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.

Your Body Hears Everything!!

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Rod's World

My head is full of thoughts, some not so positive. To overcome this I do the work of my mentor, Arion Light: The Activation School. I have heard and studied many forms of the statement that we become what we think and that self-talk is paramount if you wish to succeed in life.

I sought out head not heart stuff most of the time, it had an effect for a while, but it wore off as my head took control again as it was well trained to put me in my place. I’m now working primarily with the body and accepting that I have held locks in my body that I need to accept and work through.

So what have we said about self-talk over the ages, let’s go on the journey:

1. First of all, we must acknowledge that it is extremely powerful, it can turn you from a pussycat into a lion with a different empowering interpretation.

2. Yes we are, and we tend to believe what we hear. So gently with the demeaning stuff: Thinking Out Loud.

3. As Barack says, Yes we can, Yes we did.

4. Jeff Brown, a canadian writer created a word I love: Enrealment. What you put after these two words is your enrealment: Wayne Dyer’s thoughts.

5. Not actually the four buddhist vows but just as powerful in the area of self-talk.

6. What would the education system be able to achieve with our dear ones if this was on the cirriculum: Teach Your Children.

7. And not only you hear it, that big bad universe will plot with the thoughts.

8. Get the chalk out and scuttle those first two letters and get on with it: Possibility.

9. Take actions on the thhings in this list, and the affirmation will work. Actions not words work.

10. Karen Salmansohn is a best selling self-help book author with over one million books sold. Salmansohn was formerly a senior VP ad creative director (at age 26) who left her job to pursue writing. She has been profiled in the NY Times, Business Week, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Time Magazine, ELLE, Marie Claire, and Fast Company. She also appeared in popular television shows and was a regular lifestyle reporter for Fox TV.

Lately, she has been offering monthly seminars at THE SOHO HOUSE in New York City where she lives. She now has her own SIRIUS radio show called Be Happy Dammit. She also gives seminars nationally (at places like NAWBO, Gen Art, and Media Bistro) and internationally (in Canada, Germany, and elsewhere).

She is a regular columnist for Oprah, CNN, Psychology Today, Huffington Post and MSN and writes a popular career column for amNY, one of New York’s largest newspapers, called “The 1 Minute Career Therapist”. She is also a relationship expert for msn.com, match.com and Lifetime TV and a career coach for AOL (alongside Tom Peters and Brian Tracey). She has twenty-nine books, five TV development deals, two film deals, and one perfume named “Unavailable: it’s more than a perfume, it’s a philosophy.” She lives her challenges: Live Your Life.

11. When Einstein said this – Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand he didn’t mean to do the above.

12. What happens when you reach your goals, what is your journey then. It ends the day they put you in your form of the grave you prefer, love the journey: Just Stand Up.

13. Looks like thats he’s about to jump. There is a quote on the wall where I work. Jump off and learn how to fly on the way down. Get rid of these things and you have a greater chance of success.

14. There is a prize if people remember who Rhonda Byrne is. I like her imaging though: Soundtrack Whistle.

15. Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali, he was the greatest as both beings.

Remember the words you put in your body, it has a good memory. Practise being with them and you will be surprised the essence that will rise.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Do not Activate without Coffee!!

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Rod's World

I was going to write this blog on what goals I have set for 2017 but decided instead to write about what activities I have chosen to fulfill. I tend to use Danielle LaPorte’s amazing Desire Map process: Danielle’s homepage. In this process you choose 3 to 5 core desire feelings you wish ot create your life to fulfill. At the moment mine are Vitality, Bliss, Love, Helping Other People Evolve = H.O.P.E. and Being Loved.

As I chose these three years ago I am about to do the process again and see what comes up. it takes a couple of days to do and is a very full look at what turns you on – how to activate your life. How do we look at the art of activation, lets begin the journey:

1. We all choose our roles in life even though quite a few of us get pleasure out of blaming others for our situation. Get some responsibility on board.

2. Not formulated classroom lessons but many adventures to find out what will turn the switch on in each child. Some of the great geniuses of history were considered slow or even stupid when attending school: Child’s Play.

3. Robert began his career playing music and studying and teaching musical composition. He began to see that the structural principles that are so much a part of the composer’s art have profound importance when applied to human development.

4. A statement by Superman who lost nearly everything a human could think of losing but it never deactivated his lust for life: See what I mean.

5. Remember when we activate goals and plans for our lives what comes with them is the not that goals and plans, this is to teach you what it takes to fulfill a goal.

6. It’s great to look at including these in your activities, the more positive they are for your mind and body the better for your soul: What a Wonderful World.

