I’m Alone, I’m Alone, I’m Alone!!!

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Rod's World

I can’t wait to read your fucking blog, here it is my beloved.

This is from a text I received yesterday. The same person who told me to fuck off and live my fantasy life and that’s she hates me, see my previous blog To Fuck Off, or Not. This was one of over 20 texts that started with my heart is breaking ending in the classic Fuck You posts. To me the above statement is a classic cry for help. I have worked out that my friend has three unique identities: The first being the Wise, Insightful, Compassionate, Sensual one. The second being the doubting Thomas one, this won’t work out which still contains some of the former, and the third, the cruel, sadistic Fuck You one who will say anything to hurt you, including you should kill yourself.

Am I being sadistic staying in communication with her, or Am I still in love with her. When I look into my heart, it is the latter. I don’t know how to fall out of love in a week and a bit, which she seems to have been able to achieve. So now we are both alone per say still talking to each other via text. So what does the world say about being alone, lets walk down that street:

1. I am slowly learning this, too soon, although we are in COVID stage 4 Lock-down in Melbourne, Australia.

2. You can offer this, but when they have made the decision to end it, its over, but in ours there seems to be residue: https://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=uzSgxvvTWvA

3. For me that I prefer a partner.

4. I sense I will eventually do this again:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQl3WQQoQ0&list=PLgP_WFDJWjxRBAnIeUupZ-XHAspFBJZ0i

5. Thats what my sister is saying to me about my current situation.

6. The joy of the previous months with my friend have ruined this for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDgHBxUbVQ&list=PLgP_WFDJWjxRBAnIeUupZ-XHAspFBJZ0i&index=3

7. Not Yet, for me.

8. That is what crushes your heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds&list=

9. Peace Out.

10. I so miss this, I am getting teary typing these words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGorjBVag0I

11. It goes back to my early childhood, being cared for and abandoned by my mum in the first three months of my life.

12. I have been told by many friends I should be doung this, not talking to her. My heart does not want to hear it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBumgq5yVrA&list=PLgP_WFDJWjxRBAnIeUupZ-XHAspFBJZ0i

13. Nothing, not even that person.

14. I do this so I don’t have to feel so sad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhcc1KQlCS4&list=PLgP_WFDJWjxRBAnIeUupZ-XHAspFBJZ0i&index=9

15. This is for my friend, a woman of faith.

So when life gets stressful and you feel like you’re losing your emotional balance, use one or more of these simple tricks to help you relax your mind and recenter yourself in an instant:

1.Wash your hands and face, annd brush your teeth.

2. Change your socks

3. Call a close friend.

4. Stretch.

5. Go outdoors

6. Take a light exercise break.

7. Dress to feel your best.

8.Listen to your favourite music.

9. Take a few deep,, controlled breaths.

10. Clear your stuffed nose.

11. Cook a good meal.

12. Walk away from energy vampires.

13. Complete an important piece of unfinished business.

14. Work in something that is meaningful for you.

15. Assist someone in need.

16. Think about your latest or (greatest success).

17. Act like today is already an awesome day

18. Notice what’s right.

Take a moment to acknowledge how far you’ve come.

Today’s playlist is dripping with Pop divas: We begin with Beyonce followed by Adele, Ed Sheeran and Christine Aguilera. We travel back in time for Leonard Cohen classic and end with Passenger and Andra: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJlQ3F9bKYrsGy-xwtyPoagX95P3KDfEs

Still haven’t worked out the links issue, My mission is not to be alone, it is to have 1,000,000 state they will live from the ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included, you can join our tribe here; https://www.facebook.com/groups/1126100227764949. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

What the Fuck is Intimacy, anyway?

Posted on August 10, 2020 by Rod's World

I spent the day with the remarkable woman who has come into my life. In new relationships often the sexual side of it is what is most relevant, as the lust factor is high. The question I asked her before I went there last night was would she read me the bible, as she is a woman of faith. She agreed, and it didn’t happen as many other wonderful things did.

What is intimacy, anyway? Here is a shot at four different types:

Experiential Intimacy: When people bond during leisure activities. People may “sync up” their actions in teamwork or find themselves acting in unison.
- Example: A father and son work together to build a model train, developing a rhythm to their teamwork.
Emotional Intimacy: When people feel safe sharing their feelings with each other, even uncomfortable ones.
- Example: A woman confides in her sister about her body image issues. She trusts her sibling to offer comfort rather than using her insecurities against her.
Intellectual Intimacy: When people feel comfortable sharing ideas and opinions, even when they disagree.
- Example: Two friends debate the meaning of life. They enjoy hearing each other’s opinions and don’t feel the need to “win” the argument.
Sexual Intimacy: When people engage in sensual or sexual activities. When people use the word “intimacy,” they are often referring to this type.
- Example: Two lovers engage in foreplay, knowing how each other prefers to be touched.

