Never Accept The Definition of Life From Others!!!

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Rod's World

I am going through a 21-day process called Integrity and the Power of Habit via the Warriors of Love year-long training program I am in. Each week has a list of core principles, for week one they are as follows in the area of Integrity :

Live from Embodies Essence.
The Power of Declaration from Essence.
Integrity – Do what you say you will do.
With Integrity Comes Power.
Write It Down – Put it in time.
When Integrity falls out, we create distance.

For each of us, these principles will bring up different shadows where we could improve said integrity. I immediately noticed for me it was how I spend my mornings. I have watched ABC News Breakfast for at least an hour for the past five years. My friend Brian Johnson from Optimize, the best ten dollars you can spend on the internet: The link to Brian’s World. states that we are at our most refreshed first thing in the mornings . after we have rested our body.

So the TV is now turned off and I go for a half-hour walk wearing my absolutely fantastic Beats Bluetooth headphones listening to my morning meditation.

What do others say about the morning and how empowering it is when used to its full benefits, let’s have a look.

1. My Tibetan Buddhist school referred to him as Shakyamuni Buddha. This is about living in the present.

2. One is not the loneliest number sometimes: One.

3. A bit out of integrity with the spelling but a great message.

4. My life ethos is Love and Respect for all, Everyone Included so I cannot agree with this: One Love.

5. Celebrations, Challenges and Commitments are what we look at in the group.

6. Word Magic: Try.

7. And hopefully we all have one of these, and if we don’t, they are out there, you just have not found each other yet.

8. Refer to the Blog title…: Born This Way.

9. Is this a tautology, even if it’s not, it’s clever.

10. From the worlds most popular philosopher, Ms Unknown, the reason why early to bed, early to rise is such a great idea: Live It Up.

11. From the early and mid-1800s, Ralph speaks of the benefits the mornings offer.

12. Life is a Blessing, a powerful mantra to live life by: Blessed We Are.

13. And is all across the planet.

14. Cute cat photo of the blog: Moving On Up.

15. And for our final lesson, there are 7 billion different ways to relate to these principles.

Today’s list from Marc and Angel Chernoff is entitled: 10 WAYS Successful people START Their Mornings:

Get an Early Start.
Clarify and Review Your Priorities.
Prune any nonessential commitments for the day.
Exercise.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast.
Kiss your partner good-bye.
Practice 15 minutes of positive visualisation.
Eat That Frog.
Connect with the Right People.
Stay Informed.

Today’s playlist educated me, I did not know that one of Australia’s musical icons went as far back as the sixties, but there you go. We begin with John Farnham and Bob Marley from the last century. Pink and Lady Gaga returns us to this one. Another Australian number one from Mental As Anything. Then a fantastic singalong from Peia, and we complete with some R and B from M People: Never Accept The Definition of Life From Others!!!

So here is to walking to my nearby lake in Rezza, aka Reservoir each morning. Showing myself Love and Respect For All, Everybody Included. Remember if you enjoy the subject matter of my blog, sign up on the right-hand side on the homepage. Until next time we meet, my dear friends.

There Is No House Like The House Of Belonging!!!

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Rod's World

We had a training day for my Warriors of Love yeat long training program yesterday, that’s Sunday for the rest of my readers who don’t live in Australia. Embarrassingly due to lack of sleep, I fell asleep twice in the theoretical section of the day. But towards the end of the day, we did an amazing exercise on Belonging – as in what was our belief’s that had us not fully belong in a group of over 30 people and what did we think was the core belief of the group that prevented it.

There was an amazing range of reasons offered, some people spoke easily, others did not comment at all. For myself, my bugbear “If they truly knew how unlovable I was they would hate me” was my offering. Others covered I am afraid to shine because I will be cut off at the knees too, I can’t bring all part of my life here. They were as many and varied and unique as the diverse individuals in the group.

