You don’t always need a Plan!!

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Rod's World

There are times in our life when we need to be motivated, here are some reminders from Marc Chernoff, author of the great book, Getting Back to Happy with his partner, Angel: Here’s the link.

1. You can press forward long after you can’t. It’s just a matter of wanting it bad enough.

2. Crying doesn’t indicate that you’re weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you’re alive and full of potential.

3. Give up worrying what others think of you. What they think isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.

4. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today and you pay close attention, you’ll often find you’re right.

5. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.

6. A problem is a chance for you to learn.

7. You must see things how they are instead of how you hoped, wished or expected them to be.

8. Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Let it Go.

9. Tough times never last, but tough people do.

10. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

11. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go.

12. Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

13. If it’s out of your control why fret about it? Concentrating on things you can control is how you make good things happen.

14. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

15. Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.

What has the world said over time to motivate itself, here are a few of my favourites:

1. The old imagine they are naked public speaking trick reversed because this time you are.

2. You come to that twin fork in the road, take the road less travelled: Hit the road, Jack.

3. If you are going to the gym to find it, turn around, it’s inside you, not in the weight room.

4. The comfort zone is the home of the lounge lizard, not Nobel prize winners: Out of Tower Song.

5. What did you discover after your worst fall?

6. Treat people how you wish them to treat you: Treat me like Somebody.

7. Live out your dreams, they are worth it.

8. One foot in front of each other still means you are on the path of fulfilling your dreams: One Foot.

9. Plan it, then allow for the time it will take.

10. John Michael Green is an American author, vlogger, producer, and educator. He won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, Looking for Alaska, and his fourth solo novel, The Fault in Our Stars, debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list in January 2012. The 2014 film adaptation opened at number one at the box office. In 2014, Green was included in Time magazine’s list of The 100 Most Influential People in the World. Another film based on a Green novel, Paper Towns, was released on July 24, 2015: It Hurts.

11. Jim Rohn points out sometimes we may have simply chosen the wrong path.

12. Just, because: Black Coffee.

13. Motivation 101.

14. Makes me think of William Wallace and his wee band of men: Freedom Speech.

15. You can make an excuse and not do what it will take or you can travel forward towards what your dreams in life are.

So a few questions: What stands between you and happiness, Are you holding on to something you need to let go, What is the biggest challenge you face right now and finally, If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently.

The playlist today begins with Ray Charles as we hit the road, then we continue to the musical Tangled. Three newbies to me follow: Tink, Walk the Moon and Emeli Sande. Then the sultry Peggy Lee and we end with Mel Gibson aka William Wallace: You don’t always need a Plan.

To live my life from Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included does not always need a plan, just a way of being. Until we meet again my dear friends, let’s live a motivated life.

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.

I Woke Up, I Have Clothes To Wear!!

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Rod's World

One of my friend’s Passions is turning One, Nicole Gibson’s movement Love out Loud turned One yesterday, and she is offering all of her products at half price on the world’s special day for love, Valentines Day: Nicoles Offer.

Nicole has written a beautiful book called a matter of factly Love Out Loud so in honour of this special day I picked up the book and opened it to a page, so today we will be looking at the value of gratitude, Chapter 8 for when you buy this excellent book. Nicole states that “A big part of creating a gratitude practice for yourself is the understanding that gratitude is about honouring what has been normalised in your life, so that it may be sustained. “

I am also a big fan of Danielle LaPorte’s Daily Planner which has you write one thing you are grateful for each morning. So what has the world had to say about being grateful as it travels along the timeline, here are a few of my favourites:

1. Many song titles amongst this little gem.

2. Happy Birthday, Nicole, let’s Love Out Loud: Happy Birthday, Mr President.

3. Perfectionism, otherwise known as the booby prize when it comes to commencing fulfilling your dreams.

4. I live in Australia, that puts me in the top one per cent of the planet for privileges, for that, I will be eternally grateful: Dirty Laundry.

5. There are times that I haven’t found it easy to think this, but with the journey comes the shadow and the light.

6. What colour is your favourite cup, mine is sky blue: Running on Empty.

7. I like the theory we are all starseed, it makes it so much easier to love everything and everybody out loud.

8. As you walk out your front door be very grateful, not everyone gets to do this: Home.

9. The past has gone, the future is yet to occur, all we have is Today.

10. Yes, You and You and You: Thank You For The Music.

11. We have the choice to begin anew each and every moment, although some days it may feel impossible.

12. Big Tony has his say: Diva.

13, Jessye is recognised as one of the worlds great Mezzo Soprano’s, daughter of an Insurance Salesman and a school teacher, she discovered opera after her parents gave her a radio on her 9th birthday opening her horizons, where she discovered the world of opera, that she Loved Out Loud.

