Go back to where you came From!!

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Rod's World

My country made a sad decision today, it legalised the right to keep children who were born in this country in prison camps on remote islands where known cases of child abuses take place because their parents are supposedly illegal refugees.

What does this word refugee mean, the definition of it is quite clear:

According to the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees [PDF], as amended by its 1967 Protocol (the Refugee Convention), a refugee is a person who is:

outside their own country and
has a well-founded fear of persecution due to his/ her race, religion, nationality, member of a particular social group or political opinion, and is
unable or unwilling to return.

Yet we in our own country use terms like border protection and lock up children for up to a period of over 12 months, I call this inhumane and not meeting the above guidelines.

What has been said about refugees over the ages, have we improved the way we deal with them. There are many famous refugees, I had no clue Freddy Mercury was one, fleeing after the 1964 Zanzibar revolution.

Here are Fifteen quotes I have chosen to look at more useful ways to deal with refugees.

1. I work in a place who dealt with the first wave of Asylum Seekers in Australia, many of them Iranian. I will give an examples changing his name. Ali worked as an airport Manager, his younger brother was accused of political dissent. Ali was called in by the police and tortured for two weeks and on release told next time he would not leave alive. He fled the country, leaving everything behind the following day. It took him 9 months to get to Australia, and yes he came by boat.

2. Name calling by the media, used to demean not empower or open people’s hearts to these people who have suffered unimaginable atrocities that people who live in area of war do. The only way I can relate to the effects of it are when I was in Leningrad and our guide said to imagine what happened here in a 2 year period kill 1 in 5 of the people you know and that is what occurred here.

3. I saw the drone shots Russia took of the cities of Syria, as this quotes states refugees often have no choice, there is nothing to go back to. We are just very lucky to have never experienced this in our country.

4. Probably the worlds most famous refugee is Einstein. A German Jew, his work was discredited by the Nazi Party. He was one of the lucky one who got out early in 1932 and went out to make some of the most significant scientific discoveries of the modern era.

5. Tonn Benn served in the British parliament for 47 years as was seen as being the most left wing member of his party. He did not hold back in stating what he saw as the dangers of his right wing opponents, this is one of his most famous quotes.

6. Famous for We turned back the boats and Team Australia sometimes our politicians forget and let their heart slip out, this was one such occasion.

7. Go back home, to what?

8. I love the poster of two earth’s , one with all the flags over it and the other as it actually is , One planet. Then no one would be illegal.

9. They say that the strength of your team is measured by your weakest link, what does that say about planet earth and its treatment of our refugees.

10. This picture speaks to the UN convention relating to the status of Refugees, designed to do exactly what it says. Delivery, Comfort and Mercy.

11. “Refugees are people like anyone else, like you and me. They led ordinary lives before becoming displaced, and their biggest dream is to be able to live normally again. On this World Refugee Day, the 20th June let us recall our common humanity, celebrate tolerance and diversity and open our hearts to refugees everywhere.”

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary of The UN pointing out with there is no such thing as Us and Them.

12. Taken from the glorious song by Leonard Cohen Anthem. to me means that we give love as though like we have lost our country and are stateless, a pure love of mercy.

13. This is being questioned with the current refugee crisis sweeping Europe. perhaps they need to send the political leaders on a holiday to Syria for a week or two and it would be put in perspective.

14. This poem was written by a Somali refugee commenting on what happened to his country and how he thought before the war and after the war when he became one.

15. A sign that says it all, not needing the political or economic commentary, just the humane one. Please when commenting on they should go back home, remember this, especially in our country where a great majority of our immigrants were refugees.

I had to stop halfway through writing this, we had a U.N. Interfaith Harmony Week event, the ethos if this week is Love of God, and Love of the Neighbour. They has youth speakers from six different faiths, aged from 12 to 20 they all spoke of love and compassion. This gives me great hope for the future of refugees.

Namaste until next Monday 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.

Partake in one of Life’s Pleasure, Your Body!

