Are you present , or in your head?

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Rod's World

I recently invited a dear friend over for dinner, the second person besides my family I have had in my home in 6 and a half years. To say I was excited is an understatement and I was thinking about how I could make the night perfect. That was where I made my blunder, I was in my head about it most of the night and not very present at all. Surprisingly my friend did not say anything directly at the time but let me know later that I had been mostly not present for her the whole time.

I have spent most of my adult life trying to work things out in my head and now have the opportunity to do it from and open up my heart. When she asks me what are you feeling I have to fight the urge to look in my head for the answer and feel into my heart also not to tell a story from my past or speculate on the future, but to be in the present or as Eckhart Tolle tells us, The Power of Now. It is a journey that we have agreed to take together to deepen our friendship.

Friendship, what has the universe said about that over the years, lets have a look:

1. Christie Brinkley is an American model, actress, and entrepreneur. Brinkley gained worldwide fame with her appearances in the late 1970s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues, ultimately appearing on an unprecedented three consecutive covers starting in 1979.

2. The letters IM drop out of your life when everything becomes possible: Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

3. They exist in that part of your heart that says, we will always be friends.

4. Do you wait?: A Song for You.

5. One is the most powerful number.

6. True friends are cemented together at the heart: That’s What Friends are For.

7. These are the people who where 5 years apart feels like 5 minutes when you meet.

8. They light the way and you need to no longer be afraid of the dark: I will Always Love You.

9. The Bible has some good stuff in it.

10. I have several of the atter family in my life, I love them: We are Family.

11. And you must keep proving it day to day if the friendship is to grow.

12. Disturb them with the question, what are you feeling?: Endless Love.

13. Like I will honour and love you, just as strong a promise.

14. My heart shuddered reading this one: Baby Please Don’t Go.

15. And for our final lesson today, the most profound statement of the blog, Hahaha.

So I am finishing this at 10.50 pm at night because I have spent many hours deepening our friendship over the past two days. It was joyous, confronting and loving and all the things in between. is it worth it, Fuck Yes!!!

The playlist tonight is dedicated to the BLM movement. Firstly Stevie Wonder leads off, following by the little known vocal genius Donny Hathaway. Dionne Warwick and her friends then hit the stage, handing it over to Whitney Houston. Chic and Sister Sledge then occupy the stage for a while, making way for Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey and we finish with a rocking tune by Muddy Waters and the Stones: Are you Present or in Your Head?

How changing is this journey of deep friendship I am taking? I intend that it transform my relationship to what friendship means and that my heart will be truly opened for the first time in my life. We have just begun but I am so more in touch with my world ethos of Love and Respect for all, Everyone Included. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

P.S. This one is for you, Amy.

First You Dream, Then You Do!!!

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Rod's World

Had a busy weekend, attended a potluck 40th Friday evening, a commitment ceremony Saturday, and a Warrior of Love training day Sunday. This gave me a lot to choose from to write about. I have chosen to write about the growth conversation I had with a vital young thing at the potluck. She seemed to just be reaching out to begin her growth adventure but was not sure what direction to take. I gave her some of my worldly advice and left her with that. I suggested that life was about taking chances and seeing what worked out for her.

My friend Marc says the following: Life is about taking chances. It’s about doing something you initially thought you could never do. It’s about being a little bit crazy. following your heart, and not worrying about every detail of what everyone else thinks. And above all, it’s about learning to love who you are and what you have.

Here are his 12 things to start caring about on your journey:

Start caring about your own happiness – It’s important to make people happy, but you have to start with yourself.
Start caring about your goals and dreams – If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders.
Start caring about how you invest your time every day – There might not be a tomorrow, not for everyone.
Start caring about how you think and what you think about – In your quiet moments, what do you think about?
Start caring about how you treat yourself – Your relationship with yourself is the closest and most important relationship you will ever have.
Start caring about how you treat others – Live so that when the people around you think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you.
Start caring about how others treat you – Choose your relationships wisely.
Start caring about your health – Exercise to be fit, not skinny.
Start caring about your education and personal growth – Achieving higher consciousness comes from your commitment to personal growth.
Start caring about doing the best YOU can – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.
Start caring about all the wonderful things you have right now – Learn to appreciate the things you have before time forces you to appreciate the things you once had.
Start caring about this moment we call ‘life’ – This moment is your life, don’t miss it.

So what have people said about their growth paths over the centuries, lets have a look:

1. This is when fear is a positive in your life.

2. Boats are not built to stay in safe harbours, neither are you: Around The World.

3. Audrey was much more than just a great actress, In December 1992, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

4. Best known for his hierarchy of needs, Abraham Maslow calls out for us to choose growth and overcoming fear by moving forward again and again: Ours.