14. It’s such a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with You: Perfect Day.

15. And for our final lesson, we hear from Marilyn’s birthday boy.

So back to Nicole to finish off:

Gratitude is a Practice.

For something to become a habit, the brain relies on repetitive action. It takes approximately twelve weeks to form any type of behavioural habit that strengthens neural pathways so that the brain will begin automatically commanding this behaviour. I highly recommend beginning a gratitude practice daily; at the same time, each day. Again, a ritual is deeply embedded in who we are, and to become ritualistic in your practices will ensure the deep integration of the behaviours that lead a life of loving out loud.

Journal It, write it in your diary, start a daily gratitude jar, speak it out loud to the mirror, there are many ways to do it, choose one that turns you on and has you Love Out Loud.

Actresses and Opera Singers feature in today’s playlist. We begin with Marilyn Monroe, then take it to the limit with The Eagles. Jackson Browne is next, Then the oddly named Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeros. A singalong with Abba, a pop diva number from Beyonce and we finish with a duet from Lou Reed and Luciano Pavarotti: I Woke Up, I Have Clothes To Wear.

Part of my Loving Out Loud is to spread the ethos of Love and Respect For All, Everyone Included in all of my actions. Join me in this until we meet again my dear friends.

Make Your Life Simple But Significant!!

Posted on January 31, 2019 by Rod's World

Someday life seems so complicated, yet other days we are in total flow: What is the difference? My friend Marc Chernoff suggests that there are things we should cease doing so we have more days of the latter. Here are Marc’s ideas:

Stop berating yourself for being a work in progress.
Stop doing immoral things just because you can.
Stop meaning what you don’t say.
Stop wasting time and money trying to acquire more of everything.
Stop spending time with negative people.
Stop trying to change people.
Stop being lazy and cutting corners.
Stop procrastinating,
Stop worrying and complaining.
Stop being dramatic.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone.
Stop making promises you can’t keep.
Stop blaming others.
Stop reacting without a plan.
Stop confusing being busy with being productive.
Stop over-committing and trying to do too much at once.
Stop being inefficient simply because you’ve always done it that way.
Stop cluttering your space.
Stop overloading your mind by consuming useless information.
Stop obsessing over the past and the future.
Stop waiting for things to be perfect.
Stop focussing so much energy on trying to avoid mistakes.
Stop making emotional decisions.
Stop being unhealthy.
Stop holding onto intimate relationships that make you unhappy.
Stop holding onto hate.
Stop pretending like you know everything.
Stop giving what you don’t want to receive.

Deep down in our hearts, we know these things would be good for us if we took them on. I wouldn’t recommend taking more than a few at a time, there is that adage new habits take 21 days to cement in place.

How far back does the advice on living life with ease go? Let’s have a look:

1. Apparently, a long way: here is some wisdom on the subject from Confucius, who lived in China in the Fifth Century B.C.

2. Time in nature is such a decluttering of the mind: Medicine.

3. Some people prefer to complicate their life and even die before they make the changes that will benefit them.

4. Physically steps are always forward, metaphorically, I am not so sure: Neon Blue.

5. And then there is always an act of service.

6. Are Kiss really a rock group on an acronym for a life less complicated: I was made for Loving You.

7. Within the framework of his science-fiction stories, Heinlein repeatedly addressed certain social themes: the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, the obligation individuals owe to their societies, the influence of organized religion on culture and government, and the tendency of society to repress nonconformist thought. He also speculated on the influence of space travel on human cultural practices.

8. Self-explanatory really, each sunrise brings a new beginning if we are willing: A New Day Has Come.

9. Start learning from your mistakes. Smile, then move on.

10, Nike!!: Beat It.

11. Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included.

12. To turn left or right at the intersection, either way, It could profoundly change your life: Thinking Out Loud.

13, Mini de complication list.

14, Less complicated does not mean easy to do, they are entirely different things: It’s Not Easy,

15, Finally, a reminder to surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be:, they are totally on your side.

What could you do to make your days less complicated, I’m sure there is something in this list that could empower you to live a less cluttered life, physically and mentally, go forward and try some on.

Today’s playlist contains some of the music industry heavies. We begin with the newbies, Queen Naija and Steps. Then four monoliths – Kiss, Celine Dion, Michael Jackson and Ed Sheeran. We finish with a visit to the African continent with Lucky Dube: Make Your Life Simple But Significant.

