards to sexuality, you may find some of his stuff abrasive but its worth the journey: Dane Live.
Amrit Sandhu: This is actually a blog called Inspired Revolution. You will not meet a man more enthusiastic about life than my friend Amrit. He interviews inspiring people who give you a lift everytime you listen. Here’s Amrit.
Mastin Kipp: My version of Tony Robbins. I first came across Mastin when he had a blog called The Daily Love which used to have the best quotes and guests. He had 700,000 followers but shut it down when he realised that coaching was his true destiny: Live Your Purpose.
Elephant Journal: Numerous pages on Health, humour sustainability. It costs $108 for life but is worth the investment: Elephants Pages.
Ari Amala: Another friend, her poetry is so beautiful and touches my heart every time. I told her she reminds me of Maya Angelou when she reads it: Access Ari and her words of Beauty.
Dannielle LaPorte: I use her daily planner and have for five years. Uber insightful Canadian, lots of free stuff including at the moment her Flagship Book, The Desire Map: My Favourite Canadian
Madysn Taylor: DailyOm, always a great read on a wide variety of subjects: Here’s Madyson.

So that covered Facebook and the net, but what does society say about a few of our favourite things, let’s have a look:

1. What more love can you offer in a gift than actually creating it yourself.

2, My friends who have been there said the uniqueness of its people is one of the reasons New York is their favourite place: New York, New York.

3, Money you can get back, time is gone forever, us it wisely.

4. Don’t know who Terry Gross is, but with 29,000 songs on my Itunes and Spotify, I plead guilty to this: My Favourite Things.

5. And then there is all of life.

6. The good bits and the so-called bad bits, put down the umbrella’s my friends: Satisfy My Soul.

7. All dancing and singing ones do it for me.

8. Reading Oliver’s name I instantly think of his book with the quirky title The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: Toccata and Fugue.

9. Shared.

10. Who knows what may be generated by having a cup of coffee at your favourite cafe: From Little Things, Big Things Grow.

11. Who’s your favourite voice.

12. I love it, Life as a happy accident: Happy Accidents.

13. At 17, Coelho’s introversion and opposition to following a traditional path led to his parents committing him to a mental institution from which he escaped three times before being released at the age of 20. His life story reads like the title of his most popular book, The Alchemist.

14. Education goes both ways, the student and the teacher are changed by each interaction: Teach Your Children Well.

15. And finally, a recipe to start a few of your Favourite Things with.

In her excellent book, Love Out Loud: Contact Nicole., Nicole Gibson recalls a quote from a friend “Stand In Love, Don’t Fall In Love”, I think this sums up the power of a Few of our Favourite Things very well.

On the playlist, we return to a few previous centuries to fill in the mix today. Frank Sinatra, John Coltrane, Bob Marley and Bach lead off. Then a classic from a great OZ band, The Waifs. We finish with two artists new to me, Saint Motel and the duo Suzzy Bogguss & Kathy Mattea: A Few of My Favourite Things.

My Favourite thing is Interculturalism: So remember to show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until next time we meet my dear friends.

The Garden of The World has no Limits

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Rod's World

Today is my self declared Rumi day, all the quotes will be from one person, he is Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, Mevlânâ/Mawlānā and Mevlevî/Mawlawī, but in the western world simply known as Rumi.

Rumi’s poetry has been captured in a number of different collections. In all, one is exposed to the manner in which Rumi demonstrates the unbridled joy that comes from living life fully while urging us always to put aside our fears and take the risk required to do so.

Rumi believed passionately in the use of music, poetry and dance as a path for reaching God. For Rumi, music helped devotees to focus their whole being on the divine and to do this so intensely that the soul was both destroyed and resurrected. It was from these ideas that the practice of whirling Dervishes developed into a ritual form. His teachings became the base for the order of the Mevlevi, which his son Sultan Walad organised. Rumi encouraged Sama, listening to music and turning or doing the sacred dance. In the Mevlevi tradition, samāʿ represents a mystical journey of spiritual ascent through mind and love to the Perfect One. In this journey, the seeker symbolically turns towards the truth, grows through love, abandons the ego, finds the truth and arrives at the Perfect. The seeker then returns from this spiritual journey, with greater maturity, to love and to be of service to the whole of creation without discrimination with regard to beliefs, races, classes and nations. And as well as this he wrote possibly the most beautiful poetry ever written on this planet from which short vignettes are taken and turned into quotes, here are my favourites:

