There is a voice that doesn’t use Words!!

Posted on May 25, 2018 by Rod's World

It’s here, arrived in the mailbox today, Yay!!. I’m talking about Marc and Angel Chernoff’s wonderful new book Getting Back to Happy: Here’s the Link. I have been a huge fan of theirs since I came across their first book and their Facebook page a couple of years ago, definitely one of the top five list creators on Social media. if you are one of my booker lookers you know I share their posts unashamedly because they can make a profound difference.

I used the method I always use when I write about their insights, open to a page and the right thing will be there, so on page 52 in the Mindfulness chapter is the following piece of wisdom – Inner Peace is Knowing how to belong to oneself, without external validation: In order to understand the world you have to turn away from it on occasion. Sometimes the need to justify yourself to others causes you to cease to be at peace with your thoughts. Don’t look for anyone else to give you permission to be yourself, or validation to be happy in the present moment.

So let’s wander off into the world of Inner peace and see what wonderful quotes have been expressed about it over time:

1. I had an amazing example of this in my life recently. I became seriously content for the first time in my life, and in doing so I gave up the wish that the women I had met had to be the one, something that had been controlling my thoughts for months.

2. From one of the two greatest philosophers in the world, Ms Unknown and Anon. comes a reminder to be calm in your heart: A Great Big World.

3. Although born a prince, Buddha Sakyamuni realized that conditioned experiences could not provide lasting happiness or protection from suffering. After a long spiritual search, he went into deep meditation, where he realized the nature of mind. He achieved the state of unconditional and lasting happiness: the state of enlightenment, of Buddhahood. This state of mind is free from disturbing emotions and expresses itself through fearlessness, joy and active compassion. For the rest of his life, the Buddha taught anyone who asked how they could reach the same state.

4. How much my inner proofreader wants to change center to centre but for my American friends I will give that thought up: Riders on the Storm.

5. We all have this within us, its called the shadow and the light, they travel together.

6. 42: Silence is Golden.

7. They say time is money, they cannot pay you enough for this.

8. The place to start looking for it is inner, not outer so what they do doesn’t threaten your Inner Peace: Hello.

9. Hi, my name is Zero (really). I’m the author of Not Everyone Will Understand Your Journey: Lessons learned from the path less travelled. Some of the work I’ve written over the past few years has been shared millions of times across the internet, so there’s a good chance you’ve already read some of it — although it doesn’t always have my name attached. Cool name.

10. You can become such a famous cartoon bear I don’t even have to put the name down here: Anything is Possible.

11. Francis de Sales was a Bishop of Geneva and is honoured as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to the religious divisions in his land resulting from the Protestant Reformation. He is known also for his writings on the topic of spiritual direction and spiritual formation, particularly the Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God.

12. How often do you ask yourself, who am I really: Remember Who You Are.

13. Love me some heart opening, any time of the day!!

14. My daily to-do list: I Gotta Find Peace of Mind.

15. it reads like ancient hieroglyphics, but you get the point don’t you.

I’ll finish with some more wise words from Marc and Angel – It’s important to remind ourselves that the greatest enemy of good thinking and mindfulness is busyness. We all have seasons of wild schedules, but very few of us have a legitimate need to be busy all the time. Too often, we simply don’t know how to prioritize well and say no when we should.

The playlist for today begins with Christine Aguilera, then back in time to The Doors and The Tremeloes. Back to the present with Adele then an iconic Aussie band of rockers Icehouse, some wisdom from the Lion King, finishing with some soulful Lauryn Hill.

Namaste until next time my dear friends.

Excuses will always be There!!!

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Rod's World

Kate Swoboda writes in her excellent book, The Courage Habit: Here’s the link., What are Stories? Stories are internal narratives and assumptions that we make about how the world operates. But, here’s the important part: stories might not be objectively true. They are your lens on life and, like a pair of sunglasses can change how you see the world. The story you put on your experience has everything to do with whether you see yourself as a victim or a survivor, whether an experience is dangerous or an opportunity, and whether you have the capacity to develop more courage if you are just not very courageous.