A way I find to not complicate my life is to show Love and Respect to All, Everyone Included. Best wishes until next time we meet, my dear friends.

Ambrose was having a bad Day!!

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Rod's World

Do you have bad days? a study was done amongst elite athletes and they reported to having between 3 to 6 bad days per month. They understand that having a bad day is simply part of the process. The ability to accept these fluctuations in performance allows athletes to remain fully engaged in their training and keep their goals high.

my friend Brian Johnson from Optimize asks you to consider this: What if you suffer from a case of mistaken identity on those days? Who you think you are is not actually who you are. What you think you are here to do is not actually what you are here to do. What you think you are capable of is actually only a hint of your true ability.

Consider for a moment that you are totally wrong about yourself—and wrong about this infinite universe in which you live. What if that’s true? What if most of us live our entire lives and never know who we actually are, why we are here, and what we are supposed to do while visiting this planet? What if we have amnesia and we forgot who we really are right before we left our mother’s body and entered the world? I think this is exactly our state.

Who we think we are is not who we are. We are much, much more than our perceived selves. The Buddhists have a saying: ‘Don’t mistake the finger pointing to the moon for the moon itself.’ We think our ego—our persona—is who we really are. But this is only to the same extent that your clothes, your hairstyle, and your personality are who you are. In order to reach your full potential—your greatness—you must first admit that you are wrong about yourself.”

This line sums it up pretty well: “Who we think we are is not who we are. We are much, much more than our perceived selves.” And, know this: “In the battle of mind versus body, mind always wins!” Therefore, we’d be wise to step back and realize that we’re a LOT more than just the little version of ourselves that are pointing at the moon.
Campbell’s wisdom comes to mind: “What am I? Am I the bulb that carries the light, or am I the light of which the bulb is a vehicle?”

So does Walter Russell’s wisdom: “Early in life I found that to achieve greatness one had to go only one inch beyond mediocrity, but that one inch is so hard to go that only those who become aware of God in them can make the grade, for no one can achieve that one inch alone.”

Then there’s Eric Butterworth: “You may say, ‘But I am only human.’ This is the understatement of your life. You are not only human—you are also divine in potential. The fulfilment of all your goals and aspirations in life depends upon stirring up and releasing more of that divine potential. And there is really nothing difficult about letting this inner light shine. All we must do is correct the tendency to turn off our light when we face darkness.”

All of which brings us back to you. Do you suffer from a case of mistaken identity? 🙂

How would you live if you REALLY got the infinite power within yourself?

Is NOW a good time to start being that version of you?

P.S. Recall the etymology of the word identity that we discussed in our Notes on Atomic Habits. It means “repeated beingness.” So… Go be that best version of you. Repeatedly!)

So, I’m sure that people have had bad days since the beginning of history, let’s have a look at what they have said about it:

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1. Elite athletes and entertainers have 3 to 6 bad days a month. yet they go out and perform on the biggest stages on the planet, you can do it on your version.

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2. I saw this and had to include it as the cute animal shot of the day: The Christmas Hippo Song.

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3. Daily practice 101, When you wake up, place your hand on your heart.

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4. Probably the major thing that brought the tattoo removal business into prominence: Shout out to my Ex.

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5. Nina Arianda Matijcio is an American actress. She won the 2012 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Vanda Jordan in Venus in Fur and was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for portraying Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday. In 2016, she began starring in Amazon Studios’ legal series Goliath. In 2018, she appeared in the biographical film, Stan & Ollie.

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6. Was it really a bad day, or just a growth day: Learning to Fly.

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7. A solution not possible for everyone, sometimes connection can lift the funk just as well.

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8. Or you could just sleep most of the day, I’ve tried this: The Little Power Nap.

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9. Simply put, we need the Shadow and the Light.

10. Or naked: The Audience is Naked?

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11. I had a few of these bad days.

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12. Life goes on, choose to have more good days than bad: A Little Bit Stronger.

13. Perhaps this was part of his Conversations with God.

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14. Your dream is still calling you: Hello.

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15. The lesson for today, if you live in the first world, there are billions worse off than you.

Do YOU think that you’ll magically get to a place where you no longer have bad days? Where you no longer fail? If so, GET RID OF THAT notion. It’s your biggest obstacle to crushing it. We need to KNOW that we’ll NEVER be exonerated. In fact, as we evolve and our standards get higher and higher and we take bigger and bigger risks, we WANT to experience more “failure.”