5. The knot explains a lot.

6. Will people come on aboard your form of contagious?: Fight Song.

7. We go back to the 18th Century for this powerful insight from the third POTUS.

8. How is your journey unfolding, don’t give your dreams up: Don’t Stop Believing.

9. A great word that hangs out with I’m Possible.

10. There are several quotes that say this, Boom!: To Live And Die In LA.

11. Its an inner and outer journey.

12. You can’t stay there anymore: Time to Grow.

13. Breathwork is very supportive on the journey I have found.

14. Our second POTUS for today’s blog: Happy Birthday, Mr President.

15. And for our final lesson, we hear from one of the world’s most powerful women . Ginni Rometty’s tenure as IBM’s CEO has been marked by noteworthy awards, including by Bloomberg’s 50 Most Influential People in the World, Fortune’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business”, Time‘s 20 Most Important People in Tech and Forbes’ America’s Top 50 Women In Tech.

Unfortunately, sometimes, just before you take your first step on the journey to pursue your dreams, people around you, even the ones who deeply care for you, will give you awful advice. It’s not because they have evil intentions. It’s because they don’t understand the big picture – what your dreams, passions and life goals mean to you. They don’t understand that, to you, the reward is worth the risk. Enjoy the Journey.

So as Steve Jobs said ” Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living within the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Today’s playlist features rock bands, pop divas and rap stars. We begin with The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, then Taylor Swift and her fellow pop diva Rachel Platten. Journey next then over to rap land with Tupac and Lemar. We finish with Marilyn Monroe: First You Dream, Then You Do.

I was checking my stats recently, I spread my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included across 128 countries last year. I’m on a strong growth pattern to having it being the world paradigm. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

Don’t Wait Until You’ve Reached Your Goal!!!

Posted on November 25, 2019 by Rod's World

Celebrate, Celebrate Good Times: Great song, it will probably be on the playlist but is what it is saying true. I beg to differ, I think our purpose in life is to celebrate all times and that our ups and downs in life are our training ground to have this occur.

I have 5,000 Facebook friends, some I know better than others but I send all of them a Facebook Birthday card, somedays it is up to 30 people but this is one form of celebration I have taken on so I have not limited the time it takes me. I do have a standard male and female formulae and some of my close friends I do special ones for. I am surprised by how many people contact me personally and thank me. So as birthdays and deathdays are our main forms of celebrations what about the other days of the year?

I went to a friends birthday at the Abbotsford Convent yesterday, Dan is a beautiful man, there was his partner Theresa and our mutual friend Karina there. I met two of my 5,000 FB friends for the first time, Shanti and Roman, great people, all of who have interesting things to contribute to a celebration. Remember, as we mature it becomes less important to have a lot of friends and more important to have real ones.

So what do friends do differently to people who just walk past each other on the street:

1. They face problems together

2. They give what they can because they truly care.

3. They make time for each other.

4. They offer each other freedom.

5. They communicate effectively.

6. They accept each other as is.

7. They are genuine and accept genuineness.

8. They compromise.

9. They support each other’s growth changes.

10. They believe in each other.

11. They maintain realistic expectations of their relationship.

12. They honour each other in small ways on a regular basis.

13. They listen, and they hear every word.

14. They keep their promises.

15. They stick around.

What has life said about celebrating friendship and life in general, here are a few of my favourites:

1. Why do we not celebrate many moments between life and death?

2. Remember, you came here for a purpose, lets make it an inspiring one: Message In a Bottle.

3. Oprah would have something to say about this.

4. A great thing to celebrate: Celebrate Good Times.

5. Love and Gratitude are two other words that are part of the celebration recipe.

6. George Bernard Shaw, known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond: Laughter In The Rain.

7. The celebration is not always about happy, happy.

8. Choose to be alive: Born To Be Alive.

9. What happens to celebrations when the festival season is over.

10. Hathaway supports several charities and causes. She is a board member of the Lollipop Theatre Network, an organization that brings films to sick children in hospitals, and advocates gender equality as a UN Women goodwill ambassador. She is married to businessman Adam Shulman, with whom she has a son: Unconditionally.

11. Your Celebrate Life fridge magnets.

12. How would you live your life differently if the life expectancy age was 40: Africa.

13. The Greatest gift you can give to another.

14. More fridge magnets: Hallelujah.

15. And for our final lesson today, be all there.

Remember, life is kind of like a party. You invite a lot of people, some leave early, some stay all night, some laugh with you, some laugh at you, and some show up really late. But after the fun, there are a few who stay and help you clean up the mess. And most of the time, they aren’t even the ones who made the mess. These people are your real friends in life. They are the ones to celebrate life with.

How did Neil Sedaka, Kate Perry and KD Lang get on the same playlist? They all sing songs of celebration. We begin with The Police, followed by Kool and the Gang. Neil is next, then back to disco and Patrick Hernandez. Kate drags us back to the present. We finish with Toto and KD: Don’t Wait Until You’ve Reached Your Goal!!