1. I must be in Love, I have felt like my body is disintegrating into the energy of the universe lately.

2. Can you even think this: Ocean of Love.

3. From the day I was born.

4. Time to turn the searchlight on: Find Yourself.

5. Quiet please, ah, there it is.

6. Find the others, but be responsible for your steps in life: A Road Song.

7. It’s just a perfect day, I’m so glad I spent it with you.

8. Only one song for this: Because the Night.

9. Remember those nights sitting watching the ocean reflect the stars and moon stoned out of your mind, I do.

10. I call him/her Gaia, what’s your name: Sacred Chant.

11. One of his best known.

12. Today we call it Social Media: The Sounds of Silence.

13. Starseed Y’all.

14. Remember to breath next time we meet, my beloved: Ring of Fire.

15. And finally from the great man, a simple request.

No mirror ever became iron again; No bread ever became wheat; No ripened grape ever became sour fruit. Mature yourself and be secure from a change for the worse. Become the light.” What a beautiful way to help us remember to appreciate each step we take in the self-actualizing process. Remember that once you‘ve evolved to a new stage of development, you simply cannot go back to the levels you were previously at! Rejoice in that fact and appreciate your growth. Become the light.

Today’s playlist sounds like it came out of the American mid-west and or sitting next to a river. We begin with Miten and Deva, Then to Brad Paisley and the Fountains of Wayne. Possibly the best song of 1976 by Patti Smith then to the river’s edge with Mama Gaia. Two gruff voices finish it off with Tempest and Johny Cash: The Garden of the World has no Limits.

As you bliss out on Rumi and the accompanying songs, remember to share Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until next time we meet, my dear friends.

Don’t Cut the Person to Fit the Cloth

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Rod's World

I was in my local library returning my slightly overdue items when I saw it: The Book titled f**k it – DO WHAT YOU LOVE: Get it here, free shipping.

In this highly entertaining and motivational book, John sets out to prove that when we do what we love, we’re actually more likely to be happier, healthier, wealthier, and more successful. He addresses the significant blocks that people experience when they consider doing what they love, including: “Doing what you love is for time off, not work”, “Doing what I love would be selfish”, “I just don’t know what I love” and “I could never make a living from doing what I love”. Through no-nonsense ideas, fascinating facts and motivating calls to action, John brings us from pessimism to inspiration, so that our thoughts become powered by “F**k it, I can’t waste any more of my life”, “F**k it, I will find a way to make this work”, “F**k it, I will do what I love”.

So what is your Yes, But? here are the ones John collected from his research:

Yes, but I’m afraid I’ll fail.
Yes, but I don’t want to give up this lifestyle.
Yes, but what about my responsibilities – my family, etc.
Yes, but I’m scared I’ll embarrass myself.
Yes, but no one can just do what they love – grow up.
Yes, but I have no idea what I love.
Yes, but what about money? My passion is acting.
Yes, but I have to think about everyone else in my life.
Yes, but what if doing what I love makes me sick.
Yes, but what if no one wants the thing I love doing.
Yes, but what if I do it and it doesn’t work out. I’ll have nothing left to dream of.
Yes, but my parents won’t approve.
Yes, but it’s hard to take a commercial or business approach to doing what I love.
Yes, but I’m too old now.
Yes, but I don’t deserve to do what I love.
Yes, but what if I don’t make it work after giving up my safe, permanent job.
Yes, but the idea of what I love changes and morphs all the time – like life.
Yes, but what if I realize I don’t love it after all.
Yes, but the people around me won’t like it.
Yes, but I love lots of things, not just one.
Yes, but I don’t want to do what I love for eight hours a day, because then I won’t love it anymore.
Yes, but it’s selfish to do what you love.
Yes, but I might find out that I’m not good at doing what I love.
Yes, but work is meant to feel difficult; it’s not meant to feel like play.
Yes, but I’d never want to work for myself.

Quite a comprehensive list as to why up to 70% of people answer they do not love their work. Sometimes to Do What You Love, you have to say ‘no’ to lots of things that you’d quite like to do.

So how has society spoken about Yes, But over the years? This is what I found that to be:

1. She’s listening, all the time. Be careful what you say and think.

One of the worlds most noted Science Fiction and Fantasy writers, a 2009 profile in The New York Times Magazine described Vance as “one of American literature’s most distinctive and undervalued voices”. He died at his home in Oakland, California on May 26, 2013, aged 96: Cliff Jumping.

3. Another bride, Another June, Another sunny honeymoon, Another season, another reason, For makin’ Whoopee.

4. The ultimate Yes, But: Scared to Death.

5. Sort it out after, to live you must make mistakes.

6. When But can be a great thing: Discovery Channel Song.

7. Beautiful things the But means you do not experience.

8. Imagine if the jazz greats had listened to their Buts: Red Clay.

9. No Buts, Thankyou.

10. Two Words, Barack Obama: Yes We Can.

11. Time for some Fun.

12. Named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the Top 10 Twitter Accounts Every Entrepreneur Should Be Following, Ali is an expert at taking away the buts: Vision of Love.

13. Great trumps good every time.

14. Is Maybe So the same as but?: Call Me Maybe.

15, What’s your answer to this final quote?

John says that real prioritizing needs to be laced with frequent ‘F**K Its’, so here we go: F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It etc, etc.

Today’s playlist includes a POTUS. We begin with the alphabetized YT Vines and KZ Tandingan. Then an ad, The Discovery Channel Song, them some of my favourite style of music from Freddy Hubbard. The POTUS follows, then Mariah Carey and Carly Rae Jepsen finish off with some classic pop: Don’t Cut the Person to Fit the Cloth.

Remember on this glorious NYE, to express Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included as you walk into 2019:

When It Hurts, Observe!!

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Rod's World

Have you thought about what areas you have personally developed yourself in in 2018? For me, it has been in the areas of Expanding the Box of my Consciousness and Sexuality. Here are some statements about what may stop you from Personal Development by Marc Chernoff:

The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing.
Growing happens when what you know changes how you live.
It’s not so much about finding opportunities as it is about creating them.
No matter How Smart You Are, You Will make Mistakes.
A good idea without action is nothing at all.
What we don’t start Today, Won’t be finished Tomorrow.
If you keep doing what you’re doing, You’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
There is a lesson in everything you do, and learning the lesson is how you move forward.
The Harder you work, The luckier you will Become.
Nobody succeeds all by themselves.
Being busy and being productive are two different things.
Being successful is a journey, not a destination.
Tough Times don’t last, but Tough People do.
Having a plan, Even a flawed one at first is better than no plan at all.
It’s uncomfortable to challenge the Status Quo, But it’s worth it.
Lots of successful people have failed as many times as they have succeeded.

I like the saying by Mae West: You Only Live Once, But If You Do It Right, Once Is Enough. Apologies to the Reincarnationists amongst my readers. Let’s have a look at how society views Personal Development:

1. Open that heart up the whole way.

2. Remember you grow the longer you are on the journey: Don’t Look Back In Anger.

3. But remember to find others to play with.

4. Another way of saying it is get rid of these toxic people out of your life as soon as possible: One Day.

5. And they say it in every language across the planet.

6. And what would a blog on Personal Development be without a little Brene Brown: I’m Not The Only One.

7. And from the man in the cardigan, comes the theory of madness.

8. And to do this we need to keep our eyes, mind and heart wide open at all times: Boo’d Up.

9. And of course, we need some Steve Covey.

10. Time to put down that book you know so well, and start your brand new life: Feeling Good.

11. Smile for the camera, it can even be a selfie.

12. Hermann Karl Hesse was a German-born poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include Demian, Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game, each of which explores an individual’s search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.: Be Yourself.

13. Herman was quite prolific on the subject.

14. Don’t try and logically make your development fit in, after all, it is your unique offering: The Eyes of Truth.

15. And here is an opportunity to take your own marriage vows.

If we can find the patience to see the world for what it is – dynamic, flexible and loaded with untapped potential – and if we can accept the fact that change is an inevitable and brilliant part of life, then we can partake in the thrill of progression, and help shape a world in which the impossible becomes possible.