7. It was so cute I just had to use it; Reminds me of previous blog on Synergy.

8. What activates fear in you, the underlying emotion that prevents us dealing with our lack of success with our goals because we are afraid of confronting them: When you say nothing at All.

9. All of us do this, it may end up in ecstatic states , or bouts of sadness, or even madness. But be sure it will take you somewhere. I suggest bodywork as a remedy.

10. Could it be this simple, give it a go and see what happens: F***ing Perfect.

11. Here’s a list of people we know for their fame, check out what they did before, from carpenters to chicken pluckers: What did they do?

12. Interesting comparison by king of everything psychedelic Timothy Leary. I think I understand computers but not so sure about some of my acid experiences: Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds.

13. This statement from Albert says a lot about why traditional goal setting methodology fails, it is never activated.

14. Quiz time, which president of the United States was JQA and from which century, this quote still holds today: Titanium.

15. What do you wish to activate with your words on Social Media? I wish to promote possibility and Love. Sometimes I slip into political disarray which taints my personal brand.

So lets have a beautiful day activating what it is you wish to in your lives.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

It was not in your Textbooks!!

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Rod's World

I love TED talks. 18 minutes of possibility and passion. I’m reading a book called Talk like Ted, because, yes, I have a deep wish to do one, it’s on my bucket list. Titanic explorer Robert Ballard in TED 2008 started his talk with ” Everything I’m going to present to you was not in my textbooks when I went to school. ”

So I ponder why education departments hold so stringently onto outdated technologies and teaching methods as the above statement changes at a more rapid rate. here’s his TED talk: Exploring the Oceans.

The New is what is taking us forward, allowing for what we know already, but it is the added bits that will make the difference.

Let us meander down the path we are being taken by the newness in our lives:

1. Oh, but for the brave experimenters, we would not have the electric light, the solar panel. The people who invented these things knew that the journey came with mistakes. That they did not have the answer instantly.

1. When I was sixteen I did not know that I would run marathons when another sixteen had passed. Or that I would run down the main street of Leningrad with the mayor in the name of Ending World Hunger: I’m not Afraid

3. Doe Zantamata is an author, artist, and photographer. In addition to the Happiness in Your Life book series, she also creates and designs poster books of different titles, including “Happy By Nature,” “Old Children, A Book for “Adults”,” and others. Doe has been writing since before she could tie her shoes. In addition to writing, she enjoys nature, history, and is an animal welfare advocate. She also runs a blog at http://www.thehiyL.com with daily posts.

4. What would you want to be posted on your mini whiteboard that they could use later in your life: Live Your Life.

5. One thing guaranteed life will change, be new, moment by moment. Remember this when you wake up each beautiful morning.

6. I’m old enough to remember Hawkeye from M.A.S.H. From his credits he had this not in the textbook thing down pat: Theme from MASH.

7. On this path, you have to let go of some things you have attachments to. Trust the magic.

8. A new project, travel to a new country, a new love affair. Your feelings are jolted in these situations: Feelings.

9. William Arthur Ward is one of America’s most quoted writers of inspirational maxims. His column Pertinent Proverbs has been featured in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and in numerous service club publications throughout the United States and abroad. He is one of the most frequently quoted writers in the pages of Quote, the international weekly digest for public speakers.

10. There is a quote that points out we all have the same amount of time in the day as Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and HHDL. When I posted it on Facebook my brother went apeshit. This fact can be quite challenging: Absolute Beginners.

11. Don’t think that this is at the forefront of my mind as I travel through the day, I will remember it now, though.

12. Is it a creation if you already know how to do it: Imagine.

13. From the great Paulo Coelho, one simple word – “Hello”.

14. It didn’t work that time. Start again, from little steps big things grow: Starting Something: M.J.

15. How many mistakes a day do you make?

Got a little bit off the subject on the way through, but remember, what is dominant in our society was not in the textbooks you read at school.

Namaste until next time , my dear friends.

Is Adversity Awesome?

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Rod's World

This is a great question, do we want adversity in our lives or do we want them to chug along with very few bumps in the road. I confess that I tried the latter and kept ending up in psych. units because I did not handle the former very well.

The first time was when they were going to shut down the office I worked in where we had created a special relationship with our clients and I didn’t want to lose it so I clandestinely fought it with the community and union so that they kept it partially open in a smaller site around the corner. The stress of doing this saw me start a journey were I was dismissed and put on a pension never to work again with another two admissions during the two year period.

So what can dealing better with adversity offer us? There are many quotes from famous characters in history to unknowns on the subject and it was a difficult task choosing the fifteen most relevant, but here are my favourite ones. Lets have a look :

1. One of the great tests of adversity is who stays along for the ride when the going gets tough. I know that when in deep depression I was not an easy person to stay with but there were certain friends who stayed through me trying to tell them to go away because I was not worth knowing.