So, I reckon if we all chose to celebrate life more, my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included would occur sooner than later. Remember you can have these blogs sent to your inbox from the box on the right-hand side of the main page. Until we meet again my dear friends.

Never Accept The Definition of Life From Others!!!

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Rod's World

I am going through a 21-day process called Integrity and the Power of Habit via the Warriors of Love year-long training program I am in. Each week has a list of core principles, for week one they are as follows in the area of Integrity :

Live from Embodies Essence.
The Power of Declaration from Essence.
Integrity – Do what you say you will do.
With Integrity Comes Power.
Write It Down – Put it in time.
When Integrity falls out, we create distance.

For each of us, these principles will bring up different shadows where we could improve said integrity. I immediately noticed for me it was how I spend my mornings. I have watched ABC News Breakfast for at least an hour for the past five years. My friend Brian Johnson from Optimize, the best ten dollars you can spend on the internet: The link to Brian’s World. states that we are at our most refreshed first thing in the mornings . after we have rested our body.

So the TV is now turned off and I go for a half-hour walk wearing my absolutely fantastic Beats Bluetooth headphones listening to my morning meditation.

What do others say about the morning and how empowering it is when used to its full benefits, let’s have a look.

1. My Tibetan Buddhist school referred to him as Shakyamuni Buddha. This is about living in the present.

2. One is not the loneliest number sometimes: One.

3. A bit out of integrity with the spelling but a great message.

4. My life ethos is Love and Respect for all, Everyone Included so I cannot agree with this: One Love.

5. Celebrations, Challenges and Commitments are what we look at in the group.

6. Word Magic: Try.

7. And hopefully we all have one of these, and if we don’t, they are out there, you just have not found each other yet.

8. Refer to the Blog title…: Born This Way.

9. Is this a tautology, even if it’s not, it’s clever.

10. From the worlds most popular philosopher, Ms Unknown, the reason why early to bed, early to rise is such a great idea: Live It Up.

11. From the early and mid-1800s, Ralph speaks of the benefits the mornings offer.

12. Life is a Blessing, a powerful mantra to live life by: Blessed We Are.

13. And is all across the planet.

14. Cute cat photo of the blog: Moving On Up.

15. And for our final lesson, there are 7 billion different ways to relate to these principles.

Today’s list from Marc and Angel Chernoff is entitled: 10 WAYS Successful people START Their Mornings:

Get an Early Start.
Clarify and Review Your Priorities.
Prune any nonessential commitments for the day.
Exercise.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast.
Kiss your partner good-bye.
Practice 15 minutes of positive visualisation.
Eat That Frog.
Connect with the Right People.
Stay Informed.

Today’s playlist educated me, I did not know that one of Australia’s musical icons went as far back as the sixties, but there you go. We begin with John Farnham and Bob Marley from the last century. Pink and Lady Gaga returns us to this one. Another Australian number one from Mental As Anything. Then a fantastic singalong from Peia, and we complete with some R and B from M People: Never Accept The Definition of Life From Others!!!

So here is to walking to my nearby lake in Rezza, aka Reservoir each morning. Showing myself Love and Respect For All, Everybody Included. Remember if you enjoy the subject matter of my blog, sign up on the right-hand side on the homepage. Until next time we meet, my dear friends.

People Think About What They Don’t Want!!

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Rod's World

It’s a bit of a celebration today, on Wednesday I reached the old official retirement/pension age of 65 in Australia. Our right-wing government wanted to make it seventy before the backlash became too much when it reached 68. This is also my 450th blog. What did I do on my retirement day, I went to an event called Awakening Attraction, this is the blurb for it:

There is nothing that enlivens relationships more than the potency of ‘chemistry’ – the charge, the tension and the excitement of impassioned desire.

It is this magnetism, this enchantment, this allure that is the elixir of relating and it weaves certain magic through our romantic interactions.

Without it, we may still have great ‘friendships’ or ‘partnerships’ but we will be missing out on the ‘juice’!!

Attraction has often been considered as an elusive ‘Je ne se quo’, but what if attraction was not a mystery but rather something you could understand, cultivate and play within a healthy way to bring out the best in those around you? What if you could ignite the spark of attraction and keep the flame alive in relationships?

During this interactive special evening event for men and women where we will be navigating all things ATTRACTION.

The topic we will be exploring on the night…
– When it comes to intimate relationship what is your ATTRACTION STYLE?
– Understanding the effect you have (or don’t have) on others.
– What do you WANT to attract and what are you actually attracting?
– How you ignite the spark of attraction
– How you keep the flame burning deeper in a long term relationship.

I have done the feeder program for this night called Awakening Women for Men, a transformational experience that alters how you listen to your own inner feminine, your mother, mine has passed, your sisters if you have them, your lovers and your female friends and the sister program is Awakening Men for Woman. The ethos of these programs is

We believe that at our human core our greatest longing is to be seen, felt and heard by those we love.