When we moved on to the group ethos it tied into fear of what would our lives be like if we actually achieved this. The thought crossed my mind that my worrisome and sometimes anxious identity would have to die. So what has the world said about belonging, what stops or creates a sense of community, let’s have a look:

1. Who else could we start this with but a classic Brene Brown quote?

2. As children, we will try anything because everything is a new experience, and we belong to them all: Adventure of a Lifetime.

3. British film director Anthony Minghella powerfully states the control these thoughts have over us.

4. I totally get where actor James Caan is coming with this statement: Hey Ho.

5. Not just students: children, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, girlfriends, boyfriends, lovers, ex-lovers, etc. etc.

6. I think William should have called them the superpowers: Superpower.

7. Wonder (curiosity), self-discovery, problem-solving, interaction, exploration, and play—that’s what Bev Bos taught me. Reading and writing come after these approaches to learning are established. Children learn best when they can make their own choices and set their own goals.

8. The entertainment industry is featuring heavily in this blog, musician Tom Petty directs us towards our freedom spot: Freedom.

9. That’s how powerful your story is – speak kindly to yourself.

10. More Brene, Self Love 101: Love Myself.

11. And from outside Western civilization comes proof this is a worldwide search.

12. Being the daughter of famous parents may have something to do with this quote, Gail’s mother was Lena Horne: Stormy Weather.

13. Belonging has many different meanings.

14. Being the best or most extreme example of its kind. “the ultimate accolade”: Ultimate.

15. The final lesson for today is this image because I loved it so much.

I like adding one of my friends Marc and Angel Chernoff, who wrote 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently lists at the end of my blogs, I have found them extremely useful on my healing journey. Todays is entitled 10 TIMELESS lessons from a Life Well Lived:

Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.’
Be a student of Life every day.
Experience is the Best Teacher.
Your Choice, Your Actions, Your Life.
No one is “too busy.” It’s all about priorities.
Be patient and tough. Someday this pain will be useful to you.
It’s usually better to be kind than right.
You can become a magnet for good things by wishing everyone well.
Only you are in charge of your attitude.
Satisfaction is not always the fulfilment of what you want.

Today’s playlist features Rock, Rap and Pop Diva’s. We begin with the rock of Coldplay and the Lumineers. Beyonce and Hailee Steinfeld are split by a classic Woodstock anthem from Richie Havens. The penultimate song returns to the time of World War Two from Lena Horne and we finish with a grungey rap number from Denzel Curry: There Is No House Like the House of Belonging!!!

I was thinking as we were standing in the completion circle of our Belonging process that if we achieve this it would be possible for the whole planet to come from Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included, my heart shuddered. Remember if you enjoy reading my musings you can sign up to receive them on the right-hand side of my home page. Until we meet again on the airwaves, my dear friends.

If You Focus On Change, You Will Get Results!!!

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Rod's World

I chose todays subject from a list of productivity questions called Productivity questions to make you think. There are nine of them, here they are:

What could you AVOID to improve your productivity?
What is WORSE, failing or never trying?
When it’s all SAID and DONE, will you have said more than you’ve done?
If not NOW, then when?
So far, what has been the primary FOCUS of your recent life?
What do you do when you feel like giving up?
What are you one step CLOSER to today than you were yesterday?
What PEOPLE and ACTIVITIES energize you?
What are you GLAD to quit?

You could spend the next month focusing on just one of them and in the resolution of it would transform your life, the one that calls to me is number 5 – So far, what has been the primary FOCUS of your recent life? My answer would have to be resolving the issues in my life that prevent me from having a partner. A little bit of history, my last serious relationship was just over ten years ago and when it broke up in less than pleasant circumstances I unconsciously made a decision that I am not going through that again and I will be single the rest of my life.