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Rod's World

I up to recently had been taking a medication that increased you appetite and because of this blew out to over one hundred kilograms. My frame is not made to carry this much weight and had bits that were hanging about.

I had been going to the gym for the past two years and this did not move “The bits”, and I used to not enjoy looking in the mirror. Magically since I have come off the medication I have lost eight Kilos and my belief that I can lose the magical fifteen has become a reality not another failed New Years resolution.

What do we as a community say about Body Image, most of the quotes are aimed at women, which says something about our society I believe as I think it is a cross gender issue but has been kidnapped by the fashion and marketing industries. Let us begin:

1. I never used to believe in gyms until I started going to one, becoming the virtual gym junkie, going at least three times a week. The main benefit was one of feeling lighter of mind not body.

2. I have a friend who is known for her expression when she is impressed with something, utters the good old Australian colloquialism Fuck Yeah. Here’s another way of saying you where given your unique body for a purpose.

3. The people who suffer the most attacks on their bodies must surely be Hollywood actresses. Friends star Jennifer Aniston suggests that it is not their job to satisfy the wishes of a blood thirsty media pack.

4. We are only given one body this time around, if you disregard it too often it will burn you to the ground and you will be in the line to get the next one.

5.Simply, beautifully, wonderfully uniquely you. The gateway to your soul is not disliking what you see in the mirror, but what your beautiful Inner Pilot Light says to you when you are loving yourself.

6. Dr. Vanessa Pawlowski provides Counselling for a new relationship to your worries and your body. This is her main mantra in life, I think is should be stuck on every bathroom mirror.

7. Marilyn was the film goddess of her time. She looked nothing like the catwalk models of today or the Parisian beauties of the Seventeenth Centuries. Proof that what is accepted as beautiful changes with time.

8. I am doing some work at the moment that disagrees with this, that we hold the memories in the body Arion’s Activation School. Altering the mind works for a while but if it remains in the body, it will come back.

9. Mainstream media lost me a long time ago, images of War, Death and pestilence. The message they spread about body image are just as harmful for the general population, why do they do this?

10. Michelle M. McGrath, convenor of the Sacred Self website has this beautiful quote pointing out the Sacredness and limitlessness of our bodies. Very empowering.

11. Our song for the day from Pop Diva Rihanna Diamonds, Comfort with your body is the way she travels.

12. Kurt Vonnegut is a fine Sci Fi writer and a well known social commentator. On the subject of the Body, he reminds us it is our greatest Instrument and we should take very good care of it.

13. Could I write on Body image without mentioning the practice of Yoga that has swept the West. B. K. S. Iyengar was one of the original Yoga gurus who brought his style to the west. He refers to the body as the temple and that it should be treated accordingly.

14. Frequently attributed to C.S. Lewis the popular origins of this quote actually go back to Quakerism in the 1892 journal Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood and there is evidence it was used earlier than this date. So work on your Soul and the body will follow.

15. And the final word to Emma Watson, British actress and model whom you may know better as Hermoine from the Harry Potter film series. Emma is outspoken about the pressure put on women to fit in to the images the media creates for them. She does not agree with it.

Most of the quotes seem to be saying that we are given a body and a soul, that we should look after both as they are inter connected. Go out and do this and you will live a healthy Life. Namaste until next Monday , my dear friends.

Are you Interested?

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Rod's World

I have lived in Preston, Victoria, Australia for four years now and find it a much more communal area than the suburb I previously lived in. Perhaps this is because of the local council who are committed to each of the 153 different cultures who make up its population and the Darebin Intercultural Centre that was sent up to ensure this happened. link to information on DIC.

What makes a great community, It is defined in meaning two distinct things

community

kəˈmjuːnɪti/

noun

1.

a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.

“Montreal’s Italian community”

synonyms: group, section, body, company, set, circle, clique, coterie, ring, band,faction;
2.

the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.

“the sense of community that organized religion can provide”

I have belonged to many different communities over my life: The football playing community, the singing community, the self development community and the Northside living community being some of them.