Awakening Connections is a new paradigm of relating that empowers people to come into deeper wholeness, love and truth.

We know a world exists where humans feel enlivened within themselves which in turn creates an opening for healthy, sexy and inspired relationships.

Relationships with self and others are the most challenging emotional experiences we face, asking us to continually evolve and grow.

We give people the ability to really step into and navigate the challenges we face and turn them into gold.

Awakening Connections celebrates the journey of relationship through embracing both its ecstatic potential as well as the gritty, real and raw nature of the human experience.

It’s time to create extraordinary relationships, are you ready?

So how has society looked at attraction over the years, here are some of my favourite ways!!!

1. This calls out to my heartspace.

2. In the real field of attractiveness, you do not have to live by the rules that there are only certain desires that are OK: I Feel Good.

3. But only with consent, we do not read it right every time.

4. Are you great at receiving your desires, it is something I am working on after years of listening to the reasons why I couldn’t in my head: Waiting for Love.

5. Body Butter, not something taught in standard high school sex education classes.

6. Talking about what is present in the actual moment, not saying what you think they want to hear, now that is expansive: Titanium.

7. Do you match your desires, I am about a 5 out of 10, always working on becoming stronger at it.

8. And once you begin to awaken your conscious self, your lifeforce does not allow you to go back: Set Fire To The Rain.

9. Magnets are built to attract to and stick to what are the right frequencies, listen to your magnetic power.

10. Fear prevents you from approaching what you desire and what you are attracted to, there is that classic saying have your fear and do it anyway. Over to You: Anyway.

11. Fuck Yes!!

12. Awakening occurs at the moment, you can do it millions of time in your life, especially around attraction: Changes.

13. Red or Blue, which are you attracted too?

14. Remember in this attraction game that you have unique strengths and skills, may you find the one, or even two or three that honours them: The Way.

15. And from the most famous of philosophers Ms Unknown comes the final lesson when awakening attraction.

A week or so after doing Awakening Women for Men a dear friend of mine asked me what did I learn about women from the course, it felt like she was checking to see what secrets Alley, Shaney and Jarrod had given away. Here is my answer: I said there was too much, it will take a lifetime to take it all in, but imagine I had never met you and I walked into the room and saw you and went: we must end up as lovers. I ask you out informing you that I broke up with Janice three months ago. I would know when I am placing my projections of being with Janice on our relationship, allowing it to be new and fresh and full of love and curiosity. She smiled and said that is beautiful.

The playlist for today speaks to the awakening of attraction. We begin with the Sex Machine James Brown. then we move forward to this century with Avicii. David Guetta duets with Sia next. Adele and Martina McBride follow. @Pac does the penultimate number, finishing with Ariana Grande.

Honouring your attractions is needed if we are to live from Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. I sincerely believe that there is at least one awakened soul out there for us. Until next time, my dear friends.

We Don’t Make Mistakes, Just Happy Little Accidents!!

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Rod's World

I go around to my sister Ruth’s, I call her Ruthie place on most Tuesdays for family connection. It comes out of a practice we used to do of taking our dear mum who passed at the end of 2017 op shopping, think thrift shops for the US nearly every Tuesday for seven years. She advised me that she had visited St. Arnaud, one of the towns we sent 4 years during our childhood. This was 50 years ago, and for some inexplicable reason, I remembered it used to be called The New Bendigo goldfields and that the only remaining item of that name was a derelict cemetery 10 km outside town on the Donald road. Mind you, I have not been there for 30 plus years. I am such a research nerd, no fact, however small leaves my grey matter.

We began talking about our memories of the place, our friends’ names, the local pool and then for some reason I moved onto the mistakes I had made. This is not a complete list, but here goes: 1. Setting the lounge room chimney on fire so that the Fire Brigade had to be called to put it out. 2. Setting the paddock behind our house on fire with matches and lying about it, yes the fire brigade had to come again, who’s the closet pyromaniac. 3. Sinking the other rafts in the Scout regatta by putting holes in their drums with a hammer and nail punch, we were quite inventive with this, I don’t know how we weren’t thrown out. My sister asked me why would you do things like that, I have contemplated it and come up with the devil in me was looking for an escape clause.

What do mistakes cost us and how has society looked at it, here we go:

1. I have never lit a fire again in my life, I say I am terrible at it.

2. The pyromaniac in me needed a couple of lessons: Firestarter.

3. I have come to the realisation that mistakes are just our shadow side talking to us, sometimes in funny ways.

4. This appealed to the People Pleaser in me: U Can’t Touch This.

5. Mistakes are definitely an essential part of our formative education.

6. Mistakes, your own personal Power Ranger: Gangsta’s Paradise.

7. Regarding the fire stuff, luckily, both of my parents were loving and understanding.

8. Marilyn’s mistake: messing with the POTUS: Happy Birthday, Mr President.

9. By the greatest quoter, Ms Unknown, but a beauty.

10. How many of us are guilty of this: Rehab.

11. Sofia Villani Scicolone, Dame of the Grand Cross, OMRI born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren is an Italian film actress and singer. She is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Encouraged to enrol in acting lessons after entering a beauty pageant, Loren began her film career at age 16 in 1950. She appeared in several bit parts and minor roles in the early part of the decade until her five-picture contract with Paramount in 1956 launched her international career. Notable film appearances around this time include The Pride and the Passion, Houseboat, and It Started in Naples.

