Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do!!!

Posted on February 6, 2020 by Rod's World

So, I promised a friend I would write this blog about how I was feeling, my identity is resisting it because I am not feeling full of possibility, I spoke to my mentor about it and he pointed out that the only way out of it was in. So here goes.

I feel stuck as I am basically doing what I was two to three years ago and my soul feels there is meant to be more to life than that. I went to one of my sources of inspiration, my friend Marc Chernoff and found an article 16 Harsh Truths That Make You Stronger. This is the shortened version of how it goes:

It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than dominate them, more manhood or womanhood to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind -Alex Karras.

1. Life is not easy. Hard work makes people lucky – It’s the stuff that brings dreams to reality.

2. You will fail sometimes – The faster you accept this, the faster you can get on with being brilliant.

3. Right now, there’s a lot you don’t know – the day you stop learning is the day you stop living.

4. There may not be a tomorrow – Not for everyone.

5. There’s a lot you can’t control – You can’t control everything in your life no matter how many safeguards you put into place.

6. Information is not true knowledge – Knowledge comes from experience.

7. You can’t be successful without providing value -Don’t waste your time trying to be successful, spend your time creating value.

8. Someone else will always have more than you – Whether it’s money, friends or magic beans that you’re collecting, there will always be somebody who has more than you.

9. You can’t change the past – You can’t change what happened, but you can change how you react to it.

10. The only person who can make you happy is you – The root of your happiness comes from your relationship with yourself.

11. There will always be people who don’t like you – You can’t be everything to everyone.

12. You won’t always get what you want – Appreciate the things you have right now. Many people aren’t so lucky.

13. In life, you get what you put in – If you want love, friends, give love, be friendly.

14. Good friends will come and go – Most of your high school friends won’t be part of your Uni life.

15. Doing the same exact thing every day hinders self-growth – If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

16. You will never feel 100% ready for something new – Nobody ever feels 00% ready when an opportunity arises.

Typing number 15 made me shudder, I have been in this rut for at least a week and keep telling my self I do not know the way out, which I know not to be true. So what does the world say about being in a rut and its effect on one, lets have a look:

1. I recommenced my daily walks today and am attended a Warrior Code session tonight, they are designed to shake you up.

2. I’ve set up a dinner with my siblings, they definitely do this: Glad To Be Alive.

3. Much to much comfort, why do I feel so bad then?

4. Take a dose, and the medicine goes down: A Spoonful of Sugar.

5. It’s how you relate to it that gives it the wonder.

6. It’s not always a win/win situation, how would we learn if it was: Seven Years.

7. It’s difficult to be what you are not.

8. At the top of my list at the moment: Rut.

9. Enoch Arnold Bennett was an English writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known as a novelist, but he also worked in other fields such as the theatre, journalism, propaganda and films.

10. I’m taking up the invitation: Grow As We Go.

11. Time for some explanation.

12. Time to stop waiting to be rescued and found: Who You Are.

13. Shayne’s Pinterest bio reads Author and Always the Good Girl. A firm believer in happy endings. Refuse to let your past define you. Be strong, take control, change your life.

14. Including yourself: Rise Up.

15. And our final lesson comes from running coach Ben Rosario, that it is the journey to your goals and dreams that got you there, so remember to have fun.

To me, the only difference between an opportunity and an obstacle is attitude. Getting a second chance in life is about giving myself the opportunity to grow beyond my past failures, It’s time to positively adjust my attitude toward future possibilities.

The playlist starts with some healing medicine from Teddy Prendergast and Marry Poppins. Then there are three pensive tracks from Lukas Graham, The Killers and Ben Platt. The penultimate track is Jessie J and we complete with some soul from Andra Day: Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do.

So being in touch with my ethos for the world: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included on a daily basis is the practice I will choose to climb out of this rut. Until we meet again my dear friends.

Love The Trees Until Their Leaves Fall Off!!!

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Rod's World

In my state of Victoria, Australia, a group of indigenous women from the Djab Wurrung tribe have been fighting the State Government to save their ancient birthing trees, I attended a rally of support outside our Parliament House yesterday.