What has society said about Community over the centuries. The 15 quotes I have chosen say different things about it, lets have a look :

1. Author of the outstanding book Love and Will Rollo May states that Communication is an essential part of Community as it leads to us understanding each other not judging from made up opinions.

2, This beautiful poster suggests many ways to build a sense of community. If these are in place I suggest you would be part of a vibrant one.

3. When you become a genuine part of a community there is something you give to it, your heart. One touched in your heart you realise that this is what fulfils you th emost in your life.

4. Marianne Williamson, known for her quote from her best selling book A Return To Love: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. This quote is often incorrectly credited to Nelson Mandela. Another powerful pointer to th epower of community from Marianne.

5. Synergy is another benefit of strong communities. Synergy is the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. You need less to achieve much more.

6. In your Face community, Love and Respect for all, Everyone Included – the ethos of my public FB group Interculturalism, a space to join and share your examples of Community that includes everyone.

7. Always look out for people who are in your community who are not partaking of what is available in belonging to it. Always give them the choice but don’t assume they don’t want to be.

8. I agree with Mahatma, when I am not partaking in a Community I feel a little lost as I did for the first year of living in Preston, but after discovering The Intercultural centre and its activities I became part of that beautiful gift one gives, Of Service.

9. Love this image and quote from Henrik Ibsen, father of the school of Realism. In a community anyone can step forward and lead, they tend to have less bureaucracy than other structures.

10 A gaggle of words that come out of Community. Things that you obtain, assets, a sense of wellness, support of others and events to attend and meet the others from your community.

11. I am listening to Mitch Albom’s book the Five people you meet in Heaven, a book about Ernie who dies where he learns that heaven is not a lush Garden of Eden, but a place where your earthly life is explained to you by five people. These people may have been loved ones or distant strangers. Yet each of them changed your path forever. Its fascinating and points out the importance of creating purpose and meaning in your life through community service.

12. David Bowie worked on this his whole love, from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, he was all about including everyone in his fan group AKA his community. Here is one of his finest songs in relationship to Community: Heroes.

13. Jasmine Guy is an actress who pointed out that Community is not as easy as it used to be when we were part of a tribe living in a Village, but it is still is so worthwhile.

14. Maria Montessori was an Italian physician, educator, and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method that builds on the way children naturally learn. She created schools where the whole school was a community not broken up into separate classes.

15. And finally something to remember, that our bodies are a community as well, made up of millions of Star Seeds and Cells.

So have a think about what communities you say you belong to and those you would like to, I guarantee that it will open your heart more for you and by being of Service you will live a healthier life.

Namaste until next Thursday, my dear friends.

If Liberation feels like a chore, It isn’t Really Liberation is it ?

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Rod's World

This question goes deeply into our Psyche, doesn’t it. Its point to the fact you may go to conscious dances, attend bush Doof festivals, do ten day silent meditation retreats but if it is something you are doing to fit in, or because it is something you have always done it isn’t really liberating your Soul is it.

Wikipedia defines liberation as:

noun
the act of setting someone free from imprisonment, slavery, or oppression; release.
“the liberation of all political prisoners”
synonyms: freeing, release, discharge, deliverance, salvation, rescue, relief, extrication, setting free; More
freedom from limits on thought or behavior.
“the struggle for women’s liberation”

Being set free from imprisonment is how I relate to it on a personal level, that being that my mind is imprisoned when it comes to certain beliefs, and if I do not take actions to release it from its slavery to the thoughts that have me trapped there I do not liberate myself from these situations.

The 15 quotes I have chosen cover a wide range of views on what Liberation is and how it can affect your life. Lets delve into it :

1. The story of Nelson Mandela is living proof of this, Nelson said “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”

2. Jeanne Moreau is a French actress, singer, screenwriter and director, stated this early in her career after struggling like many actresses to have success in her career but knew the path to liberation was not over.

3. Eckhart Tolle, best known as the author of The Power of Now and A New Earth: Awakening to your Life’s Purpose. In 2011, he was listed by the Watkins Review as the most spiritually influential person in the world. What does he mean by this statement. Liberation lies in the answer to that question.