So can you guess what we did? We did the dishes, set up a piece of furniture, discussed how we were feeling and why was, mainly me resisting being present to it, massaged each other, cleaned the stovetop and went for an hours walk. It was serene and magnificent in its intimacy.

How does the world relate to intimacy, lets walk down that road together:

1. I met you six years ago. It was definitely worth the wait.

2. When I reach this plateau, my body tingles all over: Soul Kind of Feeling.

3. A writer of words, a poetic soul, an emotive expressionist, Ranata Suzuki is a poet and quote writer whose eloquent words form with painful clarity the sad yet beautiful world of the broken heart. An anonymous writer based in Sydney, Australia, Ranata is known only by her avatar of a bird carrying a book.

4. How does the end of someone’s hair, become erotic. It’s easy in the land of intimacy: What Am I?

5. I confess I have made those 3am texts.

6. Especially now in lockdown in Melbourne, Australia we have to wear a mask when we leave the house: Bette Davis Eyes.

7. When you get into this kind of intimacy sex feels redundant at times.

8. Be weird with me, baby: Love is a Battlefield.

9. We did this for part of our walk today.

10. At times, I caught myself falling into hers when she looked back at me: Soul Man.

11. And then there is the ultimate love, love of self.

12. I am actually feeling the I Love You’ in my heart, Yum: I Love You.

13. And it takes work to achieve this state, AS Katie Byron says, time to do Te Work.

14. Snap: Hurt.

15. I took trust out of the picture, she told me to fuck off until I had got the cost of this in our relationship, lucky for me she has an awesome heart.

So I am on a journey of intimacy, perhaps for the first time truly in my 66-year-old life, it feels magnificent.

Today’s playlist begins with an Australian classic from the Dynamic Hepnotics, followed by Edie Bricknell and the New Bohemians. Two classic female rockers from last century are next, Kim Carnes and Pat Benetar. Sam and Dave then lay some funky R and B on us. We move back into the present with Billy Ellish and complete with the Man in Black, Johny Cash: What the Fuck is Intimacy, Anyway?

So the purpose of my ethos for the world: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included is to have more intimacy available in the world. Until we meet again my dear friends.

Is it for Life?

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Rod's World

The joy of a new relationship!!! At the tender age of 65 one has entered my life. This one is special, sacred, even. Based on the premises of interpersonal therapy, it is about discovering your deeply held feelings, not the shallow on top immediate throwaway lines our identity serves up to protect us from really looking at what is going on for one.

I am naff at being with my anger with others, especially when I am angry with my new partner, I throw up frustration and sadness as my defences, seemingly unwilling to walk the depths of my anger, which makes her angrier with my seeming ineptness to journey in that particular area. We speak for hours at a time each day and go from deep love to telling each other to fuck off and never to speak to each other again. It is a mighty journey and warms my heart to the depth of my soul.

So why are I and so many people on the planet afraid of expressing their anger, which I am discovering more and more is healthy for one? What has the human race said about expressing anger over the years, here are a few of my favourite things:

1. The simplicity of saying I feel angry and sitting with it and not making it go away instantly is a skill I am getting better at day by day.

2. His holiness, a man who is depicted as never getting angry, has these wise words on the subject: His Holiness on Anger.

3. And that patience is willing to stand in the anger and resolve what is causing it.

4. Pushed down, this is what anger can cause in your body: Lose Yourself.

5. Anger is where all the things hangout.

6. Interpersonal Therapy is not easy but practised well, it is transformational: Dark Horse.

7. As necessary as eating breakfast.

8. And withholding and not growing in each moment, each interaction is not: Rolling In The Deep.

9. Mine surfaces as pain and a headache across the front of my head.

10. Amy is very skilled at this: Man Down.

11. This is one of my faults in being with anger, I am cruel to myself a lot.

12. And one way of doing this that. is very powerful is to sit inside the anger: Not Afraid.

13. The power of working through feelings so there is growth from an interaction is extraordinary.

14. And from the founder of Buddhism, comes this pearl: I’m Ready.

15. And for our final lesson, we return to the Buddha again with a different but similar message.

Is it worth facing my anger to grow into the space that I feel is available in this relationship? I have never been more certain of something in my life. Will there be pain, yes. Will, there be joy at the breakthroughs, yes, and will there be suppressed anger rising to the surface, fuck yes.

The playlist begins with His Holiness, followed by Eminem. Three pop divas follow: Katie Perry, Adele and Rhianna. Back to Eminem and we finish the set with Sam Smith: Is it for Life?

We discussed what our passions were yesterday. What clearly came to the surface was that I am never going to fulfil my dreams of having the ethos: Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included whilst I am suppressing my anger in the world. Until we met again my dear friends.

Are you Enough?

Posted on June 21, 2020 by Rod's World

How often have you asked yourself this question? They say that you make your prime decision about your life by the age of seven years old, then spend the rest of your life surviving it via therapy or being in the winner’s circle.

Over to my friend Marc Chernoff to provide a list that will support us in this area. It is called 12 choices your future self will thank you for:

When life pushes you over, stand up and push back even harder, when there is a fork in the road and choices to make, make the ones your future self will thank you for:

1. Choosing you – The most exhausting activity is pretending to be who you know you aren’t.

2. Appreciating what you have – Sometimes, when you make the most out of what you have, it turns out to be a lot more than you ever imagined.

3. Believing in yourself and your dreams – Believe in you. Listen to your soul.

4, Being positive – You can’t live a positive life with a negative attitude.

5. Taking action – The happiest and most successful people are usually those who have broken the chains of procrastination.

6. Letting Go – The biggest step in changing the world around you is to change the world within you.

7. Picking yourself back up – Sometimes when things go wrong it’s because they would have turned out worse if they had gone right.

8. Ignoring negative people – You are not a rug; some people may try to walk all over you, but you don’t have to lie there and take it.

9. Staying in touch with close friends and family – There comes a time in life you’ll have to leave everything behind for a while and start something new, but never forget the people who stood by your side.

10. Making time for fun – Fun is way underrated.

11. Spreading Love and Kindness – The happiness surrounding you is greatly affected by the choices you make every day.

12. Being the change you want to see in the world – Don’t tell others how to live; live and let them watch you.

So what has the human race said about being enough, let’s have a look

1. Three powerful statements on self love there.

2. Love the last line: Never Stop.

3. Time to break down the walls.

4. And to stop pretending: Worth It.

5. Read the handwriting.

6. Having these in your heart definitely brings out the strength in you: You Say.

7. What a great name: Badass Warrior Queen.

8. I love memes with hearts in them: Fight Song.

9. Some powerful I statements here.

10. Some great words from our curly-haired genius: Somewhere over the Rainbow.

11. What are your personal avatars?

12. All hail Brene: Love Myself.

13. That why all the good books say self-love first and foremost.

14. These boots are made for walking: Boots.

15. And the last offering comes from the cardigan-wearing one, Eckhart Tolle reminding us of the treasure we all have within:

So choose to spread love to one person a day, beginning with yourself would be a grand idea. Imagine the amount of happiness you can spread in a lifetime, day by day.

Today on the playlist we have an all-women lineup. We have something for the young and not so young. Two bands unknown to me start us off. The Brand New Heavies and Fifth Harmony, both have millions of followers. Lauren Daigle and Rachel Platten belt out a couple of anthems next. Then back in time to Judy Garland, the penultimate number is from Hailee Steinfeld and we finish with Nancy Sinatra: Are You Enough?

This actually is take two of this blog, I got one quote from the end and poof, it disappeared. But I had to mention my ethos, Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included and my ever-growing Facebook group calledInterculturalism. We would love you to join us to spread love and respect around the planet.

Until we meet again, my dear friends.

Springtime for Hitler and Germany!!!

Posted on February 3, 2020 by Rod's World

Why am I using a line from Zero Mostel’s iconic film the Producers as the title of my latest blog? I went to this inspirational event called Get Mic’d yesterday at which there was an opportunity for ten, which became 11 people because the presenter pulled out two names, not one for the final person to do a three-minute presentation and one of them tied the Fuhrer into their presentation on his love life. I cannot reveal any more due to privacy guidelines but it was epic.

What is speaking your truth? What do you have to give up to be able to do it? If you want to fly and move on to better things, you have yo give up the things that weigh you down – which is not always as obvious and easy as it sounds. My friend Marc Chernoff, author of 1,000+ little things Happy Successful People do differently makes this offering towards achieving the ability to do so:

1. Letting the opinions of others control your life – They know your name, not your story.

2. The shame of past failures – You will fail sometimes, and that’s okay.

3. Being indecisive about what you want – You will never leave where you are until you decide where you would rather be.

4. Procrastinating on the goals that matter to you – There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.

5. Choosing to do nothing – You don’t choose how you are going to die, or when.

6. Your need to be right – If you keep on saying you’re right, even if you are right now, eventually you will be wrong.

7. Running from problems that should be fixed – We make life harder than it has to be.

8. Making excuses rather than decisions – Life is a continuous exercise in creative problem-solving.

9. Overlooking the positive points in your life – What you see often depends on what you are looking for.

10. Not appreciating the present moment – We do not remember days, we remember moments.

So what has society made of speaking your truth over time, let’s have a look:

1. We begin with one of the most recognised purveyors of the art alive on the planet today, Oprah Winfrey.

2. You know its close to your truth when you can make the energy in the room shift: You’re the Voice.

3. Self Love 101.

4. When you speak the truth some won’t like it: They Don’t Like Me.

5. Boom!!!

6. Liar, Liar, pants on fire: Beautiful Liar.

7. It is your life and your truth you have to live day to day.

8. Time for the title song: Springtime for Hitler and Germany.

9. With this attitude, he freed a country from servitude.

10. No void here: Not Afraid.

11. From the creator of two of the most well-known books ever, 1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell calls out what speaking your truth really is.

12. Yes, you, the beautiful unique human being you really are: Human.

13. Naomi Wolf is a feminist author and journalist. Her career in journalism began in 1995 and has included topics such as abortion, the Occupy Wall Street movement, Edward Snowden and ISIS. She has written for media outlets such as The Nation, The New Republic, The Guardian and The Huffington Post.

14. From the 18th Century comes insight into how difficult it is to speak your truth in today’s society given the instant gratification society we exist in today: It Wasn’t Easy to Be Happy For You.

15. And from the worlds most famous philosopher, Ms Unknown comes to our final lesson and the reason you should always speak your truth.

Live authentically and cherish each precious moment of your journey, Because when you finally arrive at your desired destination, I guarantee you, another journey will begin. At least that is what I have found on my journey of spreading my ethos, Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included across the planet.

The playlist today has some of the biggies in it. In Australia, there is no one bigger than John Farnham. My unknown artist for this list is Cryptic Wisdom. Then possibly the two biggest pop diva’s combine, Beyonce and Shakira. The title song is next, Then across to America for our final songs from Eminem, Rag “N Bone Man and the Lumineers: Springtime for Hitler and Germany

Remember you can sign up to receive these blogs on my home page: until we meet again, my dear friends.

First You Dream, Then You Do!!!

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Rod's World

Had a busy weekend, attended a potluck 40th Friday evening, a commitment ceremony Saturday, and a Warrior of Love training day Sunday. This gave me a lot to choose from to write about. I have chosen to write about the growth conversation I had with a vital young thing at the potluck. She seemed to just be reaching out to begin her growth adventure but was not sure what direction to take. I gave her some of my worldly advice and left her with that. I suggested that life was about taking chances and seeing what worked out for her.

My friend Marc says the following: 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.

Here are his 12 things to start caring about on your journey:

Start caring about your own happiness – It’s important to make people happy, but you have to start with yourself.
Start caring about your goals and dreams – If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders.
Start caring about how you invest your time every day – There might not be a tomorrow, not for everyone.
Start caring about how you think and what you think about – In your quiet moments, what do you think about?
Start caring about how you treat yourself – Your relationship with yourself is the closest and most important relationship you will ever have.
Start caring about how you treat others – Live so that when the people around you think of fairness, caring and integrity, they think of you.
Start caring about how others treat you – Choose your relationships wisely.
Start caring about your health – Exercise to be fit, not skinny.
Start caring about your education and personal growth – Achieving higher consciousness comes from your commitment to personal growth.
Start caring about doing the best YOU can – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.
Start caring about all the wonderful things you have right now – Learn to appreciate the things you have before time forces you to appreciate the things you once had.
Start caring about this moment we call ‘life’ – This moment is your life, don’t miss it.

So what have people said about their growth paths over the centuries, lets have a look:

1. This is when fear is a positive in your life.

2. Boats are not built to stay in safe harbours, neither are you: Around The World.

3. Audrey was much more than just a great actress, In December 1992, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

4. Best known for his hierarchy of needs, Abraham Maslow calls out for us to choose growth and overcoming fear by moving forward again and again: Ours.

5. The knot explains a lot.

6. Will people come on aboard your form of contagious?: Fight Song.

7. We go back to the 18th Century for this powerful insight from the third POTUS.

8. How is your journey unfolding, don’t give your dreams up: Don’t Stop Believing.

9. A great word that hangs out with I’m Possible.

10. There are several quotes that say this, Boom!: To Live And Die In LA.

11. Its an inner and outer journey.

12. You can’t stay there anymore: Time to Grow.

13. Breathwork is very supportive on the journey I have found.

14. Our second POTUS for today’s blog: Happy Birthday, Mr President.

15. And for our final lesson, we hear from one of the world’s most powerful women . Ginni Rometty’s tenure as IBM’s CEO has been marked by noteworthy awards, including by Bloomberg’s 50 Most Influential People in the World, Fortune’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business”, Time‘s 20 Most Important People in Tech and Forbes’ America’s Top 50 Women In Tech.