I discovered this after quite a bit of work on myself and have decided to cancel the request. Some opportunity has shown up but I still have a ways to go. So how has the world chosen to write about the focused life, here are some good ones:

1. Netflix, Netflix, Netflix!!!

2. You just have to love a great acronym: I’m Gonna Be.

3. There will always be obstacles, that is a given. It is how you handle them that will get you the outcome.

4. I used to play golf. To be any good you need extreme focus which I didn’t have: The Greatest.

5. Refer to the title of this blog.

6. People, Debts, Actions, it seems miraculous but focusing is like that, a real cleansing balm: I’m Falling Away.

7. Even in Ancient Greek time, it was a subject discussed by the great philosophers.

8. Much too cute not to include: Rabbit Song.

9. We move on from rabbits to dogs, both quotes point to the same thing.

10. I once said in a very drunken stupor to a wise woman friend that I was looking for a girlfriend. She said the same as this using different words. Sometimes hard to do when you are alone: Can’t Fight This Feeling.

11. From the world’s most well-known philosopher Ms Anonymous comes this piece of pure wisdom.

12. And here are the gifts you receive from choosing to focus: Lose Yourself.

13. And the other great philosopher, Mr Unknown.

14. We all know the noise that this is referring to, don’t we, the noise that lives in our head: Little Talks.

15. And our final lesson for the days lies in the heavily underlined word, your wants not what others want for you.

My friend Marc Chernoff writes: It is said that highly productive people recognize that not all hours are created equal, and they strategically account for this when planning their day. For most of us, our minds operate at peak performance in the morning hours when we are well-rested. So obviously it would be foolish to use this for a trivial task like reading emails. These peak performance hours should be 100 per cent focused on the tasks that bring you closer to your goals.

Today’s Focus playlist begins with the Proclaimers with that karaoke song. Sia is next then I feature an ad from Sprite. Boy and Bear lead a trio of male voices followed by REO Speedwagon and Eminem. We finish with Of Monsters and Men: If You Focus on Change, You Will Get Results!!!

I also focus on Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. If we related to each other from this paradigm, the world would be a different place. Remember, if you wish to receive these blogs in your mail, sign up on the right-hand side of the blog. Until next time we meet, my dear friends.

Take Time To Connect To The Divine.

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Rod's World

I spent the weekend at three entirely different connections in my life. Friday night I made chai at Dancing Freedom, Saturday I crewed on a Spring Chant Meditation and Sunday I attended Sunday Assembly. Each fulfils a different part of my soul and the people come from completely different parts of society.

I believe the more parts of society I have contact with it helps me able to strengthen my resolve to see the ethos, Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included become accepted across the planet. I am working on the Act Local, Think Global principle. I live in the Darebin Council area in Melbourne, Australia where there are over 150 different cultural groups residing and volunteer at the Darebin Intercultural Centre where differences are Acknowledged, Explored, Understood and Embraced.

How has the world look at connecting in this time of world leaders talking about nationalism vs, Globalism and the difference which of these being dominant will make to human beings connecting with each other? Lets have a look over time:

1. From Hollywood, the land of fables comes this wise insight regarding human connection.

2. Jacqueline is an entrepreneur who left the banking industry to make a difference in the area of global poverty: We are all Connected.

3. In our instant gratification times, we can easily miss the message of deep connection.

4. The We are all Starseed conversation: Across The Universe.

5. It can be as simple as eyes locking across a crowded room at a party.

6. Harvey grew up openly gay at a time when very few celebrities were. So to have the above be true he must have had a strong belief in universal connection: You’ve Got A Friend.

7. Hip Hop artist Dramatik of the Wolves speaks about the mind, body and soul connection we make with certain individuals we come across in our life journey.

8. Don’t really know what Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg . is referring to here, although I know I have connected to quite a few people on a deep level across the airwaves: So Far Away.

9. I agree, if you can discuss your shadow and light with your connections, they tend to be more intimate than just making polite conversation.