Her talents as an actress were not recognised until her performance as Cesira in Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women; Loren’s performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1962 and made her the first actress to win an Oscar for a foreign-language performance. She holds the record for having earned six David di Donatello Awards for Best Actress: Two Women; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow; Marriage Italian Style (for which she was nominated for a second Oscar); Sunflower; The Voyage; and A Special Day. After starting a family in the early 1970s, Loren chose to make only occasional film appearances. In later years, she has appeared in American films such as Grumpier Old Men (1995) and Nine (2009).

12. One, Two, Three, begin the forgiveness: Courage.

13. If you have people around you who do this, time to say goodbye to them.

14. Do Buddhist monks doing a three-year meditation retreat in a cave make mistakes: Hell Yes: Mirror.

15. From this list comes the message, your job is to learn.

Did I stop making mistakes after we moved from St. Arnaud nee New Bendigo, FUCK NO!! I am 64 and am sure I still have several hundred to go, but they all will be part of the beautiful journey we call life.

The playlist rocks tonight. The Prodigy smashes you First, Two rap icons in MC Hammer and Coolio follow next, then a throwback with a tune by Marilyn Monroe. Amy Winehouse follows with the penultimate piece being the spoken word by Bruce Lee, in Chinese with subtitles. We finish with more rap from Little Wayne and Bruno Mars. Enjoy, I did creating it: We Don’t Make Mistakes, Just Happy Little Accidents.

So mistakes, all the more reason we need to embrace my world paradigm, Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. Until Next time, my dear friends.

If you Haven’t grown up by 50, You Don’t Have To!!

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Rod's World

Birthdays, we have one every year, I have had 64 of them, something I did not expect to happen in my earlier wild, lost years. We are sort of given a list we are meant to fulfil by our parents: The partner, the kids, the house etc. etc. – I have failed dismally in adding a tick next to these particular things. Instead, I have my conscious community of friends, wild adventures like attending Confest, dancing regularly every week and making chai for two of the dances.

I am at that time in my life that I hear and read about aging gracefully, Fuck That – Its time to party and experience and provide all the things that our community offers and needs us to share our gifts with them. I was having such a conversation with two amazing women at a friends birthday who had broken the mould as well. On our journeys, we tend to find each other over time, firstly we must make some mistakes on the way but our passion and purpose finally get us there.

What does society say about aging with passion, here are a few of my favourite things:

1. Taken to the extreme in one of my all-time favourite movies, Scarface.

2. Especially if you suffered the same fate as the author of this quote, they shot him: My Baby Shot Me Down.

3. This looks like a good read, great title.

4. Fever means something different to those with passion in their bones: Fever.

5. Takes something to get here, but Fuck, Yes.

6. Marie Dressler was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress, comedian, and early silent film and Depression-era film star. Successful on stage in vaudeville and comic operas, she was also successful in film. In 1914, she was in the first full-length film comedy. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1931. A career that rose and fell only to rise again because she did not buy the I am too old bullshit: Fly Me To The Moon.

7. Who wants to keep making those stupid societal errors anyway.

8. And they all came to celebrate my friend Jules at Naked for Satan on Sunday: That’s What Friends are For.

9. Hail the enthusiastic ones.

10. In 1970, after stepping down as NOW’s first president, Friedan organized the nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality on August 26, the 50th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granting women the right to vote. The national strike was successful beyond expectations in broadening the feminist movement; the march led by Friedan in New York City alone attracted over 50,000 people. Betty was 49 at the time: I Feel Shitty

11. Birthday today, time to break the rules.

12. Not just a presidents wife, one rocking mama: Hello.

13. Pick your favourite.

14. If you do this properly, dementia will never be a thing: In My Life.

15. For the final lesson, the first words are cut off, they are not really needed.

There are many ways to live ones live, your soul knows what is best for you.

Jules, the playlist is for you, Seven amazing female divas. Nancy Sinatra begins the journey followed by Peggy Lee. Dianne Krall and Dionne Warwick produce two absolute classics followed by the quirky Jane Friedman who you will not have heard of. The letter A features in the last two tracks with Adele and Allison Crowe. Jules, I expect to hear some of these at your next gig with Austin: If you Haven’t grown up by 50, You Don’t Have To!!