Unfortunately, sometimes, just before you take your first step on the journey to pursue your dreams, people around you, even the ones who deeply care for you, will give you awful advice. It’s not because they have evil intentions. It’s because they don’t understand the big picture – what your dreams, passions and life goals mean to you. They don’t understand that, to you, the reward is worth the risk. Enjoy the Journey.

So as Steve Jobs said ” Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living within the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Today’s playlist features rock bands, pop divas and rap stars. We begin with The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, then Taylor Swift and her fellow pop diva Rachel Platten. Journey next then over to rap land with Tupac and Lemar. We finish with Marilyn Monroe: First You Dream, Then You Do.

I was checking my stats recently, I spread my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included across 128 countries last year. I’m on a strong growth pattern to having it being the world paradigm. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included!!!

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Rod's World

Today I write about my Why: it’s expressed in the title of this blog. I write all of these blogs at the Darebin Intercultural Centre in Preston Australia a placed that healed me after six years of a mental health crisis that included six psych unit hospitalisations totalling a period of six and a half months, my advice, never let this happen to you.

In our brochure our ethos is explained, it is as follows “Where difference is acknowledged, explored, understood and celebrated. Darebin Intercultural Centre aims to foster respectful and constructive interracial, intercultural and interfaith relations between and amongst people who live, work or play in Darebin. The Centre is a dedicated space for Intercultural development, dialogue, engagement, participation and celebration.”

How did I end up here? After working for Centrelink, a government agency who deals with the unemployed, the disabled and the elderly, read the people who others want to forget exist for 14 years I ended up being dismissed never to work again after being Manager of the most chaotic Newstart section in Melbourne ending my career doing filing because I did not listen to what my heart and body were saying to me, which was, Get the Fuck out.

I spent about two years lying around my flat believing what they had said when I saw an ad in the local newspaper: Free Colombian film night. I was drawn to this as South America is one place that is on my bucket list. I fought against my social anxiety and went to the Darebin Intercultural Centre for the film.

When I arrived there was an incredibly diverse crowd of cultures just hanging out together being friends. It spoke to my heart and to this day I do not know what gave me the courage to ask the manager Inaam did they need any volunteers. I do not know why she replied yes, as they had never had any before.

Over the following five years I have done many things and at the moment being an English tutor three days a week, my dear old dad, if he was alive would be very proud because he always wanted me to follow in his footsteps as a teacher up until the day I was expelled at the end of Year 11 for non attendance as I hated the formal school system.

I feel that my friend Marc Chernoff’s list called 10 Actions That Always Bring Happiness speaks to my joy of being involved with the Centre:

1. Appreciate how much you have.

2. Focus on things that really matter.

3. Define your own meaning in life, and pursue it.

4. Embrace life’s challenges.

5. Find the balance that allows you to be who you truly are.

6. Love your body enough to take care of it.

7. Limit your time with negative people.

8. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

9. Set a good example.

10. Accept what is, and live for the possibilities that lie ahead.

I chose to learn about new cultures as the way of empowering my intercultural journey, but what does the planet say about it:

1. No words really needed.

2. Travel is a great way to discover new cultures. Be careful you may fall in love with one, and never leave: Greece – The Best Love Song.

3. You have to open your eyes to let love in.

4. Live your life to the full, A Ho: Loving Life.

5. In December there is something to celebrate every day, not just Christmas. My favourite is December 30th: National Bicarbonate of Soda Day.

6. This is why I love our Centre, I am always learning new ways of these things being expressed: Where Is The Love.

7. Vironika Tugaleva is an award-winning author, poet, spoken word artist, life coach, wanderer, visual artist, vocalist, and seeker of beauty in all its forms.

8. I don’t always agree with Ayn Rand but this hits home: Life is Worth Living.

9. Exercise your compassion for others and their diverse cultures and build up your wing strength.

10. Strange a right-wing conservative came up with this: I was Here.

11. From the most famous of philosophers, Ms Unknown comes this power quote on the beauty of Interculturalism.

12. Abdel-Fattah studied a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law at the University of Melbourne. During this time, she was the Media Liaison Officer at the Islamic Council of Victoria, a role that afforded her the opportunity to write for newspapers and engage with media institutions about their representation of Muslims and Islam. She completed her PhD on Islamaphobia. Abdel-Fattah was a passionate human rights advocate and stood in the 1998 federal election as a member of the Unity Party (slogan: Say No to Pauline Hanson). I Don’t Like It.

13. Spiritualism explained really well.

14. From the man who refused to cut the Arts budget to fund a war, here is another on the importance of art and culture: Beasts of No Nation.

15, For our final lesson, what are we up to with our addiction to learning from Social media and not libraries.