Two oldies and quite a few people I have not heard of inhabit the Playlist today, we begin with Oasis, then Matisyahu. The crooner Sam Smith follows, then three new to me: Ella Mai, Avicii and Peruquios, finishing up with Enigma: When It Hurts, Observe!!

Spread Love and Respect For All, Everyone included with those you interact in this holiday time:

Every Moment is an Opportunity!!

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Rod's World

My new friend Rick is a big fan of Dan Millman. I must admit I have not read much of his work since Way of the Peaceful Warrior so I decided to check out what he had done since then. I took a fancy to Everyday Enlightenment – The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth. The Gateways are as follows:

Discover Your Worth.
Reclaim Your Will.
Energize Your Body.
Manage Your Money.
Tame Your Mind.
Trust Your Intuition.
Accept Your Emotions.
Face Your Fears.
Illuminate Your Shadows.
Embrace Your Sexuality.
Awaken Your Heart.
Serve Your World.

A great list to live a worthwhile life from. Dan speak about enlightenment as follows:

“When people ask me abstract questions about time, or space, or reincarnation, I may respond by asking whether they exercise regularly, eat a wholesome diet, get enough sleep, show kindness to others, and remember to take a slow, deep breath on occasion—because it seems important to bring our spiritual quest down to earth. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with philosophical speculation. But let’s not mistake conceptual thought for the spiritual practice of everyday life. After all, what does it serve to know whether angels wear earrings if we can’t hold a regular job or maintain a long-term relationship? What good does it do to pray like a saint or meditate like a yogi if we are unchanged when we open our eyes? What good to attend a place of worship on Saturday or Sunday if we lack compassion on Monday?”

So how do you how enlightenment, do you think you will ever get there? So very wise people have the following to say about it:

1. Mr Nature, David Suzuki says you can pick them because they walk above the ground, would certainly save on footwear.

2. I also love Pema’s stuff on compassion: Explaining Maitri.

3. I have had this quote in my altar for over 10 years.

4. Love this take on the Noble Eightfold Path, the crux of Buddhism: Alan Watts take at It.

5. Lao Tzu places it right at the feet of Self Love.

6. And here are my two favourite symptoms of Enlightenment from Deepak Chopra: Miracles.

7. Thích Nhất Hạnh born as Nguyễn Xuân Bảo on October 11, 1926, is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, founder of the Plum Village Tradition. He is known for his universal stand for world peace.

8. Each day we get a new opportunity at it: A New Day Has Come.

9. As that famous quote says, Before Enlightenment – Chop Wood, Stack Wood. After Enlightenment – Chop Wood, Stack Wood.

10. A gentle reminder that you cannot get Enlightenment from others, it is a personal journey: Happy.

11. More wisdom from Thich.

12. Permanent and Unbreakable, real and present, still working on it: A Thousand Years.

13. Well, Are You?

14. Think Gandhi, MLK, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, even the author of this quote: One Tribe.

15. And from the man who sat under the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha, a reminder what can make the journey so difficult.

I love what Dan says about Self-worth: Self-worth is not a thing; it is a perception. Just as a gymnast begins a routine with ten points and receives deductions for each mistake, so you began life with a natural, complete sense of worth. (Have you ever met an infant with self-worth issues?) But as you grow, you serve as your own judge, deducting points when you misunderstand the nature of living and learning—when you forget you are a human-in-training and that making mistakes and having slips of integrity and mediocre moments are a part of life, not unforgivable sins.”

If we agreed to give this up, our journey to enlightenment would be a much less perilous journey.

Today’s playlist begins with some wisdom and then tunes. Pema Chodron, Alan Watts and Deepak Chopra lead off with some wise words. Celine Dion, Pharrell Williams and Christina Perri follow with some beautiful tunes of possibility and we finish with Black Eyed Peas anthem to humanity, Enjoy: Every Moment is an Opportunity.

Remember to show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included to your beloveds over the festive season until we meet again:

Yes, Life is Tough but You are Tougher!!