Among the women speaking out against the eviction of the Djab Wurrung protection embassy camp and the removal of thousands of trees between Buangor and Ararat, including some 200 sacred birthing and direction trees, some of which are believed to be around 800-years-old, embassy leader DT Zellanach travelled from country to speak into power, supporting the rally’s calls of “no trees, no treaty.” The embassy camp has been actively blocking the removal of the trees for around 14 months, despite notices of eviction from the Victorian government being delivered to make way for Major Road Projects Victoria to begin clearing the land.

Our government declared a public square that is just 17 years old, Federation Square being added to the state’s heritage register in recognition of its cultural significance to Victoria. Yet they will not recognise the birthing trees which are around 800 years old the same protection.

When did we forget that nature and the lore of the indigenous people of our country are just as important, if not more so?

What has society said about the rights of mother earth and its peoples over the centuries, remembering that the First Australians are the world’s longest existing culture who had looked after this land for 60,000 years before European settlement, lets have a look:

1. We are the only European settled country that does not have a treaty with the indigenous people of the land we invaded, our relationship with them suffers accordingly.

2. Embassy leader DT Zellanach had this to say at the rally: Zellanach: We are the land. What you do to our country you do to us. We’ve never ceded sovereignty.

Our women and children are the most oppressed people in this land. I get sick and tired of seeing what men want to do to our women and children. The trees are Women’s business: Wild Women Do.

3. The actions the Djab Wurrung women have taken to raise support to resist for 14 months is truly magnificent.

4. These women can clearly hear their regions earthsong: Earth.

5. Sixty thousand years, I believe we have something to learn off these women before it is too late.

6. Ralph Emerson was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, he died in 1882. Luckily there are still people like the Djab Wurrung women who are willing to stand up for their rights: Eve of Destruction.

7. Clearly does not satisfy the Victorian State Government.

8. A quirky individual, Michael Jackson stood for the earth, he possibly would have been at the embassy if he was alive today: Earthsong.

9. I consider the Djab Wurrung women Earth Angels.

10 What are the birthing trees but not the soul of the Djab Wurrung nation: With Arms Wide Open.

11. Our premier, Daniel Andrews has forgotten this, No Trees, No Treaty.

12. I was gifted the ability to hear the earth by an indigenous elder at Confest, sometimes I hear the earth crying, I sure you can hear the trees on the Embassy site: The Memory of The Trees.

13. To all the people who attended the rally with me, thank you for giving the trees a chance.

14. Many Christians who follow the greed train seem to have forgotten this quote from their holy book, including members of our state government in this situation: Timeless Land.

15. And for our final lesson some words from one of the great women of this and the last century, Maya Angelou. To the Djab Wurrung women, I stand with you, No Trees, No Treaty.

Indigenous land, it’s where you stand, we cannot keep denying 60,000 years of occupation. Time for a treaty, and time to protect the Djab Wurrung sacred birthing trees.

Today’s playlist is about the Earth, birthing and trees. We begin with Natalie Cole. Some rap from Little Dicky follows, then we go back to the 1960s to Barry McGuire to demonstrate we haven’t really learnt the lesson this song is about. Then a Michael Jackson song I actually had never heard of. Creed follows with a beautiful ode to birthing then, the penultimate song is from Enya and we complete with a tune from one of Australia’s preeminent indigenous bands Yothu Yindi in praise of the timelessness of our ancient continent and its first people: Love The Trees Until Their Leaves Fall Off!!

I have not written a political based blog for several years but realised that it was time to reenter that space. No Trees, No Treaty. If we are to have Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included becoming the worlds catchcry all must be willing to take action. Until we meet again, my dear friends. Remember if you wish to receive my blogs sign on in the follow space.

Don’t Let Anyone Else Hold The Pen!!

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Rod's World

Back to Marc and Angel Chernoff for today’s blog, I stubbed my toe on their book 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently: Hit them Up… As is my practice when writing about a possibility I open the book to any page and voila, that is the subject for today. On page 139 is the heading “10 Ways to WRITE a Life Story Worth Living” appeared.

The chapter begins with the following words from Marc:

‘When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen. Make conscious choices every day that align your actions with your values and your dreams. because the way you live each day is a sentence in the story of your life. Each day you make a choice as to whether the sentence ends in a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.”

He then offers 10 ideas for writing a life story worth living:

Find a Passion that makes you come alive.
Work hard on that Passion.
Live happily in your own way.
Change your path when you must, but keep moving forward.
When the going gets rough, keep fighting.
Let go of the past and live consciously in the future.
Embrace new ideas, lessons, and challenges.
Appreciate the little things in life that mean a lot.
Live honourably through kindness.
Spend quality time with people you love.