If you want to empower others in your life. you need to start living the most empowered version of your self first, that is why finding your why in life is so important. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream, I’m 65. Believe in what you want so much that it has no choice but to become your reality. And don’t ever compare yourself to anyone else; stay focused on your own journey and leave footprints behind. My blog has left footprints in 104 countries across the planet, I find this amazing.

I have fulfilled a dream today in the playlist, I got to include a Fela Kuti song. We begin with a love song to Greece, Our unknown artist at 57,000 likes is a fine voice from Lysa. The Black Eyed Peas do that song next. Back to modern times with Justin Bieber and Beyonce. Some Aussie edification with the satiricalness of Pauline Pantsdown and we complete with my dream track from Fela Kuti: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included.

So this is the joyfulness and one of the loves of my life, The Darebin Intercultural Centre where I was gifted my Why one afternoon sitting at my desk: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. Until next time we meet, my dear friends.

God Gave You a Gift of $6400 Seconds Today!!!

Posted on November 29, 2019 by Rod's World

I went to a Campfire Stories by the African Community of Darebin at the Preston Library last night. Inevitably someone asked the big R question, what about racism. Both panellists say, yes it did exist, but it was worthwhile putting up with as the gratitude they had for our country in basically saving their lives made it inconsequential. That’s what I have chosen to write about today, Gratitude.

My friends Debbie and Shanti set up a Facebook group a few years ago called Daily Gratitude Space, it has grown to close to 1,500 members. As the name suggests, it is a space where you can express what you are grateful for on a daily basis. You don’t have to do it every day, just when it supports you to do it. Join Us.

I have used it in moments of both despair and joy, but I know every time I do it I feel closer to my soul.

So what does our human race, with all of its foibles, have to say about gratitude? Here are a few of my favourite things:

1. “Zig” Ziglar was born in Coffee County in southeastern Alabama, to John Silas Ziglar and Lila Wescott Ziglar. He was the tenth of 12 children. He went on to become one of the world’s most prominent motivational speakers.

2. What acts of gratitude have you done today: Love Is Action.

3. A wonderful insight from one of my Sheroes, Alice Walker.

4. I have been guilty of this many a time, getting better at it: Kind and Generous.

5. Back to the 18th Century, when quotes did not include women for this fine practice.

6. This quote could be directly from God: Hero.

7. Aesop c. 620 – 564 BCE) was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop’s Fables. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Many of the tales are characterized by animals and inanimate objects that speak, solve problems and generally have human characteristics.

8. I love the heart space: There is so Much Magnificence.

9. I love the name of the creator of this, Live purposefully now.

10. The first half marathon I ran in my long distant marathoning career was organised by the Shri Chinmoy organisation, they fully believe in health: I’ll Never Find Another You.

11. It’s the Black Friday Sale today, your job is to buy nothing, just appreciate what you already have.

12. Gratitude, the new vision board: High Hopes.

13. A quiet Joy, Yummy!!!

14. How else could you, really: I Want It All.

15. For our final lesson, the expression Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs came up, google it.

Gratitude versus judgement, choose!!!

Today’s playlist is tres positive, as you would expect. A new to me Tauren Wells leads off, Two fine songstresses follow in the form of Natalie Merchant and Mariah Carey. Deva and Miten deliver a lengthy version of one of their classics which will have you singing along by the end. The Australian section of the list is from The Seekers. Something more modern with Panic at the Disco before we finish with Queen, I recently read Freddie died 29 years ago, OMG: God Gave You a Gift of $6400 Seconds Today!!!

My ethos for the world of Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included counts on more and more gratitude happening across the planet. Remember you can get the blog in your inbox by signing up on the right-hand side of the main page, until we meet again, my dear friends.

Stand Up Straight and Realise Who You Are!!!

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Rod's World

The title of this blog is part of a Maya Angelo quote, the final line is that you tower over your circumstances. Do you let adversities stop you in life? Here are some questions to make you think about it:

1. What stands between you and happiness.

2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go?

3. Decisions are being made right now. The question is, are you Making them yourself or are you letting others make them for you?

4. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?

5. What is the biggest challenge you face now?

6. If the average life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

7. What’s something that happened to you that made you stronger?

8. What is worth the pain?

9. Are you aware someone has it worse than you?

10. What’s missing in your life?

One of my adversities is my families pre-edification to suffer from gout. I have not had it for one and a half years and I was asked about it by my naturopath two days ago, and yesterday I woke up with it. Ouch, this lies in the do not push your luck arena.

So what does life say about adversity, here are a few quotes that express it rather well:

1. With her two most prominent roles challenging gender stereotypes and norms, The New York Times said Mary Tyler Moore’s “performances on [The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show] helped define a new vision of American womanhood.” The Guardian said “her outwardly bubbly personality and trademark broad, toothy smile disguised an inner fragility that appealed to an audience facing the new trials of modern-day existence.