What stories have you made up and accepted that stop you from doing those deepest wishes you have had all your life. The world has had a lot to say about limiting beliefs, so let’s begin that journey:

1. I first heard this expression in my Anam Cara, Emeli Paulo’s RAW workshop, always remember you are Enough.

2. Remember when you used to believe in dragons and unicorns, what happened: Changing your Limits.

3. When is that possible while I have all these things to do today, it’s a Nike situation, do it now!!

4. There is that saying, whispering sweet nothings, Isn’t it time we changed nothing to something: Careless Whispers.

5. You have to guess what some of these empowering beliefs are as you can not quite make them out, what do you think they are?

6. While sitting alone on his cushion, Adyashanti had a classic kensho, or awakening experience, in which he “penetrated to the emptiness of all things and realized that the Buddha I had been chasing was what I was: Love No Limit.

Where do you come on the scale, perhaps you discuss the non-real people our TV screens toss at us via reality TV every day.

8. Didn’t all quite fit in, my vote is for Is no box: Little Boxes.

9. I have many positive signs on my walls, hadn’t thought of using my clothesline.

10. Bring on the Gorgeous for me, love the Gorgeous: Gorgeous.

11. One step forward or one step back, just don’t stay stuck where you are for a very long period.

12. Of course, Guatama had something to say about limiting Beliefs: An Unguarded Moment.

13. And here are limited beliefs playmates that quell your happiness.

14. I often dream of the South African plains and being a Lion: The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

15. What would or could you do if you didn’t know it was impossible? I would make the world paradigm, Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included.

These quotes show exactly why it’s important to examine the Stories that we inherently assume to be true. You could ask if it’s possible to cjange your stories? The answer. I have known many people who have shown me it is possible to consciously choose another story. Consciously choosing your stories is a matter of where you put your attention and what you decide to make things mean.

Music and words for today starts with some Wayne J. Dyer wisdom, followed by a fantastic George Michael anthem. Then a love song from Mary J. Blige and back in time to Pete Seeger. Then my favourite pop diva Taylor Swift, an iconic Aussie band, The Church many of you willl not have heard of and finishing with a street Acapella ensemble, Alcapella Soul.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

The real Santa Claus is at the Mall!!

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Rod's World

I have found an old favourite book of mine: Debbie Ford’s The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Creativity, Brilliance, and Dreams. I suspect it may not be my copy as there are quite a few underlined sections in it. I suspect that it may belong to my sister, Ruth. It is one of these under-linings that caught my attention, the statement We only see that which we are.

This statement brings to mind the premise that we judge our lives based on that which we believe to be true and that this is not necessarily the case. So how do we break out of this lifelong habit of assuming that our world is fixed? It covers all areas of our lives and there have been many fine quotes written about it, here are a few of my favourites:

1. It is often difficult to remember that failures occur to point us towards that we are truly meant to be doing. For some time it feels like life sucks big time.

2. Unfortunately, one thing we cannot keep only seeing that which we are: Planet Earth.

3. The planets favourite bard has a go at it, pointing out that it takes our relationship to others to make up our daily lives.

4. Adams was an advocate for environmentalism and conservation, a lover of fast cars, technological innovation and the Apple Macintosh, and a radical atheist which makes his statement a bit contradictory: Stuff that Works.

5. Takes the half glass full to an entirely new level, doesn’t it?

6. And how C.S. went about changing our beliefs with his classic novel The Chronicles of Narnia: Who You Are.

7. They say you can change a habit by doing something else for 21 days, is it the same for our beliefs?

8. I think we have all had those moments where we feel we need to contact someone even though we haven’t heard from them when these arise they may contact you out of the blue: As you Are.

9. Peace cannot happen through the use of weapons, books are another matter.

10. It’s up to us because we can, It’s our time – Rod Williams: What About Us.

11. What history are you on the planet to make?

12. Remember to breathe next time we meet: The night we Meet.

13. Even for the mountain climbers, this is true.

14. And that which we are is Enough, always Enough: Never Enough.

15. And I finish with the quote I have on the side of my altar, often credited to Nelson Mandela, but actuaally it’s from Marianne Williamson here.

Debbie says – I like to think of it in terms of energy. Imagine having a hundred different electrical outlets in our chests. Each outlet represents a different quality. The qualities we acknowledge and embrace have cover plates over them. They are safe, no electricity runs through them, But the qualities that are not okay with us, which we have not yet owned, do have a charge. So when others come along who act out one of these qualities they plug right into us. She finishes the paragraph with the line: It is only when you’re lying to yourself or hating some aspect of yourself that you’ll get an emotional charge from someone else’s behaviour. So it’s up to you to keep working on those areas and install a cover plate.

The music for today begins in the past with Duran Duran and Texan singer Guy Clark. We then return to this century with Jessie J. A recent discovery of mine, Rag and Bone Man is next, then the versatile Pink. Someone new to me, Lord Huron follows finishing with one of the magnificent tunes from The Greatest Showman soundtrack.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Comparision is the thief of Joy!!

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Rod's World

In Time for my Life: 365 Stepping Stones The Stepping Stone for today, the 10th May is as follows – Feel more emotions that are positive. Increase the number of times that you experience the positive emotions, such as elation, joy, comfort, enjoyment, happiness, success, fullness, satisfaction, excitement, certainty, freedom, liberty, peace of mind, security, gratitude, personal power, contentment, pleasure, love, passion, support, fascination, trust, positivity, upliftment, awe, richness, abundance, enthusiasm and one I am adding community.

The one that jumped out at me was contentment because at the moment I am the most content I have been in my 63-year long life following an exercise I did with my mentor a mere three weeks ago. He asked me who was I trying to be that I wasn’t that prevented people from getting to know who I really was. So we listed the qualities More available Rod was meant to have and scored them out of ten. The highest I gave myself was four. He then asked me what do my family and friends say about me. They were I was generous, loving, kind, loyal and supportive. I scored myself eight for a couple of them.

Remarkably since then I have had access to some of the qualities More Available Rod wished for by being OK about the fact that is not the real Rod. So what do people say about contentment, let’s have a look:

1. I live my life from five core desired feelings from the Desire Map process: Read about it here. They are Potency, Divinity, Beauty, Magnificence and Ignited.

2. The Power of Now – Eckhardt, Happy – Pharrell Williams, Don’t Worry, Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin and countless other things can take you there: Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

3. Seeds turn into beautiful plants, in this case, one of the ultimates: Peace.

4. Remember, they say you cannot take chattels and goods with you. But if you have led a contented life you will die wealthy: Happier.

5. For Epicurus, the purpose of philosophy was to attain the happy, tranquil life, characterized by ataraxia—peace and freedom from fear—and aponia—the absence of pain—and by living a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends. He taught that the root of all human neurosis was death denial, and the tendency for human beings to assume that death will be horrific and painful, which he claimed causes unnecessary anxiety, selfish self-protective behaviours, and hypocrisy. According to Epicurus, death is the end of both the body and the soul and therefore should not be feared. He also taught that the gods neither reward nor punish humans; that the universe is infinite and eternal; and that occurrences in the natural world are ultimately the result of atoms moving and interacting in empty space.

6. My to-do list to attain my Core Desired Feelings, what would you add: Listen to your Heart.

7. Many great and small acceptances, sounds relatively easy, yet we make it quite difficult at times.

8. My first cousin’s name is Peter, a simple name, a profoundly content man: Simplicity.

9. A. B. Facey wrote a book in my country, Australia in the 1980’s. He wrote it nine months before his death. It became an immediate bestseller because even though his life was hard he saw it as a very fortunate one.

10. I see this as the Golden Triangle of Life. With all three pieces in place: Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs: Faithful.

11. Three words: Internal, not External.

12. I need to contemplate this one. William Blake was a man not forestalled by predecessors, nor to be classed with contemporaries, nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors”: More Than This.

13. Yes, it is!!

14. There is always someone who would love what you have in your life. In my county Australia, we all live in the top ten percent of the world yet our mainstream media is full of complaining, go figure: Ironic.

15. Unaffected by outward circumstances, let that sink in…

Contentment means embracing a sense of satisfaction and sufficiency. Contentment sees the cup half full, the beauty and bounty that are available to us. It allows us to take pleasure in what we have and what we are, even life’s simplest offerings. It frees us from envy and longing and so makes us generous.
Although contentment is influenced by external circumstances, it is an internal attitude and can be cultivated no matter what our situation. Contentment looks for the riches that can be found amidst poverty and the small marvels that can be found in the most dire conditions. It is the close kin of gratitude and wonder.

Music for this blog travels the world. We begin with Jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin with his very non-jazz number one hit, followed by heart throb Ed Sheeran, then back to the 80’s with Roxette. We then catch a flight to India with Sabee Sohal, followed by Phora, then back in time to Roxy Music and Alanis Morrisette.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

namasteflower

The biggest Adventure you can Take!!!

Posted on May 7, 2018 by Rod's World

The biggest adventure I have taken in my life was to go to the then Soviet Union and Run the Moscow Peace Marathon the year before the Berlin Wall came down. Back then my passion was to make a difference on a world scale by ending world hunger. We ran under the badge of WorldRunners, a group based out of America. It was an amazing experience worthy of its own book but I actually wish to write about what makes something our passion for Life.

Marc and Angel Chernoff ask 10 questions around this subject:

1. What will you never give up on?

2. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

3. What activities make you lose track of time?

4. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?

5. What fascinates you?

6. What is something you would hate to go without for a day?

7. What’s something you would do every day if you could?

8. Would you rather have less work to do or more work you actually enjoy doing?

9. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

10. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

I suppose number six comes closest to answer my passion for blog writing as my I am an Interculturalist blog now number over three hundred. But what has the world said about our passions, let’s have a peek at some of these powerful quotes:

1. The richest man in the world is a living example of this – Bill Gates, Right, he created Microsoft. Long before that, however, he was an amateur programmer who was passionate enough about computers that in the eighth grade, he managed to get excused from math class to design things like early video games.

2. These people are the people who are the ones who take the first steps when there was no agreement and keep putting their feet in front of each other whatever happens to reach their goals. Think Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and their ilk: The Impossible Dream.

3. One word, Gandhi

4. Gary Vaynerchuk has 1.1. million Twitter followers yet posts on the subject Numbers don’t matter, Influence does because he knows that passion matters, not mere numbers: Priceless.

5. Boredom, a word much overused these days of instant gratification.

6. The timing between a gold medal performance can be as little as a microsecond, microseconds are also called passion: When you Believe.

7. Never used one!!

8. When was the last time you were abuzz with the energy that passion fills your body with: Come and Get It.

9. From sex worker to reciting one of her poems at Bill Clinton’s inauguration, Maya Angelou lived the above mission her whole life.

10. Make your soul grow, Yes Please: Make your Soul Grow.

11. This often occurs when you meet your beloved for the first time, I think I have goosebumps.

12. Now, Now, Now: Don’t Stop Me Now.

13. One of Steve Jobs great calls to the extraordinary, as he says you will know when you find it.

14. I read about Jon Bon Jovi opening pay as you feel cafe’s so that people could get healthy food, the act of a passionate man: We Weren’t Born To Follow.

15. Leave your comments at the bottom as to what you think this means.

So as you will have read my new passion is the blogs of I am an Interculturalist, where I spread my love of possibility, what’s yours?

Music for today is from the evergreen Tom Jones, a country number from For King and Country, the uplifting The Lion King, a pop diva number from Selena Gomez, a short speech from Sir Ian McKellen, then two anthems from Queen and Bon Jovi.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Thankful & Grateful!!

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Rod's World

I opened Marc and Angel Chernoff’s fine book 1,000+ Little Things Happy Successful People do Differently to the article: 12 Things to start caring about today. It begins “Life is about taking chances. it’s about doing something you initially thought you could never do. It’s about being a little bit crazy, following your heart, and not worrying about every detail of what everyone else thinks. And above all, it’s about learning to love who you are and what you have.”

It then follows with the 12 self-caring tools, here they are:

1. Start caring about your own happiness.

2. Start caring about your goals and dreams.

3. Start caring about how you invest your time every day.

4. Start caring about how you think and what you think about.

5. Start caring about how you treat yourself.

6. Start caring about how you treat others.

7. Start caring about how others treat you.

8. Start caring about your health.

9. Start caring about your education and your personal growth.

10. Start caring about doing the best you can.

11. Start caring about all the wonderful things you have right now.

I must admit I fluctuate between fulfilling these things on a day to day basis, I suspect that society does too. Let’s have a look at what they say about caring:

1. Rule 6, Take care how you treat others, there is such a thing as karma.

2. If you worry too much, you are not giving Peace a chance: Give Peace a Chance.

3. Rule ten for me, be the best you can.

4. How many lives have you turned around, include your self in the total: Stand up for Something.

5. Really an Eckhart Tolle moment, Live in the Now.

6. As I say to the woman I love, remember to breathe next time we meet, that’s what love does to me: I will always Love You.

7. Joel Scott Osteen is an American televangelist based in Houston, Texas. Osteen’s televised sermons are seen by over 7 million viewers weekly and over 20 million monthly in over 100 countries. His sermons also broadcast 24 hours a day on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Channel 128. Osteen has written seven New York Times Best Sellers. In 2004, his first book, Your Best Life Now, was released by Time Warner and debuted at the top of The New York Times Best Seller list. The book remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for more than 200 weeks.

8. Uncanny, it’s rule eight, take care of your health, both mental and physical: I’m Gonna Be.

9. Without the latter the former do not matter at all, they would be meaningless moments.

10. Imagine if every day was like a surprise birthday gift. Go on, you can do it: If Today Was Your Last Day.

11. Comes under rule nine for me, especially if you were or are parents. Start caring about their education and personal growth.

12. A mild harsh, but resonates being close to the truth for me: Making Excuses.

13. When is the right time and place to care, right here, right now…

14. The Buddhists have the four noble truths, so does the world of caring: If I sing you a Love Song.

15. Mandy Hale is affectionately known as The Single Woman TM around the world. In just over two years, Mandy has garnered a massive Twitter following of a half a million people from across the globe. 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.

I have decided to finish this blog with Marc’s introspection for rule twelve: When I watched the Grammy Awards recently, I realised that many of the speeches musicians make when they accept an award go something like this: ” Thi means so much to me. My whole life has been leading up to this moment.” But the truth is, our whole lives have been leading up to every moment. Think about that for a second. Every single thing you’ve gone through in life, every high, every low, and everything in between, it has led you to this moment right now. This moment is priceless, and it’s the only moment guaranteed to you. This moment is your ‘life’. Don’t miss it.

If you are a regular reader you may have noticed I have a love affair with the work of Marc and Angel Chernoff, it has helped me through many a dark moment, I thank them for it.

Music today goes way back for a few – John Lennon and Yoko Ono start the journey, then we return to the present day with Andra Day, then flip back with Whitney Houston and The Proclaimers. Some rock from Nickelback, the little known Mr Heavenly, closing out with Bonnie Tyler.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Practice creates the Master!!

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Rod's World

I remember one of my teachers saying a master was someone who had been alive longer than you had. I never really understood what she meant until coming across the saying “You are either a teacher or a student .” Vincent Van Gogh said If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things. So if you could master and learn one thing – what would it be?

Mastery has sort of been stolen by the Law of Abundance market as the way to make a fortune but I believe as Vincent says it relates to each and every area of our lives. How has the world related to it over time, what have the masters themselves said about it:

1. The curly headed one, Albert Einstein says that we need to give our all to obtain it, no Netflix for masters.

2. From the Buddha to Steven Covey, these quotes over the Ages give you wide choice to achieve Mastery: Know Yourself.

3. Mastery is obtained by giving time to something, money cannot buy it for that you, yourself wish to master.

4. Gold Medallists do not just happen, they occur from a well-executed plan from an early age to them stepping up on the podium: God’s Plan.

5. Passion is also required to achieve mastery, it lives in your heart.

6. Author of the Classic As a Man Thinketh, another part of the recipe to obtain mastery, Calmness on the journey: A Thousand Years.

7. As Vincent says, mastery is obtained by concentrating on a particular field of knowledge which then allows you to obtain it in others.

8. When I complete online surveys I never give anybody a score of ten, this quotes points as to why: The End.

9. For nearly 80 of his 91 years, Picasso devoted himself to an artistic production that he superstitiously believed would keep him alive, contributing significantly to — and paralleling the entire development of — modern art in the 20th century.

10. What a beautiful line of wisdom – Only we can control our appetites and passion, says it all about mastery really: Love Story.

11. Where did we go wrong on supporting mastery with our education system? Thank god for the teachers that recognise the gifted ones.

12. Explains Mastery perfectly, this quote does – Tribute to the Best Human Being.

13. My brother is a computer Luddite if anything goes wrong with his technology his eyes roll over. But ask him about music and he can answer any question.

14. Another part of the recipe of mastery, acceptance of fear and keep on going, Mention of the word fear equals Jim Carrey’s video: Love or Fear.

15. And finally, from one of my favourites, Deepak Chopra, the final part of the recipe for mastery: do not take personal offence.

My master also gave me an exercise to practice she said would help with mastery – Hold an optimistic view of the world – All Day.

Our Music today is two Drake songs in a row, the beautiful Christina Perri, the ever haunting anthem by the Doors, Pop Diva Taylor Swift, a tribute to Bruce Lee, ending with the iconic speech by Jim Carrey.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

All you need to get started!!

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Rod's World

I attended a free workshop called Present Your Message by my friend and old choir leader Richard Lawton last night, he is known as the Voice Doctor having been an actor, theatre director, singing coach and presentation coach for over twenty years. He has written a book called Raise Your Voice: Transforming How You Speak, Sing and Present – the book’s website.

When I was in Soulsong, that’s the choir’s name we used to do 17th-century french line dancing as the warmup as well as German drinking songs to the tune of Beethoven’s Ninth.

Richards ability to get you out of your head when speaking in public is remarkable because as we all know, this is a human beings greatest fear.

He asked who likes hearing the sound of our voice being played back, one out of twenty people put their hand up. Then we had an enquiry into why we thought that was the case because if he had asked children the numbers would have been reversed.

Where did we lose the love of our voice, when did we make that decision and what does society have to say about the power of the voice:

1. How many people do you have in your life that this happens with? These are the ones you trust.

2. Don’t let your inner voice be one of your main hecklers, there are plenty of others whose opinions do this for us. Hands on heart and step forward courageously: The Voice.

3. What do you want the Universe to hear, for me, it’s Love and Respect for all: Everybody Included.

4. Possibly the sexiest voice in the world, Tom is a fine example of someone who fully expresses his voice: Kiss.

5. Someone who did not listen to the inner critic, judge and censor that lives within us all, Malala has created a worldwide movement, do you think you can?

6. Laurie Halse Anderson writes children and teenage books that make them think as well as battling censorship and the need for diversity in publishing: Express Yourself.

7. You do the world an injustice when you withhold your truth because you feel they might get upset.

8. Perhaps he would have made a better opera singer than an emperor, in the end, he wasn’t too great at that: Best Day of My Life.

9. When I read his name, I must confess the words to The Year of the Cat entered my head.

10. Echo has five different meanings in the online dictionary, I think what this quote is talking about relates to this one: one who closely imitates or repeats another’s words, ideas, or acts – The Voice Within.

11. I’m sure many of you have seen Wild, Wild, West, the doco on Netflix that belittles Osho and his followers. My take on it, Everybody has Shadow and Light: I relate to the wisdom and freedom that his words and insights provide for humanity.

12. Remember their opinion isn’t about you, It’s always a reflection of the person saying it: Ironic.

13. So when you are about to present to 2,000 people you are imaging all of them to be naked this is the voice to listen to.

14. Or another way of saying it is, you can’t get the moment back. Hand on Heart, stride forward powerfully and say what has to be said: Opportunity.

15. And of course, the last one must be the most serious and profound.

I mentioned the Judge, the Critic and the Censor under one of the quotes. Richard says these are the three characters that take our vocal power away. The Judge will give you a mark out of ten (usually three or less). The Critic will tell you that not only is this rubbish, but it’s the same rubbish you did last time and the time before. The Censor will tell you to keep your head down, keep quiet and wait till it all goes away.

So how do we get past this, my recommendation is BUY THE BOOK.

Music for this blog is one of Australia’s icons, John Farnham, The sexy Tom Jones, the ever eternal Madonna, newbies American Authors, the versatile Christine Aguilera, The woman who played God – Alanis Morrisette and ends with the sultry Sia.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends

Be Bold or Italic, Never Regular!!

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Rod's World

I really like the quote in today’s Forward Steps – the fantastic book compiled by Thea Westra: The link to her site. that allows you to take an action, a challenge, read a motivational quote, take a clearing, answer a question and have an affirmation for the day.

The quote is as follows:

I love the phrase: ‘In a world that’s round, it doesn’t make sense to take sides’. So with skills I do not have to position myself against anyone, I become curious about them and I want to teach them about me. When I approach communication and conflict management from that place< I am not butting heads with anyone, I am learning or teaching: Dr Rhoberta Shaler.

To relate to the world in this way seems to me to be an act of boldness, not to but into the run of mill way we are expected to live our day to day existence. How do you relate to boldness, there are some famous quotes on the subject, let’s have a look at them:

1. My friend and Anam Cara Emeli always reminds me to use the koan: remember to ask, the worst thing they can say is no.

2. They say one is the loneliest number you will ever know, I say only if it’s about you and you do not provide service to others: One.

3. Here’s the most famous quote on boldness, the one most people can finish when someone starts it.

4. Have it in your muesli every morning: Bold.

5. Dumas won the Pulitzer Prize for history for his six-volume history of Franklin, Critics accuse him of sheathing his boldness when it comes to the well-known relationship Franklin had with his slave Sally Hemings.

6. If you are going to make mistakes make them bold ones, they allow you to recover in a more audacious way: Space Oddity.

7. George definitely did this in his own life. Shaw’s expressed views were often contentious; he promoted eugenics and alphabet reform and opposed vaccination and organised religion. He courted unpopularity by denouncing both sides in the First World War as equally culpable.

8. The latter statement could be called the day your Boldness is born: You are Alive.

9. I just had to include this one.

10. Reminds me of the statement about baby birds, they jump off and learn to fly on the way down: I’ll Fly Away.

11. Neither does boldness!!

12. Not knowing what Chamba meant I looked it up. It’s a district in India according to Google, don’t know what it’s got to do with bad business. But I love how he states success can be achieved: Changes.

13. These are becoming more and more a part of my life as I enter the world of boldness through self-love and self-belief.

14. For each traveller they are a different love story, we get to be who we want to be in new and wonderful places that are just a name on the map until we get there: Gypsy.