4. What is Harriet Tubman, well known slave abolitionist pointing to here, that what is called a certain life style by one person is not seen as that by another so can not be liberated because they do not understand the concept you are talking about, the power of language.

5. This should bring up some discussion, “believes she is human as a man”. My friend Justine posted recently that women run the world so don’t need to be liberated, they just need to wake the fuck up. Here’s some of her music Ikigai’s sweet tunes.

6. This takes what the mind does to us a step further, Nisargadatta, one of India’s great philosophers blames our bondage on it, and that our mission in life is to go beyond its influence on us.

7. How many of us have seen the pictures of horses being tied to plastic chairs and elephants held by the slenderest of ropes. They could leave whenever they felt like it but remain there imprisoned by their minds training.

8. Joseph Campbell, author of the Heroes Journey points to that liberation is not hanging on steadfastly to the life we have created so far. In fact we must let go of that exact one for us to have the life that awaits us.

9. Junebug is a mythical character of the Civil Rights movement in America. Liberation is being who you truly are , not what other people want you to be.

10. Stu Mittleman lives the above quote Stu Mittleman is an ultra distance running champion, as well as a fitness/running coach and author. Mittleman set three consecutive American 100-Mile Road Race records in the US National Championships 1980–1982. He is a liberated Elder proving that life does not stop at 60 when you retire.

11. Liberation is not handed to you on a silver platter, you have to work for it on a daily basis especially in the circumstances Assata Olugbala Shakur, who is an African-American activist and member of the former Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army who resides in Cuba describes above.

12. No one could ever accuse Mahatma Gandhi of uttering a Yes to please or worse, to avoid trouble, after all he led the movement that free the second largest country in the world.

13. Personal Revolution, one at a time is Jim Morrison’s cry for a large scale liberation. He wrote a classic song about this Break on Through.

14. There are thousands of references on Google pointing to Abe Lincoln being the first gay president, not something that makes it to mainstream media but David Herbert Donald wrote an extensive biography on Lincoln in 1995 that explored this.

15. Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence of Picasso on modern visual arts, the influence of Stravinsky on music, Martha says the path to Liberation is through discipline, blessed discipline.

Liberation is as we call it is unique for each and every person and culture. I hope you have enjoyed studying the history of Liberation with me.

Namaste until next Monday , my dear friends.

Did you Get It!

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Rod's World

I have started listening to Podcasts on the recommendation of my Anam Cara Emeli. I listened to a fascinating one about fulfilling your purpose by getting your message out there. This made me think did most people know what the Message they had to give in life was.

I have done several modalities to set up my message for the year and live from my Core Desired Feelings of . These are from Danielle LaPortes brilliant process The Desire Map. From the others my Word for 2016 is Sacredness and my Essence is Sacred Love, more about those in a later Blog.

I have chosen 15 diverse quotes, covering Love, Social Media and Purpose. No Oprah but there is Mother Teresa. Lets begin our journey.

1. This is describing the essence of Sacred Love, where you or someone say I Love You, and you don’t really have to say it again because they you or they hear it for the rest of you life this time in. Its to do with revealing your Sacred Stories.

2. Google didn’t find Aditya, but their message is Inspiring in its words and intention, don’t mess round delivering yours.

3. Its good to have a dream, I have a favourite image which is of a Unicorn and it says don’t let them kill your day dream. But to fulfil that daydream you also require the actions of Doing stuff.

4. Dennis S. Brown is a motivational speaker who grew up in a three room “Shot Gun” house in Central Louisiana is known as Mr Attitude. His ability to relate to transforming your message through real life events he has experienced draw people to him in the thousands.

5. Luke Rinehart wrote a book called The Dice Man back in 1971 where he shook a dice before making any decision. It is a fascinating read as to me the message is that we make decisions on much more shallow fears and judgements than this in our lives.

6. Throw in a bit of weird, a bit of not normal, Yes even some insanity to get that Message out there if you want it to be heard.

7. Probably not many people on Earth are quoted more than His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. When spreading you Message , if you want it to be joyful and easy look in the mirror and there is the person responsible for it happening.