10. Our roots are our common humanity: Human.

11. Connection isn’t always about spoken words, it may be a shoulder to cry on.

12. And then there is the special one: We Found Love.

13. One World.

14. John is known for his work on marital stability and relationship analysis through scientific direct observations, many of which were published in peer-reviewed literature. The lessons derived from this work represent a partial basis for the relationship counselling movement that aims to improve relationship functioning and the avoidance of those behaviours shown by Gottman and other researchers to harm human relationships: Steady Love.

15. And our final lesson is from Steve Maraboli, I spend my time on how to make all relationships like this. Imagine that world paradigm.

A short blog today, Dancing Freedom fuels my body transformation connection. Chanting my heart connection and Sunday Assembly my desire to connect to humanity through service.

Today’s playlist begins with one of the most unusual songs I have used, it is a group of scientists known as Symphony of Science. Then a cover by Rufus Wainwright followed by two songs by Carole King and James Taylor where they reverse roles. The beautiful anthem by Rag N Bone Man is next, the penultimate song is by Rihanna and we complete with the golden voice of India Arie: Take Time To Connect To The Divine.

A dear friend who passed way to early, said that Love was the Answer. I agree, the more we communicate it the closer we will get to having Love and Respect For All, Everybody Included in all our relationships. Remember, if you wish to receive a reminder about when I have done my latest blog, sign up on the right-hand side. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

In Praise of the Women and Men of DE, Sensual sisters to the Core.

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Rod's World

OK, I admit I am a DE sister in a male body, and I love the distinctions of this magnificent portal in life.

My friend and mentor Arion Light recently wrote an epic article praising it, Here is some of what he said:

For me, this is medicine our disconnected culture so desperately needs. A return to an honour of the beauty of the feminine. I feel, as do many of you I’m sure, our disconnection from our deep love within is at the heart of our insatiable need for stuff and distraction. When we truly see ‘her’ beauty all we can do is bow and give our lives to celebrate and serve her.
I really get it’s not the ‘only’ answer. Clearly, this reverence for love, women, earth and simplicity has to turn to action if we are to make the cultural shift that many of us hunger for. Yet this is a portal to initiating women, men and all beings to know this wild dark love in themselves, and that has to be a very central step to the revolution we need to survive.

There are five archetypes studied, The Erotic Mother, The Wild Women, The Slut, The Maiden and the Priestess over either an intense week or an eight-week evening format. The way you look at life and the human beings in it are transformed forever.

Given this is relatively new work, just seven years young, how did the world speak about female archetypes prior to this, lets walk down that path:

1. Sisters, do we run with the wolves?

2. Spell time methinks: For Love of Woman.

3. Could be the DE sister to-do list.

4. This work clearly heals the participant’s relationships with their ancestors: Familiar.

5. You enter many doors over the times, and you come out the other side, some easier than others.

6. Lucy rocks: Tantric Shamanic Dance Journey.

7. You get the opportunity to enquire into your relationship to the naked body if you wish.

8. Fuck Off: Closer.

9. Mrs POTUS, did she pass the test?

10. Take the risk, sisters: Last Stand.

11. Shadow and Light, they travel together and both are as necessary as each other.

12. It was some brave male sisters who kept requesting who saw this work became available for he’s as well as she’s: Good For You.

13. A drop of free water, magnificent line.

14. And from the lesser-known member of the Gates partnership, comes this powerful quote: Touch.

15. And our final lesson comes from Lord of The Rings. Haldir was an Elf of Lothlórien, probably a Silvan Elf, and a march warden who guarded the forest’s northern borders. When the Fellowship of the Ring arrived in Lórien, he became their guide to Caras Galadhon. He and his companions are described as wearing grey hooded cloaks and residing on platforms or flets. Underlying all is Love.

This is Arion’s final wish in his news feed article about the work and its courses, May they fill with people and may we all grow an inner and outer love that brings a revolution of deep love and healthy power throughout the fabric of our worlds. I second the motion.