2. Adversity is put in our lives to test our resolve, how we get through them increases our Strength in life, helps us get through those moments in life that truly test our ability to break on through to a stronger person.

3. Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, Mawlānā/Mevlânâ, Mevlevî/Mawlawī, and more popularly simply as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rumi’s influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turks, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central Asian Muslims, and the Muslims of South Asia have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy for the past seven centuries. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world’s languages and transposed into various formats. Rumi has been described as the “most popular poet” and the “best selling poet” in the United States. I spoke to an Iranian friend who did not know who Rumi was but knew Mawlawi well. He says it simply but it is profound.

4. In my friends Arion’s work The Activation Program we work on an aspect of life called Renewal where we look at what controls us being more effective and look to accept this, in doing so this allows it to no longer control us, like having it blow the adversity away.

5. American author and bloggist Randi J. Fine points out that even though adversity is happening to us it is occurring for a reason, what is happening is exactly what is meant to at that moment to move us through life. You could even say from reading her site she is suggesting Don’t worry be Happy.

6. A lot of my friends lead workshops and seminars in the conscious movement and personal development areas. If you were to hear their stories as how they got there you would definitely agree that they are shining the light for other, living proof of the wounded healer stories.

7. here is one of the great natural examples of what can be created by overcoming adversity. Considered the most sough after gemstone who realises that it began its life as a piece of charcoal.

8. Discussing his quote we all think of Frank Herbert as a Science Fiction writer of note, best known for the novel Dune and its five sequels. Though he became famous for science fiction, he was also a newspaper journalist, photographer, short story writer, book reviewer, ecological consultant and lecturer. He had adversity covered in all directions.

9. It is a little known fact that many millionaires go broke several times in their life. But due to the fact they can handle great wealth they can also handle great adversity so have the ability to return to their former status.

10. John A. Passaro grew up as a wrestler and points out that is were he learnt to be a better person not in his Science and Math and English classes. Perhaps this is what Pink Floyd meant when they sang We don’t need no Education.

11. If we lived our whole lives between the lines, in the safe zone, how much meaning would there be in our lives, I often here people referring to the Nanny State these days, that everything is so controlled people don’t know what to do when they are challenged in life.

12. Climatic disasters are what this quote reminds me of. It brings out the best in people because at the heart of it, we all want to make a difference with others and these occurrences are when we are needed to do it most.

13. When we look at our politicians and how many of them have to resign due to corruption this quote from Abraham Lincoln hits home. It seems to bring out the worst of behaviour in some people who seek to be elected to make a difference. As JOhn Lennon sang Power to the People.

14. Walter Elias “Walt” Disney was an American entrepreneur, cartoonist, animator, voice actor, and film producer. He was a prominent figure within the American animation industry and throughout the world, and is regarded as a cultural icon, known for his influence and contributions to entertainment during the Twentieth century. Flowers grow in deserts and mountains , areas we do not expect them to.

15. Roads keeps us well under control, discoveries do not come from staying on the road, but trying out the adversity of the Unknown, not many life changing inventions were made driving the car down the road.

I have learnt to deal with adversity much better these days, I do not recommend waiting 58 years as I did, many of these spent trying to fix myself.

Namaste until Thursday, my dear friends.

Love to Love you Baby!!

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Rod's World

I have struggled with Self Love my whole life. I have taken self loathing to the point of being hospitalised 5 times in the past ten years. I did numerous courses and read numerous books to try and work out why? It has been only recently since taking up body work with Arion Light through The Activation School and his ground breaking course Creative Mastery that I have shifted into the world of Self Love.

It was through the practice of acceptance of what I thought was wrong with me not get out damn spot that allowed me to access this precious state. I have chosen 15 beautiful quotes to have a discussion on what stops us and how we can come to it. Oprah’s included.

1. The first person who hears your words, spoken or not is the one looking back in the mirror, and they have a good memory, be kind and speak with compassion.

2. Brene Brown, expert on vulnerability was a University professor before her rise to becoming one of the most respected authors of the Conscious movement. In her work Brene pushes the importance of daily practice. For Self Love she suggested embracing the now not the when.

3. It doesn’t matter how often other people tell you You are beautiful, until you get this in your soul, they are wasting their breath.

4. Shine on , You Crazy diamond, great song from Pink Floyd, great advice to listen to when you wake up.

5. How many times have you said this to someone? Perhaps Awesome, you’re flying on all cylinders might be more appropriate.

6. When the applause dies down , what is left , Do things for your own pleasure not others because some day they will not approve of you.