8. There will always be critics, mainstream media makes a living from it, imagine if they reported the great messages that existed around the World instead, it would transform.

9. Parenting 101, give your used things to your next sibling or the family down the street who are not as well off as you. Thinking about it later and having judgements about it doesn’t get that Message out there.

10. I get to tell one of my sacred stories, about how I broke up a friendship via SMS because she said that it was a valid way to communicate and would not agree to meeting face to face. I told her it was a crap way and have not heard from her since after I said to her that I was not the negative person she talked about and that negative people did not send three things I love about you for 5 months each and every day.

11. Time for a song, Little Anthony from 1960. Tears on My Pillow, Tears may be necessary to move to the next level of getting your message out there. It isn’t always a cakewalk.

12. Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, juggler, comedian, musician, inventor, actor, and best-selling author known for his work with fellow magician Teller in the team Penn & Teller. He is also known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific scepticism , libertarianism and free-market capitalism . The Message is the Message, we often forget this as it becomes more difficult.

13. Mother Teresa is much loved and much maligned, there appears to be no middle ground with her. She got her Message out powerfully to the World about the slums of India. As she states, you need to light the flame daily for it to keep burning, same with your message.

14. There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. However, about 2,000 of those languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers. The most popular language in the world is Mandarin Chinese. There are 1,213,000,000 people in the world that speak that language. How about if we wrote our message in every language, that certainly would make a difference.

15. Finally a bit of humour about getting your message out there. Make sure it is real for you. if its not why will other people listen to it.

Each of us have a message to bring to the planet and its people, it would seem that the messages being spoken the loudest are those of war, corruption and Terrorism. Do not worry, it is the last cries of a time that has seen its day. We are entering the Age of Aquarius. Peace and Love and Human Connection.

Namaste until Thursday, my dear friends.

What makes it Spectacular?

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Rod's World

There was a fire in a Tyre Depot today which led to a huge smoke cloud over our city. Local News outlets reported it as Spectacular. This started me thinking as to what did I construe to be Spectacular in my life and is the word under utilised or overused.

I thought about it and would call my relationships with my siblings and several of my friends spectacular, my 29,000 songs on Itunes spectacular, the result of my 40 year addiction to listening to all forms of music and my commitment to spiritual growth spectacular.

What does society have to say about it and how do they use it in quotes. There are some beautiful ans slightly in your face examples amongst the 15 I have chosen, so lets begin :

1. Mason Cooley was an American aphorist known for his witty aphorisms. One of these such aphorisms Cooley developed was “The time I kill is killing me.” He suggested failing spectacularly will also lead to spectacular success.

2. The people we are in awe of did not just wake up one morning and release their product or vision on the world. They worked at it for a lengthy period of time before hand.

3. A lot of people feel that to be Spectacular they need to be somebody else than who they are now. This quote from the teen angst film The Spectacular Now suggests that fighting who we really are never works.

4. This film looks at what teens are feeling as they come into their college days, everyone’s hanging on to some sort of dream to stay afloat, will you be one of the ones who does it spectacularly.

5. After an unusually short pregnancy, Karen Powell gives birth to a baby boy whose body ages much faster than the normal rate. With her husband, Brian , Karen raises their son, Jack , who appears to be a 40-year-old man when he is only 10. Though Jack ages rapidly physically, he is mentally and emotionally still a young boy, which causes him considerable difficulty. Eventually, Jack gains the support of his peers, which helps him live a fuller life. If you aged similar to a cat, seven years in one human year, how would you live your life spectacularly.

6. Very direct and to the point. How are you to question that you were put on this earth to be spectacular. How knows you could be a super hero. The Spectacular Spiderman.

7. Its very difficult to be Spectacular if you are not enjoying being who you are, remember you are AWESOME.

8. Doug Larson was a columnist and editor for the Door County Advocate and wrote a daily column for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. First contentment then Spectacularness, one come before the other.

9. Lisa St. Aubin de Teran has lived in England, Venezuela, Italy and Mozambique. Writing memoirs and has produced an episode of Great Railway Journeys. She spectacularly lives the above quote.