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Rod's World

Nobody gets through life without losing someone they love, someone they need, or something they thought was meant to be. But it is these losses that make us stronger and eventually move us toward future opportunities for growth and happiness.

I really like Marc Chernoff’s list: 40 lessons for finding strength in hard times, here they are:

You are not what happened to you in the past.
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
Struggling with problems is a natural way of growing.
It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.
Life is fragile, sudden, and shorter than it often seems.
You will fail sometimes.
You have the capacity to create your own happiness.
Emotionally separate yourself from your problems.
Don’t make a problem bigger than it is.
Everything that happened is a life lesson.
View every challenge as an educational assignment.
Things change, but the sun always rises the next day.
Giving up and moving on are two very different things.
Distance yourself from negative people.
Perfect relationships don’t exist.
You must love yourself too.
Don’t let others make decisions for you.
Resentment hurts you, not them.
You’re not alone. Everyone has problems.
You still have a lot to be thankful for.
Consciously nurture your inner hope.
It’s better to be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie.
It’s hard to tell how close you are to success.
Not getting what you want can be a blessing.
Laughter is the best medicine to stress.
Mistakes are important to make.
Worrying is literally a waste of energy.
Even when it’s hard to move, take small steps forward.
There will always be people who dislike you.
You are better off without some people you thought you needed.
You can’t control everything that happens to you.
You are only competing against yourself.
Life is not Easy.
Your future is spotless.
You are not trapped; you just need to re-learn a few things.
Everything in life is two-sided.
You always have a choice.
Let others in when you’re in a dark place.
If you ask negative questions, you will get negative answers.
The end is a new beginning.

How does the world recommend you move forward in hard times, let’s take that journey:

1. The answers are not out there, you are looking in the wrong place if you are seeking the solution from others.

2. Love truthfully and unconditionally, a worthwhile life to lead: Soul Kinda Feeling.

3. I survived after five years of mental health crises, that was my true inner strength speaking.

4. And then there are times you use your inner strength in service of others: Praise You.

5. From the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund points us towards where our strengths come from.

6. You are the creation of your experiences: You Get What You Give.

7. And then there is meditation.

8. And then your Inner Pilot Light is always on your side: Don’t Stop Believing.

9. My friend Em took me in my troubled waters recently, my trust in myself was totally cleansed.

10, And from a singer of both types of music, Sara Evans points out from little things, big things can grow: A Little Bit Stronger.

11. Nothing, Nada, Nil.

12. My 2019 set out for me: Small Stuff.

13. All champions know it is not the destination but the inner journey that is the more important to achieving the final result.

14. How much dust have you shaken off recently: Shake It Off.

15. And some advice from Yoda: May the Force be With You. Some days are harder than others to locate it.

So, say to yourself: “Dear Past, thank you for all the life lessons you have taught me. Dear Future, I am ready now!” Because a great beginning always occurs at the point you thought would be the end of everything.

Not many divas on the playlist today, mainly rock and both types of music, country and western. We rock it through the first four artists with Dynamic Hepnotics, Fatboy Slim, The New Radicals and Journey. Then Sara Evans and Alabama provide both types and we complete with Taylor Swift: Yes, Life is Tough, But You are Tougher.

So today, show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included to your beloveds until we meet again, my dear friends.

We are What we Repeatedly Do!!

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Rod's World

Have you heard of James Clear, he wrote the insightful book on getting done what you want to called – Atomic Habits An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones: Get it Here, Free Shipping Worldwide.

People think when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions – doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call.

He calls them atomic habits.

In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy.

These small changes will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life.

He sums it up with the following statement:

“If you find yourself struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one, it is not because you have lost your ability to improve. It is often because you have not yet crossed the Plateau of Latent Potential. Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees. When you finally break through the Plateau of Latent Potential, people will call it an overnight success. … Mastery requires patience. The San Antonio Spurs, one of the most successful teams in NBA history, has a quote from social reformer Jacob Riis hanging in their locker room: ‘When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before.’”

So how are you with creating good habits, then again how is the planet, let’s have a look.