2. Best known to the general public for his mass-energy equivalence formula E = Mc squared, which has been dubbed “the world’s most famous equation, from the misogynistic earlier part of the Twentieth century, I’m sure this relates to men and women: We R Who We R.

3. All butterflies have “complete metamorphosis.” To grow into an adult they go through 4 stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Each stage has a different goal – for instance, caterpillars need to eat a lot, and adults need to reproduce.

4. I suggest looking at the different styles of the last two POTUS’s to understand this quote: Don’t Give Up.

5. Barbara De Angelis is an American relationship consultant, lecturer and author, TV personality, relationship, personal growth adviser and spiritual teacher. Her infomercial “Making Love Work” won an award as Best Infomercial of 1994.

6. What can you do now you couldn’t last year? That’s called overcoming adversity: Look What You Made Me Do.

7. From the man who went through his and freed a country.

8. Simply for the Image: Sing For The Moment.

9. Turn around, overcoming adversity happens the other way.

10. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee: Black Superman.

11. One of the ways to overcome adversity quickly is to learn the art of acceptance.

12. Marty Rubin, a South Florida gay activist, author and journalist, Mr. Rubin died after a struggle with AIDS. He was 64: Live It Up.

13. Six powerful words.

14. I love the zen of Japanese philosophy: Walking on the Moon.

15. For your final lesson, remember flowers grow between cracks in the footpath.

So, a few words on adversity to finish; You never know how really strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Today’s playlist contains some Sesame Street, a daggy song, an Aussie classic and two pop divas, surprise, surprise. We begin with Kesha, then Bruno Mars. Pop diva Taylor Swift follows, Eminem raps a tune out next. The ode to the Black Superman by Johny Wakelin brings the seriousness down a bit. Back to Australia for Mental as Anything and we complete with British supergroup The Police: Stand Up Straight and Realise Who You Are!!!

So when adversity arises in my life, I return to my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included and get back on track. P.S. I found some joint cream I brought several years ago, It works. Until we meet again my dear friends.

No, I don’t think I will kiss You!!!

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Rod's World

Today I am going to write about friendship, in particular, a friendship I have formed with two of my English student, Jule and Xue Li. They are both Chinese mothers who are in Australia supporting their children through their education.

I must admit I did not have any Chinese friends before meeting these two wonderful women and really knew very little about everyday Chinese culture, perhaps the Great Wall of China was visible from space and that there are 2 billion Chinese and that is a lot of people.

Since then I have learnt of their deep respect for educators, that they do not have snags at Chinese BBQ’s and they include you in their circle of friends. Here is a photo that was taken on Monday at the National Gallery of Victoria on an excursion to a Japanese fashion exhibition they organised instead of having English lessons:

They make me smile with their antics, they met each other at English classes, are from totally different areas of China and have different cultural backgrounds. Here is a quite long list my friend Marc Chernoff wrote about how to make people smile, several of them relate to how Julie and Xue Li make me smile:

1. Smile Often.

2. Hold a door open for someone,

3. Pay for the person in line behind you.

4. Send a hand-written thank you card to someone who assisted you with something.

5. Clean out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need.

6. Give a compliment about a waiter, waitress, sales clerk, etc. to his or her manager.

7. Compliment a stranger’s appearance. Flatter them.

8. Leave encouraging post-it notes in library books and other random places.

9. Help an elderly person carry something.

10. Send flowers to someone anonymously.

11. Be a courteous driver. Let people merge in front of you.

12. Volunteer at a children’s hospital or nursing home.

13. Donate blood.

14. Buy house warming gifts for new neighbours.

15. Introduce yourself. Make new colleagues, classmates, etc. feel welcome.

16. Inspire others online.

17. Send letters of appreciation to business owners/managers and other people who support you.

18. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you’d give to your grandfather.

19. Give everyone the same level of patience you’d have with your baby sister.

20. Appreciate people the way they are.

21. Share your lunch or a snack with someone who doesn’t have one.

22. Put some change in an expired parking meter.

23. Check up on someone who looks lonely.

24. Tell your boss, teacher or professor that he or she is doing a great job and that you appreciate what they’ve taught you.

25. Create places and things for others to enjoy. Like decorating your house for the holidays or creating a piece of art.