7. I have just finished reading Lissa Rankin’s great book, The Fear Cure – Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind and Soul. You get to write your own prescription for Courage at the end, an acknowledgement what it is that provides you with Self Love to Ignite your Inner Pilot Light. Here’s the link to her page The Fear Cure

8. As I mentioned I have been hospitalised for mental health issues 5 times in the past 10 years. So I fully agree with this statement that being in love or not with yourself has a profound effect on your health.

9. Alan Cohen has two persona’s, owner of a national Ice Hockey team in the United States and author of 23 inspirational books on Hay House publishing. If you Love you Live Now is now my choice in life.

10. Remember when you were a kid and you and your friends used to go looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but really didn’t know which end it would be at. Here’s the solution, Live like there is a pot of Self Love at each end.

11. The Work is a fantastic site that Byron Katie has built for people to transform themselves through her 4 questions

Is it true? (Yes or no. If no, move to 3.)
Can you absolutely know that it’s true? (Yes or no.)
How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
Who would you be without the thought?

It’s up to us to engender self love not others.

12. Oprah, people either love or hate her, there seems to be no in-between, I am a former. The opportunities she creates for people to enter the state of Self Love is profound, I honour her for her stand for possibility.

13. Is Hate to strong a word to use when referring to your self, perhaps we need to go all the way down to ground zero to come out the other side of Self Love

14. As I said in my previous blog Stand by Your!! I made one of the toughest decisions I had in my life asking the woman I thought was going to be my soul-mate to go away. This quote refers to why I did it. I treat myself a whole lot differently to how I did 12 months ago.

15. Finally a quote that points out how much psychological weight you carry around when you rely on the acceptance by others. A friend asked me how much weight I had lost the other day. I replied in kilo’s none, but in my mind and soul tons and tons.

Well, I know that this is a life time journey and I have a lot of years practising self loathing so I commit to a daily practice of self love for the years I have remaining, we will see what occurs, if its anything like the miracles that have occurred in the past 12 months I am in for a highly enjoyable wild rode.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Stand by your?

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Rod's World

I made one of the toughest decisions in a long time the other day. I told the woman I thought could be my soul-mate to go away. I had sent her an SMS message daily , that’s the way she liked to communicate, for the past five months what I liked or loved about her.

Yet she continually reminded me that I was being negative towards her and seemed to store them in a negativity database to bring out when she felt like. The last time she did it was during a conversation where she contacted me saying she had been sad and teary and thanking me for my latest SMS.

I offered to stop what I was doing and come and see her. It went through this weird process which ended up in her messaging she was not sure whether she wanted to see me due to my negativity. This is why I do not like communicating by SMS, it is totally impersonal and can be misconstrued by both parties.

I have chosen 15 quotes about breaking up, one of the things I used to consider the hardest thing to do. Here they are.

1. It takes you to get to that point where you know your rights are being abused before you say enough is enough, do it and hope they get the message .

2. My heart has been hurting since I did it, The last thing I wrote was that PS I still love you, but self love has to come first.

3. It takes something to do this, you argue with yourself remembering the good times, and I will miss them so much. But I have grown as a person over the last six months and know what I want in my life

4. The she’ll be right syndrome. The horses head on the meal table Say it like the image you prefer but you have to go all the way down in your relationships to come out the other side.

5. Not at this point yet, far to soon and my heart is still hurting. But I can relate to the concept, it seems it will open space for me.

6. I told her that I would change my life to see her more often because I did think of her a lot when doing things wishing I was that she was there. Now I won’t have to, shame really.

7. I’m not sure if this is true for me at the moment, they say you should fight cat and dog for those you love.

8. I didn’t realising it was hurting me until the last time, I had always apologised for doing it, then realised I wasn’t the person she was referring to, so got the lesson.

9. In my heart I don’t want to do this, but my anxiety level says something else, that for my health I need to or have it dramatically change.

10. This is a nice way of putting it, perhaps they should put it on all government forms.

11. I thought I was satisfied with where I was at, my truth had other ideas and said stand up for yourself.

12. Self explanatory, this is the silly humorous quote in case I got a little too serious.

13. Was I asleep, it didn’t feel like it. Will discover this over the next few weeks.

14. I suppose it happens in all friendships, that there is a honeymoon period. When you are not contacted for several days you realise that its over.

15. What would it be like if you had an unbreakable heart, I think it would have to be made of plastic. Meanwhile we journey down the Yellow brick road of Relationships.

I am getting sadder and sadder as I write this , yet I stand for my decision to have the right not to be criticized on an ongoing basis.

Namaste until next time my dear friends