What a beautiful, inspiring list, I’m willing to take it on. Now lets have a look at what the world has said about writing your own story, let’s take that journey:

1. This beautiful image could be included on your vision board.

2. Not all testimony is in the negative: when you have the feeling your words can make a difference, speak them: Song for Someone.

3. Yes, You, the unique human being you are. Go on, you can do it.

4. Mine says I am an Interculturalist: Love and Respect for All, Everyone included. Over to You: Live your Story.

5. As Helen says, It will not always be easy. As Marc’s point 5 says, keep fighting during these time. Each little step makes a difference.

6. To my new friend Josie, you are editing at the moment, your writing is magnificent: Write your Story.

7. Excitement to me is covered in the expression Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs.

8. Ready, Set Write!!!: So Much Magnificence.

9. Even the stars don’t necessarily have great stories. Greta was one of Hollywood’s shining lights in her time.

10. And how could we leave out Deepak when writing about our lives: Change Your Life.

11. Or Brene!!!

12. 我是, Wer bin Ich, qui suis-je, ko wai Ahau, kas aš esu, هستم: Who I am.

13. We all have friends we can do this with: don’t be stingy.

14. To each of our glorious adventures: Yay!!!: This Is Me.

15. And finally, some blank pages for you.

I will finish with some more words from Marc and Angel:

‘If you live honourably, no matter how old you get, you’ll never lose your beauty; it will gradually shift from your face to your heart. And remember, there is no better exercise for the heart than reaching out and holding the hand of someone in need.’

Today’s playlist even contains both types of music, County and Western. We begin with U2. Then to the European continent for Auli’i Cravalho and Francesca Battistelli. I just had to put in Miten and Deva Premal’s song about magnificence. Who would have thought I would ever include a Little Mix song, but here one is. Jessica Andrews is next and we complete with the cast of the Greatest Showman: Remember, Don’t Let Anyone Else Hold The Pen.

So remember to show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until next time we meet, 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:

My Plan is To……..

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Rod's World

There is much discussion as to whether you can lead a balanced life and succeed in the higher echelons of leadership. In his excellent book Leaders eat Last, Simon Sinek points out that not it is only possible it is in fact desirable if you are looking for an efficiently run company.

A leader who uses the top down management approach these days looks fated for the scrap heap. During the GFC of 2007 to 2008 fifty percent of America’s banks failed mainly due to their culture being based on making the holy dollar to the point that they had made some very unwise decisions in chasing larger and larger profits. Businesses that were more balanced in their cultures were able to survive due to the loyalty of their staff.

So what does a balanced life look like, let’s mosey on down that trail:

balance1

1. We create as much information every two days as we did in the entire year of 2003. I think this means that the chances of us doing everything have long gone by the way.

balance2

2. The near first female POTUS points to your job title is not the be all and end all of what provides a satisfactory life: Get a Job.

balance3

3. Love Thomas Merton, didn’t know he was a Catholic priest until just now. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion.

balance4

4. What a living example Eat , Pray, Love is of this beautiful quote: I’m not in Love.

balance5

5. Star of 9 to 5, what a way to make a living, don’t have this be the major focus of your life and forget your dreams.

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6. Number five seems a tad out of place from the rest: Who You Are!!

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7. For me being silly and letting loose would be challenging, how about you?

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8. Mindmapping , there are three or four for me that are not in balance at the moment: Mo Bounce.

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9. One of the greatest living philosophers, Ms. Unknown shows us a tactic to inner balance.

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10. Koan or meme, what will I call them today. But remember to watch and spend time in today’s beauty: You are so Beautiful to Me.

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11. Attitude: when someone makes a settled way of thinking or feeling about something. … For example: You can tell a person’s attitude just by watching his body posture if he likes something or not. Aptitude: It’s a natural ability to do something or a natural tendency.

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12. The greatest skill in life one must get rid of if they wish to lead a balanced life: Confessions of a Perfectionist.

13. We have all seen that cartoon of life as we hope it will go versus how it actually occurs, we spend a lot of time undoing knots.