For today’s playlist Hippo songs were not easy to find, but Gayla Peevey’s before and after song is a beauty. Then some pop from Little Mix followed by the Rock of Tom Petty. Nap music follows with some advice by Tina Blake of getting the audience naked after it. Two fine songstresses in Sara Evans and Adele finish the set: Ambrose was Having a Bad Day.

So one every day you may someone having a bad day, so show Love and Respect to All, Everybody Included until we meet again, my dear friends:

Self Care 9

Don’t Tell Your Problems to Everyone!!

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Rod's World

Today we look at things you would love to tell yourself if you could travel back in Time to give your younger self some advice about life.

I came across this great list by Marc Chernoff using my write about what’s on the page I open the book too. There are quite a few sage statements, here they are:

Spend more time with those who make you smile and less time with those who you feel pressured to Impress.
Your health is your life. Keep up with it. Get an annual physical check-up.
Laugh at stupid jokes. Apologise. Tell someone how much they mean to you. It’s the small moments that make life good.
Living a life of honesty creates peace of mind, and peace of mind is priceless. Period. Don’t be dishonest and don’t put up with people who are.
Life is much more enjoyable when you stop trying to be cool and simply focus on being yourself.
Forgiving yourself is far more important (and difficult) than getting others to forgive you.
Complaining is like slapping yourself for slapping yourself. It doesn’t solve the problem, It just hurts you more.
There are few joys in life that equal a good conversation, A good read, A good walk, A good hug, A good smile, A good friend.
Learn to adjust the sails of your life to unpredictable winds, while keeping your focus clearly on your destination and keep sailing until you get there.
Laughter is the best medicine for stress. Laugh at yourself often. Find the humour, In whatever situation you are in.
Freedom is the greatest gift. Self-sufficiency is the greatest freedom.
Everything that happens in life is neither good nor bad. It just depends on your perspective.
If you want something in your life you’ve never had. You’ll have to do something you’ve never done before.
You’re not alone. Everyone has problems. Some people are just better at hiding them than others.

So what has the world said about life’s lessons, here are a few of my favourites:

1. How did you cope with the focus when you finished the former and left the latter. Some say the first gives you no training to handle the latter.

2. Relating to your mistakes as what lesson am I meant to learn from this ILO what went wrong is the most powerful way to get the lesson provided: Not Afraid.

3. For me, it was the times I had to enter psychiatric clinics, five times, each time you lose total control of your life.

4. It just seems so natural when you meet both of these things like you have known them your whole life: True Friend.

5. From the world’s greatest philosopher, Ms Unknown comes this famous camera analogy.

6. The cat in the hat is such a wise creature: Hop on Pop.

7. The Shadow and the Light, we need both to be a fulfilled human being.

8. I like the last line, learn from your mistakes, but never regret: No Regrets.

9. Part of Self Love 101.

10. It’s time to leave when the last line starts happening: Don’t Hurt Me.

11. Love the go through to voicemail line.

12. WTF is a positive deviant?: My Passion.

13. Can’t have it be boring, can we?

14. On life’s journey, remember that word: Succession: Brave.

15. And for the final lesson, the picture says it all.

Some of us run in the middle of the night. Some of us strum acoustic guitars and smoke joints. And others go to church. Or sip expensive wine. Or surf dangerous waves. or jump out of perfectly good aeroplanes. When we try to understand other people by personally relating to the things that they do, we usually can’t make any sense of it. Because it’s easier to see weirdness in a sea of normality than it is to decode the logical methods behind one’s madness. But when we look just a little deeper, by making a noble effort to understand people by truly listening to why they do the things that they do, they never seem quite as weird. Actually, they and you begin to seem, perfectly normal.

Today’s playlist is for the kids with two animations. We begin with Eminem then transform Miley Cyrus into Hannah Montana. Dr Seuss leads off our animations, then back to the sixties for The Walker Brothers. Then DJ Mustard, followed by Akcent, and we finish off with Sara Bareilles: Don’t Tell Your Problems to Everyone.

I have one important life lesson to add to your lists: Show Love and Respect to All, Everyone Included until we meet again, my dear friends:

A few of my Favourite Things!!

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Rod's World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. And then there is all of life.

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

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

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

9. Shared.

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

11. Who’s your favourite voice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Garden of The World has no Limits

Posted on January 3, 2019 by Rod's World

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

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

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

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

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

3. From the day I was born.

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

5. Quiet please, ah, there it is.

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

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

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

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

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

11. One of his best known.

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

13. Starseed Y’all.

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

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

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

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

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

Yes, Life is Tough but You are Tougher!!

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Rod's World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. And then there is meditation.

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

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

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

11. Nothing, Nada, Nil.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: