Find Joy In The Ordinary!!!

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Rod's World

It takes courage to open ourselves up to joy. Joy is possibly the most vulnerable emotion we experience in our life. Young children are great at it, society soon deals with this by sending them off to the structure of formalised education where joy is not cool anymore.

Brene Brown calls this being trained in foreboding joy, beating vulnerability to the punch by imagining the worst or feeling nothing in hopes that the other shoe won’t drop. One way both Brene and I suggest around this is to feel gratitude, moment to moment for your ordinary life. Not wishing that it was different to what it is at this exact moment. This doesn’t mean having no dreams or goals, it means being deeply grateful for the progress you have made so far in your life.

So how does the world talk about Joy, let’s skip down that path together:

1. Time to break out the Gumboots/Wellies. Remember those rainsoaked paths of your childhood and how long it took to walk down them as each puddle became a new adventure.

2. Commenting on his imprisonment Nelson Mandela stated I went on a long holiday for 27 years. How many of us could retain our joy for that incredible amount of time: Nelson Mandela.

3. We need both kinds – The dark and the light in the recipe that makes up joyfulness.

4. This quote makes me think of the joy of being loved: Perfect.

5. Freely Interdependent exuberance – Orgasmic!!

6. And what brings Joy to your life? Being in Action: Confident.

7. No regrets, please.

8. Dumbledore is a very wise wizard, after all, he ran Hogwarts: Turn On The Lights.

9. How does the Universe speak to you? If not joyfully time to reboot it.

10. What will be on your tombstone? For me, my definition of Interculturalism: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included: Nessun Dorma.

11. We are born free, what happens?

12. Love this beautiful list of life: The Joy of Life.

13. I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I,I, I, I.

14. Smell the Roses: English Country Garden.

15. His real name is Rolihlaha Mandela……his teacher gave him the name Nelson! His name means troublemaker.

To seek out moments of collective joy and to show up for moments of collective pain, e have to be brave. This means we have to be vulnerable. Brene Brown, in her 200,000 plus pieces of research couldn’t find a single example of courage that did not require vulnerability. Can you, In Your Life?

Today’s playlist contains the first Operatic song I have chosen, we begin with The Special, followed by the uber pairing of Ed Sheeran and Beyonce. Then a pop diva in Demi Lovato by the rapper Future. Then comes our operatic number with Pavarotti, then off to the Emerald Isle with The Corrs, finishing off with a quirky ditty from Jimmy Rodgers. Here is the Youtube Playlist for your viewing pleasure: Find Joy In The Ordinary.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

You Will Not Know How Powerful You Are!!

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Rod's World

Often when we talk about helping poor communities, we’re actually working not to save a life but to offer more choices. That’s how we improve our well-being – by enabling choice.

The above statement is from Seth Godin’s inspiring little book: We Are All Weird: The Rise of Tribes and The End of Normal: Link to Buy It. I like the testimonials – “This is a book about giving a damn. It’s about caring about what you do and (as important) who you do it for. Professional apathy is a relic of a dead era and, as Seth teaches brilliantly, a mentality you cling to at great peril. Everyone with a pulse and a paycheck should be living, We Are All Weird – Chris Taylor, founder, Actionablebooks.com.

But it is Sherold Barr’s testimonial, who describe themselves as a Master Coach and Freedom Fighter that impressed me the most: “This book will resonate with anyone who wants to lead a tribe, be authentic, dance to the beat of their own music, and make a difference in the world. If your inner critic (the resistance) has been telling you that you are not enough, your work is not good enough, and who do you think you are to make a difference then buy this book. Let your freak flag fly high.”

So how does the world present enabling choice? It actually goes to many places and here are some of them:

1. How often do we forget that the person we must first enable is the one looking back at us in the mirror?

2. Rosemary Edghill (born 1956) is an American writer and editor. Some of her work has appeared under her original name, eluki bes shahar (lower case intentional). Her primary genres are science fiction and fantasy, but she began by writing Regency romance novels. The publishers of her first novel felt that “Eluki Bes Shahar” (her legal name at the time) sounded insufficiently English to attract readers, so she adopted the pen-name Rosemary Edghill, which became her legal name in 2004. Not really an enabling choice when you think about it: Choice.

3. Relationship experts say that choice has nothing to do with who you fall in love with. I think that is what this quote is pointing out. Our heart doesn’t seem very logical at the time.

4. Those people that are no longer in your life for an excellent reason, they didn’t stay around long enough to discover how truly valuable you were: Don’t Give Up

5. Victor Hugo is the poet my brother took his new name from when he changed his given name to create a new identity.

6. It’s the behaviour that rankles, stopping one person will not cease the violence committed against women by men. Its behavioural change that is required not naming the perpetrators: Bon Appetit.

7. It’s become less and less that I wake up these days thinking of the opposite of this.

8. You can choose to make a difference with your life or not, really, really, truly: Where’s The Love.

9. A title like Chief Executive Officer does not make you a leader, try Nobel Peace Prize Winner or something in that ilk.

10. Sammy Davis Junior rose to the top of the entertainment tree in America at a time when African Americans had to sit at the back of the bus in most states, he had a commitment: Mr Bojangles.

11. How often has it been said a particular person had the ability, but that person never chose to utilise it. That’s why it is the people who make the tough choices rise to the top.

12. One may say, impossible, because they have to want to, you can not make them do it: Tough Lover.

13. In psychotherapy and mental health, enabling has a positive sense of empowering individuals or a negative sense of encouraging dysfunctional behaviour. One must choose to give up the latter definition and allow the person to do what they need to so they can move forward.

14. Don’t be forced into a hasty decision, what occurs in your life is your choice, not others. Unfortunately, I think 90% of the human race forget this at times: Thinking Out Loud.

15. If you are making no decisions in your life there is nothing that is important to achieve, so how can your day to day actions be significant?

Today, some people can make a living as painters or professional bowlers or even poets. There are ten million households with a net worth of more than a million dollars. And there are millions (perhaps a billion) people who make enough money from their day job that they’re able to pursue something they enjoy with their spare time. More and more often, the thing they enjoy is something weird. Choice is what we choose.

The playlist begins with Bollywood superstars Miss Pooja and Manjit Rupowalia, followed by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush with one of the great duets. Kate Perry adds some Pop Diva, then the Black Eyed Peas sing a sultry number before Sammy Davis Junior takes us back to another era. Christine Aguilera and Ed Sheeran close out the list: You Will Not Know How Powerful You Are.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Three Things that Can No Longer Be Hidden!!

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Rod's World

I was saddened when Debbie Ford died in 2013, I loved her work, it was so insightful. I recently found her book: The Dark Side of the Light Chasers – Reclaiming your Power, Creativity, Brilliance and Dreams in one of my cupboards. I opened it to page 68 and the following paragraph caught my attention: “Unconcealing is the first step of the shadow process. Unconcealing requires rigorous honesty and willingness to see what you haven’t been able to see. Acknowledgment of our shadow self-begins the process of integration and healing. Remember that each of these “negative’ traits has a positive gift for you, more value than you can even imagine. It’s only a matter of doing the work, and in a short while you’ll receive the blessings of wholeness, happiness and freedom.”

She still has a fine website dedicated to her work: The Gifts of Debbie Ford., you get a free audio if you sign up, her work is worth it. on the next page there are about 200 shadow words, here are just a few: Greedy, liar, phony, cheap, hateful, jealous, vindictive, controlling, nasty, possessive, bitchy, wimp, evil, geek, prudish, womanizer, slut, angry, secretive, codependent, predator, alcoholic, drug addict disgusting stupid,idiot, fearful, unconscious: that’s enough, you will have to buy the book if you want the whole list.

So why don’t we unconceal our shadows and dive deep into them to allow them to be healed by bringing them to the fore, the best way I have found to achieve this is through presencing them in your body, mind work does not do it for me anymore.

Let’s have a look at some quotes on the subject of unconcealing our lives:

1. As Byron Katie says, do the work, it’s the only way.

2. Don’t know if I agree with the first line, perhaps in Donald Trump: You’re so Vain.

3. And this is one area in our lives that what we don’t unconceal can have terrible costs, please reveal your sacred love stories to each other.

4. These rules will help you unconceal the areas you don’t do it, because with the light comes the shadow: Fight the Power.

5. Myrtle Reed was an American author, poet, journalist, and philanthropist. She wrote a number of bestsellers and even published a series of cookbooks under the pseudonym Olive Green.

6. Art, when unconcealed centuries later, reveals a lot about the cultures that have gone before us: Art for Art’s Sake.

7. Having appreciated Rodin’s The Thinker sculptor for time immemorial love this quote re unconcealing our naked form.

8. I have cried three times in my life since my baby days, one of them was when I was watching a tearjerking episode of Apple’s Way, a cheesy 1970’s TV show, go figure: Hello.

9. As is a man.

10. Have you unconcealed your commitment to service, it comes when you get to realise that life on earth isn’t satisfying when its all about you: People Help The People.

11. Beautiful image, time to unconceal the Universe, my friends.

12. Putting in Isha brings up Esha Gupta, an insanely beautiful Indian Bollywood Actress, arguments get the matter dealt with: Zombie.

13. Think Donald in the U.S.A, Malcolm and Peter in Australia, Recep in Turkey, Bashar in Syria.

14. Drisi is a young woman from India who describes herself as a bibliophile and a learning enthusiast, It’s great she is featured in Google images: Love Yourself.

15. And finally, Unconceal the wild woman and man within you and unhide the love for yourself.

At the end of the demonstrative list of negatives is the following exercise and insight: “Imagine that an article was written about you in your local newspaper. What are the five things you would not want to be said about you? Write them down. Now try to imagine five things they could say about you that wouldn’t matter to you at all. the question is. are the first five things true and the second five untrue? Or, have you decided with the help of your family and friends that the first five things are the wrong thing to be, therefore you do not want them said about you? We must uncover what is behind these words, so we can take back these disowned parts of ourselves.

Write down the judgements you have about each of these words. See if you can identify when you first made that judgement or whom you took that judgement from. Was it your father, mother or another family member? I’m sure this excercise will unconceal enough to start the transformation, its a worthwhile book to get to have the entire list.

The Playlist today begins with the 1970’s icon Carly Simon, then some grit from Public Enemy, a classic from Ten CC, A massive hit from Adele, Birdy follows with a plaintive plea, some Indie Rock by the Cranberries finishing with Hailee Steinfeld who appeared in the last playlist. Here’s the link: Playlist for Today.

Namaste until next we meet, dear friends.

As Soon As I Saw You!!

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Rod's World

Finally, I remember to Bring Brene Brown’s great book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead: Her home page. I write my blogs at Darebin Intercultural Centre, where I teach English as a second language three days a week. Using my trusted method of writing about the subject that is on the page I open today we look at appreciation. Brene says:

“Just as our experiences of foreboding joy can be located on a continuum, I found that most of us fall somewhere on a perfectionism continuum. In other words, when it comes to hiding our flaws, managing perception, and wanting to win over folks, we’re all hustling a little. For some folks, perfectionism may only emerge when they’re feeling particularly vulnerable. For others, perfectionism is compulsive, chronic and debilitating – it looks and feels like an addiction.

Regardless of where we are on this continuum, if we want freedom from perfectionism, we have to make the long journey from “What will people think?” to “I am enough” That journey begins with shame resilience, self-compassion, and owning our own stories. To claim the truths about who we are, where we come from, what we believe, and the very imperfect nature of our lives, we have to be willing to give ourselves a break and appreciate the beauty of our cracks or imperfections. To be kinder and gentler with ourselves and each other. To talk to ourselves the same way we’d talk to someone we care about.”

So what has society said about appreciating ourselves, here are a few of my favourite quotes about the subject:

1. I fill out my Danielle LaPorte’s daily planner religiously every day, on the page is a space to put what you are grateful that day, works for me.

2. Not yet, I’ll do it when… Whats wrong with this statement?: Unwritten.

3. From one of the two most prolific quoters on the net, Ms Unknown comes this beautiful quote pointing out that the act doesn’t have to be a huge one to make a profound difference for someone.

4. Back to the second century A.D. for this quote from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, who was a practitioner of stoicism. Amazing that they thought so much about happiness such a long time ago: Being Alive.

5. What is your essence in life? , mine is Beauty in Life. At the moment I move between contentment and pure joy.

6, Simply, Appreciation 101: Thinking out Loud.

7. I have been to some amazing places in my 63 years. One of them was the U.S.S.R. to run the Moscow Peace Marathon the year before the Berlin Wall came down. My memories are of Lana, Sergei and Michael Jackson, three people we met in a cafe in Leningrad who become our besties and showed us around for five days.

8. Do you accept compliments easily, that’s all part of your worth and value on the planet, don’t rip people off: Love Myself.

9. Life truly is a journey, on a journey, you will have your ups and downs, guaranteed.

10. I think I have found that someone else, Yay!!: We found Love.

11. Repeat after me, LOVE YOUR LIFE!!

12. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, His Holiness the Dalai Lama uses a gardening analogy in this quote about the importance of appreciation: Guide to Happiness

13. From Little things, big things grow – great saying and great Aussie song, look it up on Youtube.

14. How many people have you outlived, we always assume that we will be here tomorrow, not necessarily true: Need You Now.

15. Toni Payne is a creative writer, film director, poet, visual artist, media personality and entrepreneur. She enjoys working with still and moving images to create visual masterpieces. She also enjoys writing inspirational quotes, short stories, and poetry about various topics from romance to self-love. At her leisure, she does voiceover readings of short stories and flash fiction on her podcast and writes travel, exotic cars and beauty lifestyle articles. She also writes musings about pop culture, entertainment, relationships and more.

Brene talks of three areas in your life that help you raise your appreciation levels: they are Self Kindness, Common Humanity and Mindfulness. Add these to your menu and I’m sure you will appreciate life at a greater level.

The music for today begins with Natasha Bedingfield, followed by actor Neil Patrick Harris doing what he loves, cabaret. Some modern popsters in Ed Sheeran, Hailee Steinfeld then Rihanna. His Holiness the Dalai Lama follows and we complete with Lady Antebellum. Here is the As soon as I saw You video playlist: Video Playlist.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

I want you to take off your Clothes!!

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Rod's World

Forgot Brene again, so instead of Daring Greatly we get to look at sexuality and vulnerability today. I am doing a course called Dancing Eros for Men: Info Link. at the moment and it is transforming me molecule by molecule. I cannot talk about the practices, only my experience of them. last night we did the one that prudish Rod was going to survive, it was around our unleashed sexuality. I rated myself about two out of ten in this area at the beginning and moved to about a four.

What I did discover was that what had turned me prudish was an event that one could relate to as a males ultimate fantasy. I used to hang around the Rythm and Blues scene in Melbourne as a door bitch and a sometimes sound guy. We did a gig south of the river, Melbourne is split into Southside and Northside by the Yarra River and you have a favourite side. I lived north of the river and eventually got home late in the morning after drugs and alcohol. Comes a knock on the door ten minutes later, it’s the amazing looking woman from the gig. Her – I am here to fuck you. We did, I never knew her name or saw her again. I felt a deep shame about this even though she had instigated it and left the music scene never to return soon after.

So what are you vulnerability edges, what have people said about it over the ages, here we go:

1. Possibly one of the worlds most famous TED talks, the book I meant to bring Daring Greatly is what Brene based this TED talk on.

2. It’s not about the bodies that take part, its so much more: Sex with Me.

3. Hot Chocolate – You sexy thing!!

4. Pleasure me and you as part of the deal or if you are polyamory as many as you feel like: Is This Love.

5. I am learning this more and more in Dancing Eros. I get to see how really, truly I have shut these areas down in my life, and yet they are a crucial part of who I am.

6. Courageously show up and you will get what you need in all areas of your life, including your sexuality: Thinking Out Loud.

7. As true as 50 is the new 30, or in my case 63 is the new 30.

8. Self Love 101. master this and you become one sexy motherfucker: We R who we R.

9. I think I’m one of these, will I change from Dancing Eros?

10. Nudism is a natural state, negative thoughts about it are clearly not: Show me your Pussay.

11. Handle the body to body stuff, then go for this. Yes, Please.

12. the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Hence the creation of the patient couch: Vulnerable.

13. More from the fabulous Brene, after all, she is the Queen of the subject.

14. How many types of sexual are there, many to chose from these days: Demisexuality.

15. What would the world be like if we all walked on this earth letting ourselves be truly seen?

So I have quite a journey still if I am ever to feel the pure joy of ten out of ten in this area, although I think a little bot is sneaking in, nanoseconds of it, time will tell.

The playlist for today begins with Rihanna being hot and sexy, followed by a classic from Bob Marley, then the uber raunchy Kesha. Lords of Acid then put it in your face, finishing with a milder Roxette and an info video on Demisexuality.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Cats, as you know are impervious to threats!!

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Rod's World

Yes, the blog title did appear as a quote for giving some things up in Google images and I fell in love with it because it is so true. page 114 under Perspective in Marc and Angel’s book Getting Back to Happy: Here’s the link. The title is We have to give up some things to get what we ultimatley want in life: Marc and Angel write, This might be one of the hardest truths to swallow, and that;s why we mention it several times throughout this book. We have to say no to good things to be able to say yes to important things. We simply can’t do it all. So be mindful, and choose wisely. What you choose to focus on grows stronger in your life. At every moment, thousands of little things are competing for your attention. All of these fall into two categories: things that are priorities and things that are not.

So, what are your priority things versus your things that are not? For each of us they are profoundly and subtly different on each day. What have we said about what we need to give up to fit in those things that deserve our priority, here’s a few goes at it:

1. I regretted not travelling more in my youth, now my body is not so sure about climbing mountain peaks and thin air like in Nepal.

2. When were you last broken down? It doesn’t feel good but you are still here walking the path one step at a time: Break Free.

3. Is your life over because those bad things happened to you. The answer is no, you are still on this planet to fulfil your destiny.

4. Being patient, believing and never giving up, the recipes to your dreams: Don’t Give Up.

5. Time after Time, the journey to greatness.

6. I am accused of smiling far too much: Make me Smile.

7, I keep thinking about my Intercultural slogan for the new world paradigm: Love and respect for All, Everybody Included.

8. From the great philosopher Ms. Unknown comes the great line: Success is failure turned inside out: Teardrops.

9. I have not given up on you, remember to breathe next time we meet.

10 Put on the glasses to read this one. Ten things to do at number 10: Fast Car.

11. The grandfather of the positivity movement, Dale Carnegie reminds us of a poignant fact.

12. Faith

a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty

lost faith in the company’s president

b (1) : fidelity to one’s promises

(2) : sincerity of intentions

acted in good faith

2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God

(2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion

b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof

clinging to the faith that her missing son would one day return

(2) : complete trust

3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs

the Protestant faith

— on faith

: without question

took everything he said on faith: When We Were Young.

give up 13

13. It is one of the most awesome things in the world, because it is known as unconditional love.

give up 14

14. I spent 8 years as a devout buddhist praying every day, some of the things in my life now were’nt in the pictures I was imagining: Black Hole Sun.

15. Mary Anne Evans known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. Back in the 18th century women didn’t write books.

The point Marc and Angel make finishes with these words: Focus on the few key things that are most important for you to succeed today – to take another small step forward. And too remember that giving up other things isn’t just about making small immediate sacrifices; it’s also about gradually gaining the resources you need to do something significant. If you want to achieve an important goal or outcome in your life, you have to give up the things that conflict with it. That doesn’t man you have to intentionally suffer. it just means you can’t have it all – you have ot sacrafice something that you value less than whatever it is to you ultimately want to achieve.

The playlist for today comes from a different method, the first six songs followed each other on Youtube and the last is a beautiful tribute to someone who gave up, Chris Cornell. Pop diva Ariana Grande, Pop icons Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush are followed by 70’s star Steve Harley. Then on to the 80’s with Womack and Womack and Tracy Chapman. then we return to this century with Adele and Norah Jones.

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.

H.O.P.E. – Hold On, Pain Ends

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Rod's World

The Steppingstone in time for my Life: 65 Stepping Stones – 2843 Life Power Boosters At Your Fingertips by my ex TMLP buddy Thea Westra: At this site. reads as follows:

Experience “real” life. Are you waiting for “life” to begin? You just need to get some of those hurdles out of the way and need a few things to happen first. The children need to leave home, retirement at work first and then enjoy the things you love, the certain amount of dollars need to be saved, the time needs to be just right, etc. etc. etc… Consider that all these roadblocks ARE your life. When will you choose to experience them fully, along with all the other passing moments?

Boom, take that, the reality of life is that life is our reality. What has society had to say about that over the centuries, let’s have a gander:

1. Experiences, not things equal reality.

2. Ah, those first moments of relationships – phone calls at least once a day, later on, we may move to this: The Sounds of Silence.

3. One could ask Lady Gaga what happened to the percentages, as a child we live more like 80//20.

4. We are trained from an early age, not to say those things that may hurt another’s feelings. Time to tell a white lie, maybe: Honest.

5. WTF up!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish philosopher, theologian, poet, social critic and religious author who is widely considered to be the first existentialist philosopher. He wrote critical texts on organized religion, Christendom, morality, ethics, psychology, and the philosophy of religion, displaying a fondness for metaphor, irony and parables. Much of his philosophical work deals with the issues of how one lives as a “single individual”, giving priority to concrete human reality over abstract thinking and highlighting the importance of personal choice and commitment. He was against literary critics who defined idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time and thought that Swedenborg, Hegel, Goethe, Fichte, Schelling, Schlegel and Hans Christian Andersen were all “understood” far too quickly by “scholars”: Experience.

7. This insightful quote can certainly make you think about how you value your time.

8. I had five worst times AKA Pysch hospital admissions, I can so relate to this. The people who hang around are precious: True Colours.

9. We hear from Soren again, don’t focus on the problems, live life fully: Everybody.

10. They stick around because they are the people who love you from the bottom of their hearts: That’s what Friends are For.

11. How’s your search for your reality going?

12. Have you bruised your knees too often, the trick is to get back up and on the horse again: Try.

13. Go on, get out there and do it.

14. And it is said in many ways around the world: Namkeen.

15. And for the final one today, one I have no idea about.

And the final word from Dale Carnegie – If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done.

Music for this blogs starts with going back over 50 years with Simon and Garfunkel, then the Chainsmokers followed by Ludivico Einaudi. Then over to our female entries, Kasey Chambers, Dionne Warwick and Pink finishing with our international guest R. D. Burnam.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

You are stronger than you Think!!

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Rod's World

Kate Swoboda asks the question in her new book The Courage habit – How to accept your fears, release the past, and live your courageous life: Kate’s Web Site. “if my most courageous self-was making the decision here, what would I choose?” The purpose of this question is to honour the value of courage in your actions and to have courage as a “way of being” in your life.

The definition of courage is as follows:

the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery, the heart as the source of emotion. and is used in such Idioms

as follows – have the courage of one’s convictions, to act in accordance with one’s beliefs, especially in spite of criticism.

So how have we, as a planet, acknowledged courage in our lives over the journey, let’s take a gander:

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1, Edward Estlin “E. E.” Cummings, often styled as e e cummings, as he sometimes signed his name, was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. He wrote approximately 2900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays, and several essays. According to his testimony in EIMI, Cummings had little interest in politics until his trip to the Soviet Union in 1931, after which he shifted rightward on many political and social issues. Despite his radical and bohemian public image, he was a Republican, and later, an ardent supporter of Joseph McCarthy.

2. Have the courage to fill your life with experiences, not things. People love stories about experiences: Brave.

3. It’s like the decision of courage is an act of self-love.

4. We always can choose to go forward or retreat to those dark spaces we already know.: Hero.

5. Remember – one step forward at a time is the courageous path.

6. A bit like Tonglen meditation practice, breath in the good, exhale the bad: Hideaway.

7. Why is it that most people know the name of the cricket captain in Australia but have no clue who won the Nobel Prize for literature?

8. Young birds learn to fly by the courageous act of jumping out of their nests: I’ll Fly Away.

9. Be courageous, experience all levels of emotion.

10. Sorry, I was wrong. Go on, you can do it: Doing It Wrong.

11. Bad things happen to us all the time, have the courage to take the healing journey.

12. Even in the times of the ancient Greeks, they were discussing the courageous path: Glory Box.

13. It takes courage to leave the harbour, where you know its safe. But nothing ever happens while your ship is tied up at the dock of inaction.

14. Courage is what makes your dreams of childhood stick around and become real in your adult life: 24K Magic.

15. On the courageous path you will face the ignominy of making mistakes, remember if you never make a mistake, you are never growing.

To change your whole life at once through your new found courage, could be qute daunting so Kate asks us to ponder “What three things would I be doing differently if my most courageous self-was running the show” Areas to look at include Fun and Recreation, Career and Work, Money, Family Relationships, Romantic Relationships and Sensuality, Friendships, Health and Body, Physical Environment and Personal Growth and Development.

The music for this blog is dominated by female voices – we begin with Sara Bareilles, followed by Mariah Carey , then newbie Daya makes way for Gillian Welch. Over to the men with Drake, back to the women with Portishead, completing with Bruno Mars.

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.