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14. SETH GODIN is the author of 18 books that have been bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 35 languages. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything: Holiday.

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15. I love this list, it has helped balance my life on a daily basis.

I actually have terrible balance on my left side, I can’t do the Tai Chi white crane at all, perhaps I need to look at what has it out of kilter.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

namaste prayer

Like Water in the Desert!!

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Rod's World

I took part in an eldership ceremony yesterday, my friend Gabriella requested to be admitted into the tribe of elders in our community. We sang her into the room with the first verse of Amazing Grace, it was the only one we all knew. Then we gave her our own personal blessing and welcomed her into her new role.

It was extremely moving and I thought I would write about Eldership today as I am 63 since last Monday I have the right to do this as I hold myself as an elder too. I looked up Eldership quotes and it seems you have to be a Christian to become one out there in the big, wide , world. This was not how Gabby or I hold Eldership so the quotes for today come from a different space, leadership in one’s community.

Lets us journey down the Eldership path:

1. John Quincy Adams – July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman who served as a diplomat, United States Senator, member of the House of Representatives, and was the sixth President of the United States from 1825 to 1829. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later the Anti-Masonic and Whig parties, thats a lot of parties.. He was the son of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and thus contributed to the formation of the Adams political family. He served as a leader for his whole life.

2. To me eldership does not get handed to you just because of your age. This statement from Gandhi is more to the point of why you do: Be the Change.

3. These are the wise things I hope that I pass on as an elder in my community.

4. As elders you will have made many mistakes in your life, the wisdom bit is how you tell the people you are advising to deal with them: Learning from your Mistakes.

5. And remember red stands out more than white, no drab fare for the elders of the world.

6. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Albert lived to the ripe old age of 90. He was 77 when he won his Nobel Prize, an elder leading by example: Lead by Example.

7. They say hate will never solve anything. To me negativity is a form of hate. People do not come to their elders for negativity.

8. This reminds me of the two wolves story for some reason, that it depends on which story you are telling yourself that counts: Making Progress.

9. By the time we reach Eldership I’m sure we have covered all of these.

10. The cute quote of the day, fairy penguins, Aaw: The Penguin Song.

11. Essence is on there, The essence that you live through your life may grant you Eldership, and then again maybe not.

12. There are often times during our lives that our abilities seem to slip to a level that we later regret, they can become wise stories to tell as elders so others don’t make the same mistakes: Talking to Strangers.

13. Eldership is in pointing out that it’s hard to be somewhere else than where you are.

14. Sometimes Eldership is not words, it is just holding the space with silence allowing the others to work out what they need too: Some Eldership words from Alan.

15. Yes, even Elders are novices at that exact point of time, the new age they are.

Enjoy the little things in life because one day you will look back and realise they were the big things. I love the song from little things big things grow, such as Eldership.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Do You Fit In?

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Rod's World

Desire, often tied to sexual physicality yet it covers all fields in our psyche. It is said if you walk away from them you are not really living a life, just existing. How often as children do we have desires that we fulfill purely with our imaginations. Later on we are taught that this is not a practical way to lead our lives, I think that is a shame because it robs us of our ability to soldier on to fulfill our dreams later in life.

What has society said about desire, there were many takes at it, let’s have a look at a few:

1. Life does not make it easy for you to reach your desires. it has installed that little voice in your heads that challenges you as to whether you deserve it or not.

2. Arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history, Samuel Johnson points out another character we need to make our desires come true: Curiosity: Curiosity Killed The Cat.

3. There is one voice to listen too when considering your desires: Your courageous one.

4. Creativity is a journey of achieving your desires, not a battle to defeat those who may get in your way: Good Life.

5. Here’s a word you will want to drop in casual conversation to impress you friends and family.

6. Are your desires material things? That’s fine but you can’t take them with you. Remember: The Best Things In Life Are Free.

7. Not quite as famous as his son Alan, Lauded for his epic poem Howl, Louis was famous for the comment quoted from his death. Louis Ginsberg published puns in the Newark Star Ledger under the heading “Keep an O’Pun Mind”. He often asked and answered, “Is life worth living? It depends on the liver.” His collection of puns was never published but they can be found in Box 2, Folder 9 in the Louis Ginsberg Papers at Stanford University. Louis Ginsberg, who died of liver and spleen cancer, told his son Allen Ginsberg, “I never thought my pun would come back to bite me.“

8. Which do you choose, I align with the wise: Closer To The Heart.

9. I’m sure Gandhi said lots of prayers to have his desire to free India from England’s grips come true. They seemed to have become tied to religious folk these days, don’t do this, use the power they offer.