15. And a friendly reminder what not being bold can cost you.

The clearing for today is Decide on actions, and with as much clarity and boldness as possible. Time to act on these decisions.

Music for today begins with one of Australia’s icons: John Farnham, then rapper Lil Lonnie, the masterful David Bowie, new to me Fragma, the superb Gillian Welch, from the land of movies Shrek and finishes with pop diva Shakira.

Namaste until next time , my dear friends.

Intention + Action = Magic!!

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Rod's World

Take a moment and consider whether you’ve ever experienced something extraordinary or unexplainable, something that didn’t make sense to your cognitive mind. Have you ever known something you shouldn’t know? Have you predicted some future outcome in a dream? Have some called you when you were thinking about him or her? Have you been seized by an unexplainable impulse to do something that wound up helping another person who was in crisis?Have you experienced synchronicities you can’t write off as mere coincidence? Reflect upon your past and consider whether you’ve ever felt guided, either by your own intuition, another person’s guidance, or external “signs from the universe” in a way that protected you or someone else from harm.

This exercise is from Lissa Rankins excellent book The Fear Cure, specifically the chapter titled it’s a purposeful universe, for more info on this transformational book look here: Lissa’s website.

How does the world relate to living in a purposeful universe, here are some of my favourites quotes on the matter:

1. After publishing a string of best-selling books on the practical psychology of self-improvement, Dyer felt a shift occur in his thinking that led him to explore the spiritual aspects of human experience. “My purpose is to help people look at themselves and begin to shift their concepts,” he said. “Remember, we are not our country, our race, or religion. We are eternal spirits. Seeing ourselves as spiritual beings without a label is a way to transform the world and reach a sacred place for all of humanity.”

2. Let go of the control in your life and miracles can happen: Across the Universe.

3. One word says it all, Rumi!!!

4. During my Buddhist years, I did several community ten-day meditation retreats, you had the choice of doing it in Golden Silence. I did this several times and remember the local airport being so noisy after the experience: Silence is Golden.

5. Hate has never resolved anything in history, never.

6. The reason why indigenous cultures say that age on its own does not give you the right to be called an elder: Faith.

7. One of the grand purposes of life.

8. I recently gave up trying to be someone I am not, I feel so ridiculously free: I’m Free.

9. Remember your childhood dreams, at what age did you give them up?

10. Not over there in someone else, you are the one, own it: Star Trek – The Inner Light.

11. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

12. Your part is just as important as everyone else’s: You are Eternal, The Universe.

13. We may be seeing the beginnings of the reintegration of our culture, a new possibility of the unity of consciousness. If so, it will not be on the basis of any new orthodoxy, either religious or scientific. Such a new integration will be based on the rejection of all univocal understandings of reality, of all identifications of one conception of reality with reality itself. It will recognize the multiplicity of the human spirit, and the necessity to translate constantly between different scientific and imaginative vocabularies. It will recognize the human proclivity to fall comfortably into some single literal interpretation of the world and therefore the necessity to be continuously open to rebirth in a new heaven and a new earth. It will recognize that in both scientific and religious culture all we have finally are symbols, but that there is an enormous difference between the dead letter and the living word.

14. We are sent here to provide the piece of the puzzle we came here to contribute: Live Your Life.

15. I think the human condition makes that wait without anxiety something that we have to work on our entire life.

So how did you react to these purposeful moments provided to you by the Universe – Lissa asks: did you ignore it? did you rationalise it away, did you trivialise it and write it off as coincidence, do you make up implausible stories to explain it? Did you tell others your story? Did you keep your experience a secret? Did you have a “This changes everything” moment? Or did nothing change?

Remember to listen to the Universe, it has your back.

We have 60’s music to begin with, The Beatles and the Tremeloes, followed by some boppy George Michael. Then mainstream Kenny Loggins followed by some Star Trek music and Alan Watts wisdom. We retun to this century to finish with some rap from T.I. and Rhianna.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.