10. True Friendships are not based on physical presence with each other. They can spectacularly be oceans apart and years apart. When they meet it feels like a minute has passed.

11. Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer and illustrator best known for authoring popular children’s books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. Some of his more famous quotes are

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

12. We are all star-seed on a ball of energy spinning around another ball of energy that appears as a pin point in the map of the universe, and we don’t think that human life is a spectacular occurrence.

13. I’m Possible can easily become I’m spectacular and so can your life.

14. Robin Williams had spectacular success in his life, playing many unique roles form people who aged like a cat, eccentric radio announcers in Vietnam to voice over for a happy penguin. Make your life spectacular but remember to stay in touch with others.

15. And for the final one, a shout out to my favourite actress from not my favourite actor, Yes Kate Blanchett is Spectacular.

Well after commenting on these 15 quotes I’m going for the use of Spectacular is under utilised, we need more spectacular in our lives not less.

Namaste until Thursday my dear friends.

They were here Before!!

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Rod's World

There is a quote incorrectly attributed to the Buddha that the master will appear when the disciple/student is ready. It is actually from the Theosophical tradition.

In 1875 Helena Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, and William Quan Judge co-founded The Theosophical Society. Blavatsky combined Eastern religious traditions with Western esoteric teachings to create a synthesis she called the Perennial Religion. She developed this in Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888), her major works and exposition of her Theosophy..

The second example I will give is the young monk asking the head monk how do you find your master, and what qualities must they have. He replied, they must have been here before you. Is it this simple the Art of Mastery or do we never reach it, is it a journey for our whole lifetime and we get as close as we do to it as we pass on.

I have chosen 15 quotes covering most of the centuries wisdom has been on the planet, no Oprah but we have the big man, Tony Robbins.

Here we go :

1. Presence, not knowledge, study is behind Mastery. If you are not present in the moment you may as well be watching T.V.

2. Doing what you have been doing to get to where you are at the moment will get you a certain result, not often mastery. here’s a talk Marianne gave at Google on Creativity and Leadership, Enjoy – Marianne’s Wisdom.

3. Infinitude – the state or quality of being infinite or having no limit. Mastery fits well into this description. it takes away logical explanation.

4. Back to Leonardo’s time for confirmation that Mastery is not attainable as an outer skill unless you have achieved it in the inner arena.

5. If you do not master your feelings you have very little chance of mastery very much else. This os where control actions comes from. Overcoming fears, self judgements are an essential part of the journey.

6. I went to the Australian Open tennis once and watched a match on a side court, I could not even register the ball because of the speed it was travelling at. So confidence would have made no difference in me mastering hitting the ball.

7. Bruce Lee is heavily quoted in the area of mastery, but he knew that is was mastering yourself not your opponent that was your real victory.

8. Hard work, not a weekend course! Michelangelo one of our great inventors and all round genius points out that it takes old fashioned hard Yakka to obtain anything like Mastery.

9. Robert Greene researched many of the great geniuses of history to write this masterful book on releasing your passion and getting closer to having mastery in your life – Link to Book.

10. The ultimate test, Self Mastery. doing the things we should do versus those we should not. Listening to the angel not the devil on our shoulders. It comes from Integrity in all matters.

11. Sometimes referred to as “The father of the American navy”, John Paul Jones knew back in the 1700’s he would not defeat the superior British forces if the did not engender faith in his men.

12. Maslow also pointed to this , without strong foundations do not even think of mastering the finer points. Do the Work – Byron Katie, Access to the Work.

13. We know what our creativity is, our Inner Pilot Light whispers it to us our whole life. We do not have to look far it, but to take action and master it our circumstances cry foul for a lotto us.

14. Mastery is not a race, one must include patience when travelling the path.

15. You can attend as many of Tony’s seminars as you like, they have inspirational names : Unleash the Power Within, Date with Destiny and Life and Wealth Mastery. Tony warns you the knowledge means nothing without the action.

I believe that the more effort you put into travelling the path that is our life and that you add integrity and hard work to it you will get closer to the elusive mark of mastery.