10. What if we could read minds, would you be slapped often or thanked for your generosity: Meet Me Halfway.

11. It is wise to remember that postponing your desires just strengthens their grip on you. Don’t put them off!!

12. Such a beautiful name, Spanish poet, playwright and theatre director was also famous for his quote To see you naked is to recall the Earth.: Burned With Desire.

13. Mignon McLaughlin was an American journalist and author. In the 1950s, she began publishing aphorisms that were later collected in three books, entitled, The Neurotic’s Notebook, The Second Neurotic’s Notebook and The Complete Neurotic’s Notebook. I think this testy quote is from one of them.

14. One of my favourite songs about what we desire in life: Wild Horses.

15. Einstein, the master of imagination quotes : Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”

Do your desires fit in to the life you lead today, or do you hide them away in the caverns of what you life would be like if you only ………., fill in the dots.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Don’t Squander Joy!!

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Rod's World

I went along to watch a friend do her graduation performance at a transformational program she had been participating in called The Voices Of. In it, Ally embraced the voices of her INNER CHILD, INNER WISDOM, FEAR, SHADOW, DO-ER & DREAMER, she had come to find her TRUE VOICE. It was one of the most joyous evenings I have been to in a long time. Here’s a link to the website for it if you wish to know more: Voices of Movement.

It made me think about what brings you joy in my life. Is it music, sex, food? There are many ways to feel it, let’s have a look at what they say about it:

1. From the author of the iconic novels Treasure island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson points to the fact joy is a feeling, not something that can be truly expressed in words.

2. Joy is a choice we must make daily, I made it last night by attending Ally’s graduation. To experience it today I must continue to choose it: I Choose You.

3. Can’t you feel it bubbling up just wanting to burst through, have a joyous day!!

4. Get out your fishing net of love, there is a soul full of joy waiting for you: Heart Full of Soul.

5. How do you have joy occur in your life, you focus on the things that make you feel that way.

6. What do you hold as holy, what keeps you warm and aglow? For me it’s music and blogging: Eternal Flame.

7. Your life is not somewhere to get to, It is a journey. Finding joy in that will make for a more enjoyable one.

8. It doesn’t change who you are when you get to your goal. If you are not joyful on the way there don’t expect it will change miraculously when you achieve it: Joyful Journey.

9. Until his final years, Wagner’s life was characterised by political exile, turbulent love affairs, poverty and repeated flight from his creditors. His controversial writings on music, drama and politics have attracted extensive comment, notably, since the late 20th century, where they express antisemitic sentiments. The effect of his ideas can be traced in many of the arts throughout the 20th century; his influence spread beyond composition into conducting, philosophy, literature, the visual arts and theatre.

10. One of my favourite writers Wayne Dyer reminds us that we knew this when we came into the world, so how did it become something that we have to battle for as we get older: Be Natural.

11. If you lead a life of gratitude for the simple things joy will flourish in your life on a daily basis.

12. This is a list of joyful events I attempt to practice daily because it certainly would be a case of Incredible Joy: Singing In The Rain.

13. Joy is not a destination , it’s a state of being. There is a borough named Mount Joy in Pennsylvania though.

14. Thich Nhat Hanh says some mightily obtuse things at times. You will always get a huge amount from them. This song came up next on Youtube, I think it defines joy appropriately: A Spoonful of Sugar.

15. From the world’s most prodigious and famous philosopher, Anon. comes the reminder that when you are giving joy it cannot help but stick to you as well.

So joy is available in your life, if you want it to be, I say don’t squander the opportunities day by day.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

I like walking in the Rain!!

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Rod's World

What is your favorite fresh thing, one of mine is walking in the rain!! Being washed clean by Gaia, given a new start!! As we have more and more fresh things taken away from us and given processed experiences how do we claim back our fresh moments?

It is probably in our childhood years we experience freshness on a day to day basis. Running from one adventure to another, being excited moment to moment. What does the world have to say about being fresh in our lives, let’s have a look:

1. To experience all that occurs in your life allows each moment to have a freshness to it, a sense of adventure.

2. Ready, Steady, Go. It’s time to begin today’s new adventure: Tomorrow.

3. Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf of stopping and starting over again. Remember that he is not real, only made up in your thoughts.

4. There is that saying if you have never failed at something you have never really lived. Life is not meant to be easy at all times: Better.

5. Laura Ingalls Wilder February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer known for the Little House on the Prairie series of children’s books released from 1932 to 1943 which were based on her childhood in a settler and pioneer family. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the television series Little House on the Prairie was loosely based on the Little House books and starred Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls and Michael Landon as her father, Charles Ingalls.

6. They call them cubby holes because if you stay in them you never grow up to have fresh starts: Try.

7. Fill in the Blanks, how you do this is your choice, A fresh start or the same old drudgery.

8. I listened to a great podcast this morning about not planning to begin a new venture three months in the future because it will not happen, get started and begin it now was the message from the podcast: Lay me Down.

9. We have an opportunity to change the ending of the story of our life moment to moment: go left instead of right, catch the no 96 tram instead of the 86.

10. Do you rise up in the morning or get up with no purpose for the day? Each day has a brand new bright opportunity if you allow it to Rise.

11. I love Lao Tzu, he can write ten words and you can ponder them for the next month.

12. My beautiful sisters, Ruth and Jann can probably relate to the freshness of their friendship over the years, they may have even been to Spain: Never shout Never.

13. Henry S. Haskins (1875–1957) was a stockbroker and man of letters. His aphorisms were edited and published anonymously with an introduction by Albert Jay Nock in 1940.

14. I spent the weekend next to the Yarra river in my home city of Melbourne, Australia at a retreat centre. Being near the water, the trees, the birdlife and in the fresh air invigorated my soul: Aloha Ke Akua.

15. Whose life are you living, the life your parents told you to live and you got trapped by the money. Listen to your soul, it’s time for a fresh start.

Fresh has so many interpretations in our world. If it has numbers next to it it is not fresh. Think that if you know the person who made it or grew it then it probably is.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

I just Awesomed all over the Place!!

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Rod's World

I’m reading The Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakshani, founder of Mindvalley. In it, he defines three kinds of happiness:

Happiness from Special and Unique Experiences
Happiness from growth and Awakening
Happiness from Meaning

Chances are we live our life somewhere in between our highest high and lowest low. Researchers call this phenomenon hedonic adaption. Vishen talks of using Blissipline to raise our happiness on a daily basis through three practices:

The Power of Gratitude
Forgiveness
The Practice of Giving

So how do you raise your happiness levels, let’s look at what the world has been saying about it over the years:

1. There are times in my life, I have thought, Why Me!!, now I realize I would not be leading the extraordinary Life I do now without these experiences.

2. Do not give up your happy land for others, you have to live there: Happiness is a warm Gun.

3. The first five statements sum up our childhood until they put us in the system that is meant to educate us. Fight for the right to party to be happy.

4. Not as easy as this classic Banksy image makes it: Letting Go.

5. One ingredient that helps a lot is a simple smile, practice it daily.

6. The Power of Now, not our to-do lists. Eckhart Tolle is the man for this: The Power of Now.

7. One of the practices to achieve number 6.

8. At 62 I am having the most awesome years of my life. I call myself an elder of the conscious community who has not brought the bullshit: Elder Hip Hop.

9. We are visiting that time that is the height of Object worship, captured by the retail industry Christmas has lost it original meaning many decades ago.

10.I have a daily practice to repeat the I Love You mantra in the mirror because I know that this is true but that I sometimes forget: Roar.

11. Go on, you know you can put it in your purse or wallet and bring it out when you need to.

12. How old were you when you were told to grow up and act like an adult, hopefully, it still happens today for you: Dancing Queen.

13. This quote comes from The Maxims of Marmaduke, written in 1908. It is ageless and just as relevant in this century.

14. Forgetting those things that wrecked the relationship will have a greater effect than apologizing or forgiving: Forget about Me.

15. Remember these people: Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, J.K. Rowling, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Mark Pinkus, Jack Dorsey, Susan Boyle, Abraham Lincoln and Colonel Sanders. All took to at least the age of 30 to find their passions and become successful.

So what is your awesome, never give up on finding it, remember it’s a journey, not a destination.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.