1. Blessed may your day be if you take this on.

2. What a simple action per day can do for your future: The Seven Habits.

3. It’s not the peak experiences that make the ultimate difference, It’s what you do after them when it comes to light.

4. The first ingredient in a brand new future: Have It All.

5. Napoleon Hill is the grandfather of the self-development movement, He is known best for his book Think and Grow Rich (1937) which is among the 10 best selling self-help books of all time.

6. Have we been listening, Aristotle who made this statement was born in 384 BC: This is How We Do.

7. What’s your favourite addiction, is it good or bad for you?

8. You wake up one day and feel really motivated. But that will not produce the result, taking up the habit of what you were motivated about is where the answer lies: Burn Bright.

9. Sixty a day of these for ten years then I became a marathon runner.

10. Self Love will help you walk this path: Love Myself.

11. They are also known as breakthroughs.

12. Make your destiny a grand one, in whichever way that shows up for you: High Hopes.

13. Step one, write a bad poem, paint a crap portrait, just begin a new habit today.

14. Maya is one of my top ten on the internet: Yum: And Still I Rise.

15. Oops, seems they left out a bit in Aristotle’s quote at number Six, makes more sense now.

How to Create a Good Habit and then How to Break a Bad Habit The 1st law (Cue) Make it obvious. Make it invisible. The 2nd law (Craving) Make it attractive. Make it unattractive. The 3rd law (Response) Make it easy. Make it difficult. The 4th law (Reward) Make it satisfying. Make it unsatisfying. This seems like it would be simple enough to do , but with the busyness, we fill our life up with these days, maybe not so, time to unclutter and allow space for some new good habits.

The playlist today is full of pop diva songs of possibility: We begin with Jannah Bolin, then Jason Mraz. Three great pop divas follow: Kate Perry, Natalie Grant and Hailee Steinfeld. Then a bit of Electronica from Panic at the Disco finishing with some sage wisdom from Maya Angelou. Enjoy: We are What We Repeatedly Do.

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

Paradise has never been about Places!!

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Rod's World

Not about a book this time, it’s about an experience. On the weekend I attended Collective Potential’s People on Purpose retreat: Here’s their contact page. My friend Emeli, the facilitator had a surprise for us on Saturday night, it would test my physical and trust issues to the Nth degree. I had to let my fears of walking down any slight slope when I inherited when I fell down an escalator drunk at the age of 18, a long time to hold onto something seeing I am now 64, but my balance has been shot ever since.

I am one of the worlds great givers, even having the nom de plume, The World’s Greatest Volunteer, but am sometimes naff at receiving, I realise there is a profound cost to this, but have trained myself harshly from the I am Unlovable shadow world.

What I learned was the power of the tribe, of true connection, can have people do things that they had told themselves they were incapable of. What has the world said about the power of connection over the decades, let’s have a look:

1. Number one spot to Brene, the Queen of Vulnerability.

2. I love the quote: You can get a kiss easily enough, having sex isn’t that hard really, but finding those people that touch your soul, that’s another thing: Listen To Your Heart.

3. Relationship 101.

4. Find Your Others: People Help the People.

5. Actions not words, true connections not Roses…

6. As James, the financial planner on the retreat said, you do not change your habits overnight, this is especially true in relationships: Time after Time.

7. For the Barbara De Angelis fan on the retreat.

8. I was the elder at 64, there were lots in their 20’s and 30’s, even a teenager I think: Human.

9. Albert was born in the 18th Century, still relevant today.

10. Too me this is more profound in shared experience: Shared Experiences.

11. They are your weirdo’s after all.

12. Has to slip in Emeli’s favourite word: Purpose: Love Connection.

13. I think I did this with someone on the weekend, we don’t meet them that often, Emeli was one for me, so glad to meet another.

14. I have had these conversations, and they have gone for days: Fresh.

15. Nada!!!

So go out there and find your others, allow true connection in your life, Collective Potential is a great place to start if you are new to the journey.

The playlist today has some certifiable classics in it: We begin with Roxette, then Birdy’s anthem to People. One of my top ten songs by Cyndi Lauper, then the bass tones of Rag and Bone Man. An unknown electronic classic by Menog. And what would a love connection playlist be without some Bollywood by Shubham Tiwari and some disco to finish off by Kool and the Gang…

Remember to show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until we meet again, my dear friends.