My life is dedicated to Love and Respect For All, Everybody Included no matter what your age, Until next time, my dear friends.

Freedom is a State of Mind!!

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Rod's World

Going off the grid for 5 days from 6AM tomorrow morning, off to Confest for the first time in 30 years with two of my friends who are Confest virgins. A little about the festival: ConFest (Conference/Festival) is a gathering of people wishing to share talents, skills, ideas, concerns and philosophies in a caring fun loving and tolerant atmosphere. The presentation of workshops, demonstrations, entertainments and the maintenance of site facilities are all performed by volunteers, monetary payment is neither accepted nor made.

At ConFest, people often set up villages with differing themes. ConFest is a clothing optional space, this means ConFesters can wear, or not wear anything they chose. Everywhere at ConFest is clothes optional. Don’t be surprised to have a naked ticket collector when you arrive at the ConFest gate. Clothing can range from nothing to body paint, a coat of mud, a sheet, a fairy costume, even a ball gown or dinner suit. At ConFest, clothing is not gendered specific. There is just one simple rule, respect other ConFester’s choices. A long-running and very popular ConFest tradition is the communal artist’s studio. Activities include body and sign painting, life drawing, clay work, organic art, photography etc. Artists, models and workshop facilitators are always welcome.

I am looking forward to returning, last time I went it was around 1,000 people, it is now over 6,000. How do 6,000 people express their own individual shades of freedom? Then, how does society comment on personal freedom, let’s have a look:

1. I love that saying, there is only climbing.

2. Its all in the air: The Air that I Breathe.

3. Thucydides has been called the father of the school of political realism, which views the political behaviour of individuals and the subsequent outcomes of relations between states as ultimately mediated by and constructed upon the emotions of fear and self-interest.

4. You got to fight for the right to…: You’ve got to Fight…

5. Mail, Key, Bike, etc. etc. etc.

6. There are rules that you are not meant to follow in your life, they are your bullshit rules: Nkosi Sikilel iAfrika.

7. The next step after freedom.

8. I . have met many of these fine people in the past six years of my healing journey, far too many to mention, you know who you are, Thank you: Love Street.

9. It travels hand in hand with integrity.

10. Nothing, Nada, No way, Fuck Off: No Way, Get Fucked, Fuck Off.

11. One word – Rumi!!

12. It may be known as Nirvana: Come as You Are.

13. Ask, expect. depend: Cry Freedom.

14. The curly haired eccentric one knows how to say it: Believe.

15. And our final lesson, two words: Fuck Yes.

What workshops will I do, they go all day supposedly. I will do ones that touch my heart.

Today’s playlist is great. A classic from The Hollies, The Beastie Boys next imploring you to …, A stirring National Anthem is thrown in next. Three of my faves from different eras, The Doors, The Angels from OZ, finishing with Nirvana. Mumford and Sons close it out with a plea to our senses: Freedom is a State of Mind.

Freedom to me would be the world living from Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. Until we meet again on the other side, my dear friends.

I Decide My Vibe!!

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Rod's World

What am I feeling today, a little bit of fear as to what it will take me to break through my always knowing about how to perform in a relationship and ask my new friend if it can be more than a friendship, we can all relate to the just friends scenario, it has devastated me at different times in my life.

I feel something in my heart that has not been there for a long time, yet I feel almost frozen to do anything about it. It’s a, we work together situation and is it politically correct in these days of #metoo to pursue it further. Fuck, it hurts my heart.

So, what have we, as a community said about moving to the next level in relationships, let’s open our hearts up and find out:

1. So true, being numb and frozen clearly does not work.

2. Which floor do you require? My lift operator in my heart to self: Level Up.

3. The exact advice my friend Phoenix gave me in an Expand The Box exercise we were in last night when I tried to find the answer in my head, not my heart.

4. Focus on what’s in your heart, not your head: Listen to Your Heart.

5. Are you an Id flyer?

6. Oops, this gets in: Same Old Shit.

7. This will help break through the numbness.

8. Shag pile carpet or facing reality, choose: Uncomfortable

9. Is that a goddess picture, maybe?

10. How do you get from point A to point B: More Than Friends.

11. Another way of saying what Phoenix pointed out that I needed to do for it to have any chance.

12. I believe in the starseed theory, that the universe is listening to our spoken and unspoken requests and tries to answer them: Across The Universe.

13. I’m sure my millennial nephews would understand what he is saying, I’m not so sure.

14. Language, it can make you quite sad at times: Computer Games.

15. And for our final lesson, Rod, fucking remember this and get out of your head.

When you are not researching possibility as your source but entering the world of feelings I notice that my blogs have become much shorter. How many words do I have blocked in the frozen parts of my body, we shall see over time.