26. If you overhear that it’s someone’s birthday, go out of your way to wish them a happy one.

27. Ask someone for their opinion or advice.

28. Bring cookies or bagels to work for everyone.

29. Tip waiters and waitresses well when they deserve it.

30. Be a part of something you believe in. Those around you will notice your enthusiasm.

31. Leave a thank-you note for the office janitors.

32. Help bag your own groceries at the checkout counter.

33. Offer your seat to someone when there aren’t any left.

34. Let someone with only a few items cut you in line at the grocery store.

35. Wave to a kid in the car next to you.

36. Spread the good news.

37. Repeat something nice you heard about someone else.

38. Remember people’s names and address them accordingly.

39. When you make eye contact with someone, smile.

40. Replace what you’ve used. For example, fill up the copier or printer with paper after you’re done using it.

41. Share your umbrella on a rainy day.

42. Listen intently to people’s stories without trying to fix everything.

43. Dance with someone who hasn’t been asked.

44. Call a stranger’s attention to a beautiful sunset or full moon.

45. Give words of encouragement toward someone’s dream, no matter how big or small it is.

46. Ask someone who enjoys cooking for a recipe.

47. Let someone else eat the last slice of pizza or cake.

48. Stop and buy a drink from a kid’s lemonade stand.

49. Help someone get your parking space in a crowded parking lot when you’re leaving.

50. Ask someone you see every now and then if they’ve lost weight.

51. Do a little something extra to make someone else’s life easier.

52. Use all the manners you learned in Kindergarten.

53. Listen to someone’s pain and help them find a path through it.

54. Give without expecting to get back.

55. Encourage others to do one unanticipated kind or helpful act at least once a week.

56. Observe everyone without judging.

57. Say “Please” and “Thank you.”

58. Forgive and let go of anger. For instance, if somebody accidentally cuts you off in traffic, just let it go.

59. Believe in yourself with all of your heart. People will notice.

60. Don’t be so serious all the time.

61. Treat every small interaction with another person as an opportunity to make a positive impact in both your lives.

62. Greed, anger and ignorance. Avoid all three.

63. Speak your truth.

64. Teach others how to make a difference by setting an example.

65. Help others be independent.

66. Give people the space they need.

67. Lend your shoulder to cry on.

68. Offer encouragement after a failure.

69. Acknowledge people for a job well done.

70. Tell a good joke.

71. Clean up after yourself.

72. Excel at what you do. People appreciate professionals.

73. Create a care package and send it to an active duty military unit.

74. Redirect gifts. Instead of having people give you birthday and holiday gifts, ask them to donate gifts or money to a good cause.

75. Stop to help. The next time you see someone pulled over with a flat tire, or in need of assistance, stop and ask how you can help

76.Put a small personal touch on everything you do. People notice and appreciate individuality.

77. Take the time to teach someone a skill you know.

78. Help someone get active. There’s a coworker or acquaintance in your life who wants to get healthy but needs a helping hand. Offer to go walking or running together, to join a gym together.

79. Send a nice email to a tech support representative who has assisted you.

80. Donate food to a charity.

81. Stand up for someone. Lend your voice. Often the powerless, the homeless, the neglected in our world need someone to speak up for them.

82. If you see a couple taking a self-pic, offer to take the picture for them.

83. Help the weary shopper in front of you who needs those extra two or three cents to avoid breaking a 20-dollar bill.

84. Come to the rescue. If you realize someone is sick, bring them some hot tea, etc.

85. Stand up for your beliefs without flaunting them.

86. Make yourself available and approachable.

87. Over-deliver on all of your promises and obligations.

88. Be positive and focus on what’s right.

88 Luft ballons of how to make people smile later we move on, what does the world say about the value of friendships, here are a few of my favourites:

1. The power of we, it can make you well.

2. They are your personal Santa’s little helper: That’s What Friends Are For.

3. I so love that silence, it is special.

4. We are all along for the ride, where the hell are we going: No Idea.

5. Thank them for letting you practice being in the world.

6. Become the disturbance in their life that has them known they are loved: Greatest Love of All.

7. Heartspace, Soul Love.

8. One of the main benefits of having healthy friendships: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.

9. Because I loved the image.

10. The Bard chimes in with this classic: Grown Woman.

11. Cripps or Bloods, Choose.

12. Kids movies have certainly offered up some of the worlds greatest quotes: Always look on the Bright Side of Life.

13. We don’t have to always feel our best to make life long friends.

14, Miraculous, really: Promised You a Miracle.

15. Angelo Lagusa is the main protagonist of the game 91 Days. He is an orphan who lost his parents and brother to the Vanetti Family, having witnessed them being gunned down on his birthday.

So a final word on how to generate meaningful friendships: Above all, live proudly. Inspire people with who you are and how you live your life.

The playlist begins today with a famous crew: Whitney, Luther, Dionne and Stevie. Don Tolver is new to me. Whitney Houston again. then some great pop from Wham. My pop diva fetish is fulfilled with Beyonce. Eric Idle is silly next and we finish with some live Simple Minds: No, I Don’t Think I’ll Kiss You!!!

Friendships, some last less than a month, others are from your childhood. However long, I firmly believe they are what will make my ethos for the planet, Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included become reality. Until we meet again, my dear friends.