Namaste until next Thursday my dear friends

How do I Love Me, and Can You?

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Rod's World

Been going through a really interesting process lately through two courses I am doing, Kundalini Dance for the second time : The Chakra Cleansing Journey and Creative Mastery for the fourth time : Living from Your Essence. I do them on a Sunday and Monday Nights, so after such a deep immersion a lot of stuff has been coming up.

I was raised in a family where such things as hugs and showing your emotions were verboten. So when I was sitting there Tuesday morning writing my Facebook birthday cards to my Facebook gods and goddesses of possibility, I call them that as we battle the negativity spread by others – I send a friend application to anyone who has a 100 mutual friends, its obvious we have been friends at another time just having not met on the physical plain this time in a lot of cases.

I have over 3,000 in my army and I was writing one to a friend from the conscious dance scene who is around the same age as me, I am 61. I was relating my transition to being an elder when I burst out crying for a solid half an hour. This is not something the well trained , in Control Rod Williams does. I got in touch with how I rip people off in not accepting the love they show me and the self love I often do not show myself.

So I did a process from Creative Mastery where you locate the Source of the decision that you have made that would allow this to control your actions so long after it occurred, Its called Renewal and its intention is to accept what happened and create another possibility from it after diving into it and for me to stop making it wrong which was giving it its power over me. I came up with the Essence of Blissful Love, we will see what happens.

I recognised that delving into Self Love would be useful,so I have chosen 15 quotes from that arena and yes, Oprah makes an appearance. here we go –

1. It takes courage to not listen to the negative messages that society puts out that there is a certain way you should be and you need this and that to achieve that state. Listen to your heart when this happens. It is the best judge of what you need to truly experience Self Love.

2. Self does not mean selfish. It means to look within for these three most valuable things. My friend Lissa Rankin calls it Your Inner Pilot Light : Listen to your Gut, it knows you Best.

3. We often define the world Love as being Lovey-Dovey in its context. Steve Maraboli, credited as the most quoted person on Earth, takes a different bent on it. Don’t buy into your own crap, thats self destruction not Self Love.

4. Zig Zaglar was an American author and motivational speaker who believed that if you did not include self love as one of the following tenets – The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty, you were dooming yourself to failure.

5. A simple message to tell yourself on waking. I’ve added it to my altar.

6. What food do you feed yourself to empower you on a day to day basis. Here’s a variety that will add lots of vitality to your overall health – Yes, Self Love is a superfood.

7. Back to the heart, the space that Self Love resides in. Not your image in the mirror or that thought in your head, they often leave you wondering , not filled with wonder as the heart does.

8. Dodinsky is the author of the NY Times bestselling book IN THE GARDEN OF THOUGHTS.

His intent was simply to share his reflections about life in order to help heal the wounds inflicted by life’s troubles. At the time, the man known by his readers as Dodinsky had no idea that within months of starting his blog In The Garden of Thoughts, thousands of readers would find healing through the modest words he planted.

9. To survive in life we need at least the bare necessities, do you include Self Love as one of them, At times I didn’t and ended up in Pysch Units five times.

10. MAC ANDERSON is the founder of Simple Truths and Successories, Inc., the leader in designing and marketing products for motivation and recognition.. My Self Love and Love of Music really, really like this quote of his.

11. Its not having your ego take control when you free yourself of certain people and situations in your life that no longer fit in. According to Charlie Chaplin back in 1929, its knowing what Love of Oneself is.

12. Here’s Oprah, she was in Melbourne last night, My friends Emeli and Alice went and said that took copious notes and it was fantastic. Oprah points to the value of Self Love. That if you do you don’t have to second guess your thoughts time and time again.

13. Brenna Smith, founder of SheNOW,is creating a community for women who want to focus on their own adventures and lives first. She wants them to use their twenties to help create a better, more successful, and healthier future version of themselves, whether they get married down the road or not. She sees Self Love as being the decisions you make today being ones that help you be the person you want to become tomorrow.