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.

There is no Elevator to Success!!!

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Rod's World

I was having a deep and meaningful conversation with a friend into what prevents us from meeting our goals which made me think of Angela Lee Duckworth’s great book Grit: Why Passion and Resilience are the Secrets to Success: Get It Here.

Here are some great lines from the book:

“What I mean by a passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about the same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way. You are not capricious. Each day, you wake up thinking of the questions you fell asleep thinking about. You are, in a sense, pointing in the same direction, ever eager to take even the smallest step forward than to take a step to the side, toward some other destination. At the extreme, one might call your focus obsessive. Most of your actions derive their significance from their allegiance to your ultimate concern, your life philosophy. You have your priorities in order.”

“Why were the highly accomplished so dogged in their pursuits? For most, there was no realistic expectation of ever catching up to their ambitions. In their own eyes, they were never good enough. They were the opposite of complacent. And yet, in a very real sense, they were satisfied with being unsatisfied. Each was chasing something of unparalleled interest and importance, and it was the chase— as much as the capture—that was gratifying. Even if some of the things they had to do were boring, or frustrating, or even painful, they wouldn’t dream of giving up. Their passion was enduring.

In sum, no matter the domain, the highly successful had a kind of ferocious determination that played out in two ways. First, these exemplars were unusually resilient and hardworking. Second, they knew in a very, very deep way what it was they wanted. They not only had determination, but they also had direction.

It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special. In a word, they had grit.”

How does the world navigate this thing called Grit: Lets take that journey:

1. John Ortberg is an evangelical Christian author, speaker, and senior pastor of Menlo Church in Menlo Park, California. One of his publications, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, has sold more than 500,000 copies.

2. Grit is a lifetime hobby: Work It.

3. John says give peace a chance, Wayne not Lennon.

4. You can have it all – that’s what we think as kids, unfortunately, this is taken away from us in our school years: You can Have It All.

5. I am ……………

6. Come across to the other side, its fun over here: On the Dark Side.

7. Passion and Perseverance – Fuck Yeah!!!

8. Minna Thomas Antrim was an American writer. She is famous for the quote “Experience is a great teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.” She was also well known for her collection of toasts: Say Something.

9. Way back to the 18th Century and Ralph Waldo Emerson for part of the recipe of Grit.

10. Thrusting, now that takes Grit: Call on Me.

11. I agree with Brene, possibly the bravest thing we will ever do.

12. Never give Up in search of your dreams: Tough Lover.

13. Ovid, way back in the times of the Roman Emperor was known as a poet of Love.

14. Jon Gordon, known for his earth-shattering book, The Energy Bus, which is said about: “If you want to fuel your family, your career, your team, and your organization with spirit read this book. Jon’s energy and advice will leap off the page and help you cultivate positive energy in everything you do—and you will make the world a better place for your having been here: We Shall Overcome.

15. How often are you unyielding, what does it take?

“In fact, when people drop out of things, they do so for a reason. Actually, they do so for different reasons. Any of the following four thoughts might go through your head right before you quit what you’re doing:

‘I’m bored.’
‘The effort isn’t worth it.’
‘This isn’t important to me.’
‘I can’t do this, so I might as well give up.’

There’s nothing wrong—morally or otherwise—with thoughts like these. As I tried to show in this chapter, paragons of grit quit goals, too. But the higher the level of the goal in question, the more stubborn they are about seeing it through. Most important, paragons of grit don’t swap compasses: when it comes to the one, the singularly important aim that guides almost everything else they do, the very gritty tend not to utter the statements above. …

Together, the research reveals the psychological assets that mature paragons of grit have in common. There are four. They counter each of the buzz-killers listed above, and they tend to develop, over the years, in a particular order.” They are Interest + Practice + Purpose + Hope.

The playlist today contains quite a few Pop divas: We begin with Rihanna and Drake, Then some rock and roll from Yo Lo Tengo and Eddie and the Cruisers. Two Christina Aguilera tracks are intersected by Eric Prydz and we complete with some wise words from Martin Luther King: There is No Elevator to Success.

Remember to provide Love and Respect for All, Everbody Included until we next meet, my dear friends.

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