The Playlist has a classic death metal fuck you track amongst it today. We begin with Ciara, travel back to Roxette. Cross the political correct boundary with Macz, then rock out with Halestorm. Jason Mraz and Meghan Trainor ask each other a relationship question. Rufus Wainwright redefines a Beatles song and we finish with an Oz classic from Mi-Sex: I Decide My Vibe.

Relationships must come from Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included, Peace out to next time, my dear friends.

Work While They Sleep, Learn While They Party!!

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Rod's World

This blog may be a bit long, it is based on a list by Robin Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari called Top 200 Secrets of Success In Life, Here they are:

Sleep less.
Set aside one hour every morning for personal development matters.
Do not allow things that matter suffer because of things that don’t.
Use the Rubber Band method to condition your mind to focus.
Always answer the phone with enthusiasm.
Keep a set of blank cards so you can jot down your inspirational ideas.
Set aside every Sunday evening for yourself.
The quality of your life is the quality of your communication.
Stay on purpose, not on outcome.
Laugh for five minutes in the mirror each morning.
Light a candle in the evening when you are reading.
Count your steps when you walk.
Learn to meditate effectively.
Learn to be still.
Enhance your will-power.
Be humorous throughout the day.
Become a highly disciplined time manager.
Associate with positive people.
Become devoted to having only a wonderful experience.
You must have a mission statement in life.
No one can hurt you without your permission.
Take a speed reading course.
Remember people’s names.
Be soft as a flower when it comes to kindness.
Only discuss your health and wealth with your family.
Be truthful, modest and generous.
Soak in a warm bath at the end of the day.
Learn the power of breathing.
Recognise the power of autosuggestion.
Maintain a diary.
Stress is merely a response which you create.
Read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Become a committed audio-tape listener.
Fast one day every two weeks.
Listen to soft, soothing music throughout the day.
Read As a Man Thinketh by James Allen.
Remember that forgiveness is a virtue few develop.
Empty your Cup.
Practice The Two Minute Mind meditation.
Drink a cup of warm water before making a speech.
Stand firm and steadfast.
Act Tough, and you will be Tough.
Ask now what the world can do for you, but what can you do for the world.
Once a week, arise at dawn.
Remain slightly aloof.
Master the art of Public Speaking.
Seek out motivational speakers and listen to them.
Read Discovering Happiness by Denis Wholey.
Read a passage in a book, then try to recite it verbatim
Enter a 5km run then a 10km race.
Burn Orange and Clove essential oils in your burner.
Walk for half an hour after your evening meal.
Start lifting weights.
Never argue with the person you work for.
Dark Suits reflect power, wear them.
Send handwritten notes to your relationships, work and family.
Balance and moderation.
Drink Jasmine Tea.
Effective time management makes you more flexible.
Do not take personal development books as gospel.
Become an adventurer.
Spend Time with Nature.
Mens Sana in corpore Sano – In a sound body rests a sound mind.
Be so strong nothing interferes with your peace of mind.
Do not eat three hours before you sleep.
Be careful about your reputation.
Find mentors to learn and model on.
Make a list of all your weaknesses.
Never complain.
Overlook the weaknesses of your friends.
Be kind, considerate and courteous.
Create your image as a highly competent individual.
Do not reveal everything, familiarity breeds contempt is an excellent rule.
Learn to organise your time.
Keep well informed.
Choosing your life partner is the most critical decision you will make.
Never discuss your personal development activities with anyone, they are yours.
Schedule relaxation time in your week.
To truly concentrate, close your eyes.
Be the master of your will but a servant of your conscience.
Develop the habit of a daily swim.
Do good every day.
Do what you planned to do when you intended to do it.
Use the Bruce Lee worry visualisation exercise to dissipate worry.
Compartmentalise your worries.
Be physically relaxed and mentally engaged.
Yoga.
Prepare a detailed 5-year financial plan and follow it.
Readers are Leaders.
Read something positive before you go to bed.
Develop a dynamic, charismatic personality.
Seek out the wise and learn from them.
Gentleness, Frugality, Humility – Lao Tzu.
When you cannot make up your mind – choose the bolder.
Be your spouse’s number one supporter.
Meet with three wise people in the next two weeks, take their counsel.
Make each day a true masterpiece.
Discipline your mind or lose your energy.
You sow an action, you reap a habit.
Positive overcomes the negative.
A contented mind is a continual feast.
Make a new friend or acquaintance every day.
If you conquer your mind, you capture the world.
Stay happy not build possessions.
Contrary to popular belief, stress is not a bad thing.
Take mental vacations during the day.
A change is useful as a rest.
Study the ten fundamental of Happiness.
Strive to be humble and live a simple life.
Read A History of Knowledge by Charles Van Doren.
Read The Art of The Leader by William A. Cohen.
Develop that elusive quality known as charisma.
In work, love and life, play hard and play fair.
Do not talk when you are listening.
Be angry for a purpose, not just angry for anger’s sake.
Knowledge is Power.
All the answers to any questions are in print, Google It.
Get in the habit of breakfast meetings.
Have a swimming pool near your residence, it will not matter how busy you are.
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.
Today is yesterday’s pupil.
If you have a choice of two paths, take the most daring.
Every day, get away from the noise.
Focus on goals that are important.
Memorise beautiful poetry.
Keep your words soft and arguments hard.
This will soon pass.
Go the extra mile.
Become a committed and sincere networker.
When you look for something, you will find it.
Develop a sense of wonder about the world.
Do more than writing happy birthday on Facebook for your beloveds.
Remember to use people’s names when you talk to them.
Go outdoors and look up for half an hour.
Once every few weeks leave your phone and watch at home.
Laugh at work.
Master your life, and you master your destiny.
Recognise the tremendous power of opposition thinking.
Get deep in the habit of personal introspection.
The most effective alarm clock resides in your mind.
They say “Why”. I dream and say “Why Not”.
Practice meditation at the same time each day.
Forge and foster great friendships.
Purchase Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue CD.
Drink ten glasses of water a day.
Be punctual.
If you are busy, do not answer the phone.
Start your day off well.
Confide in your partner.
Push yourself a little harder and further every day.
Optimism.
Write down the seven best qualities of people you admire, tape to your bed.
Have your character be healthy and vigorous.
Consider yourself as an orange.
Give and Serve to Others.
Be an innovator at your workplace.
Learn to Laugh at Yourself.
Keep open the windows of your mind.
Go through one full day without saying I.
Spend one hour a day awake in full silence.
Each day, do two things you do not like doing.
Achieve your Goals for true happiness.
Remember the names of the people you meet, ask them to repeat it.
Indominability. Courtesy, Integrity.
Perform the Mental Innterupt device exercise when a negative thought arises.
Take time to focus on personal growth activities.
Read more, learn more, laugh more, and love more.
Improve five relationships in the next six months.
Remember the power of prayer.
Listen to The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale.
Utilise your phones daily organiser.
Browse second-hand stores for treasures.
Read The Magic of Believing by Claude M. Bristol.
Be known as someone with a cool head.
Every week, spend some hours in service of others.
Fill your home with bright, fresh flowers.
Get to know and enjoy your neighbours.
Recognise the power of mantras.
When the breath is still and steady, so is the mind.
Use the one day to live visualisation.
Study evidence of high character.
Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind.
Chinese herbal medicine.
Organise your time around your real priorities.
Slow down your pace of life.
Eat only fruit and drink milk for a day.
Value your spouse’s laugh and keep their picture close by.
If married, have your partners initials carved on your ring.
What you put in is what you get out. Positive, not negative.
Do a hundred sit-ups a day.
Be the most honest person you know.
Curb your worldly desires, and you will strengthen your will.
If you have not laughed today, you have not lived today.
Read The Charisma Factor by Robert J. Richardson and S, Katharine Thayer.
Travel Often.
Each month set a physical goal for yourself.
Things are created twice, the mental creation and physical creation.
Walk to work and notice the beauty of nature.
Sleep less, spend less, do more. Live longer and be more magnificent.
Read this book over and share it with others.