14. Authenticity, another way of saying Self Love takes you a lot quicker down the path of fulfilling the dreams that sleep within your soul.

15. Sometime images say more than a thousand words. This beautiful image of creating the heart shape with our hands doesn’t need the words Self Love written on it.

It will be an interesting journey creating the Essence of Blissful Love. Writing this expose on Self Love has helped me understand what is required a lot more.

Namaste until next Monday my dear friends.

Walking the Visionary Road!!

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Rod's World

Had an inspiring weekend crewing on my dear friend Emeli Paulo’s True Grit workshop. Twenty brave souls and Ten crew inquired into what does True Grit mean for them to fulfil their dreams and purpose.

The highlight of the weekend for me was the two times we did the process that saw people move from their current reality to embracing their vision by seeing what they needed to let go and what support they needed. I have called it Walking the Visionary Road because I forget the actual name used and I like mine better.

I got to play the current reality in one of them and saw so much out of it, primarily how I hang on to mine and how my vision is normally in the distance but without structures in place to get there.

So what do we as a society say about why we need and the power of having a vision. Fifteen quotes and yes Tony Robbins is in there, how could the big guy not be. Here we go –

1. And the rhythm of life is a powerful beat, feel the tingle in your fingers and the tingle in your feet. Having your Vision powerfully in presence is a truly creative act, take it today.

2. What is your position in Life, an oft asked question at parties as social chit chat. Who gives a flying rats, I wonder what that expression means. But what inspires is people speaking about their passion in Life, what turns them on and gets them hot under the collar. Cute little duckies by the way.

3. As a child I remember watching the old American series, The Invisible Man. It was mesmerising to a young child living in Country Victoria. A bit like our powerful vision is to others who cannot not see it and often become the naysayers in our life. Don’t listen to these folk.

4. I am old enough to remember when Muhammad Ali was named Cassius Clay. Here is his take on living from Vision and the forgettable song that was written about him : The Black Superman.

5. Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. Here is her take on living an ordinary life.

6. Debbie Ford was an inspiring author who wrote on how our shadow world inhibited our chances of fulfilling our vision. her work had us look at our excuses and re aligning with our life’s vision. Unfortunately she died young, her fans have continued her insights at Debbie’s Work.

7. The legend goes that Thomas Edison broke 1 million light bulbs before he discovered the ones that worked. If this is true that definitely makes him an expert in the arena of execution.

8. Alice Cooper’s first hit was Welcome to my Nightmare – Alice in Action. The Japanese are very succinct and direct, with their sayings. Here is their input to the importance of action in our daily lives and the consequence of the lack thereof.

9. Nelson Mandela had one of the great Visions if our time. He attributes the power of being about to hold a huge Vision through your imagination as the reason for him succeeding.

10. In business there is a requirement to provide the Tax department with your Income statement and Balance Sheet. How many of us include our Vision in our assets list. Really it is the greatest one we have.

11. How many of you have been to Disney World. I have, it a place where our dreams and fantasies come alive. This is Walt Disney’s vision for the children of the world. Awesome, if I don’t say so myself.

12. I sing in a choir, The Moons a Balloon, our leader is my Friend Kavisha Mazzella, she is an award winning Singer Songwriter, here’s one of her songs Invisible Indivisible. I pay more to go and dance to recorded music that hear her sing her beautiful words.

13. I recently went to a public talk on healing the wounds of Love. The focus was not on making up a better story about them but Waking Up. Jeremiah kept stating our job is to Wake Up. This was a profound moment for me.

14. Saving the best nearly to the last. The Get it done man Tony/Anthony Robbins. Why Vision holders are special people. Combined with commitment and willingness to act, the world is your oyster.

15. Another way to sneak in another list of Possibilities, but this is a beautiful one, it included all the ingredients for an awesome life.

It was an extraordinary weekend, opening up a sense that we will fulfil our Visions, one step at a time, some taking fast steps even running towards it and others one solid step at a time, with periods of falling backwards. Remember we are now officially a member of the Collective Potential tribe, welcome aboard.

Namaste until Thursday, my dear friends.