What would you add to Robin’s list, what are your self-care practices for success and what does society say about success, let’s have a look at what it has to say:

1. Being focused and in action gets it done according to Trudy.

2. Remember to smell the roses along the path: Stop and Smell the Roses.

3. Nothing and Everything, both extremes can be successful.

4. Be successful in the every day and quantum success can be built in it: From Little Things, Big Things Grow.

5. Walk your unique path, you are not meant to wear another’s shoes.

6. Don’t be a usual suspect: I Bet My Life.

7. From the most famous philosopher, Ms Unknown comes this uncommon quote.

8. Don’t be fascinated by it and it will seek you out: Go Your Own Way.

9. Mistakes, make them. Call out for Help.

10. Blogger turned New York Times best-selling author and speaker Mandy Hale is the creator of the social media movement, “The Single Woman.” With a heart to inspire single women to live their best lives and to never, ever settle, Mandy cuts to the heart of the matter with her inspirational, straight-talking, witty, and often wildly humorous take on life and love: Breathe Me.

11. Seek what you love, and you will never work another day in your life.

12. Do you want it enough to do what you need to make it happen: Whenever, Wherever.

13. Turn the mind way down.

14. On and On and On and On: Life Goes On.

15. Are you for hire, how much do you charge?

For some success is dollars, for some the ideal relationship, for others having children, there is not one situation that fulfils success, find yours and seek it out with all you have to give.

Today’s playlist begins with Mac Davis, then the classic Oz duo Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody. Imagine Dragons are next, then we rock it out with Fleetwood Mac. Two pop divas follow, Sia and Shikhara. We finish with the rapper Tupac: Work While They Sleep, Learn While They Party.

I see success for humanity as being via Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. Let’s move towards that until next time we meet, my dear friends.