Today’s playlist comes from one of the Dancing Eros playlists I created from existing Spotify lists that began with the Dancing Eros titles. See, I much prefer visual to the audio, there are some damn sexy videos in the lists. If you put in Dancing Eros in the Youtube search engine you will find a few. The first track comes from Perequios, then Agnes Obel which is followed by a momentous track from Leyolah Antara. Two men follow, NIne Inch Nails and Kwabs. The penultimate track is from Selena Gomez and we finish with Holy Other: In Praise Of.

If this amazing work could spread across the planet, Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included would happen sooner than later, methinks. Remember if you like these blogs register to receive them in your inbox on the right-hand side. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

At Our Core, We Are Love And Light!!!

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Rod's World

I will begin today’s blog with two paragraphs from Brene Brown’s unknown tome I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) on that verboten subject, Shame. The chapter it is form is entitled Practicing Compassion in a Culture of Blame: Get It Here, Great Read.

“This is YOUR fault! This is all MY fault! You’re to blame. I’m to blame. We are a culture obsessed with finding fault and assigning blame. Holding ourselves or others accountable is a good thing, but blame and accountability are very different. I think the difference between accountability and blame is very similar to the relationship between guilt and shame> Like guilt, accountability is most often motivated by the desire to repair and renew – it is holding someone responsible for their actions and the consequences of their actions.

On the other hand, we often use blame to discharge over=whelming feelings of fear and shame: “This is painful – who can I blame? I’ll blame you! You are bad and this is your fault.” Inherent in holding ourselves or others accountable for our behaviour is expecting change or resolution. Like shame, blame shuts us down and it is not an effective tool for change.

So what is the opposite behaviour we could utilise, we travel to the land of Nepal and visit one of the greatest human beings, His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. This is the person that instantly comes to mind when the words and actions of compassion are uttered. Mind you I was a practising Tibetan Buddhist for Eight years and lead 4 hours of calm abiding meditation and diety practice for five years every Sunday.

So what has the world said about practising compassion over the journey. Here are a few of HHDL comments and the rest:

1. His most famous quote on the subject, by a long way. Features across the planet.

2. Got to love this acronym C.A.R.E, replace God with your favourite entity, for me it is Gaia: Unstoppable.

3. Looks like old school crayon writing, but what a question.

4. What is your Bodhi tree: True Power.

5. This powerful image says it all really, no comment.

6. Some world leaders have forgotten this: Killing In The Name Of.

7. Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West.

8. Life a simple life, his Holiness rocks: Who You Really Are.

9. The first step, Self Love 101.

10. Repeat after me, we are not alone: Is This Love.

11. Why this, I just loved this image.

12. A bit difficult to read for us bespectacled folk, but very insightful: Morning Has Broken.

13. Pick it up in your hands and offer it, love.

14: We are one day away from the worldwide school strike for the climate crisis, One of my slogans best describes this event: It’s Up To Us, Because We Can, It’s Our Time: Big Yellow Taxi.

15. And for our final lesson, we go to the good old USA, American-born multi-genre author Aberjhani (born July 8, 1957, in Savannah, Georgia) is a historian, columnist, novelist, poet, artist, and editor. Although well known for his blog articles on literature and politics, he is perhaps best known as the co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance and author of The River of Winged Dreams. The encyclopedia won a Choice Academic Title Award in 2004.

I will finish with some comments from the interviews Brene did in relation to shame:

“She’s Chinese or something – you know, she’s smart.”
“She’s Indian, They’re super rude like that.
“She’s so closed-minded – I can’t stand old people.”
” I think she’s like that because she was raped a couple of years ago.”
“It won’t hurt her feelings- She’s the sweet grandma type.”
“I don’t think she’s mad, she’s just got that whole angry black thing going on.”
“Her boyfriend is from Pakistan – she’s probably not allowed to go out.”

How would you answer the questions that had these type of answers occur?

Our playlist today contains some classic tunes and if I don’t say so myself, the best obscure track so far. We start with Sia, then the unknown Emily Ebert, great song. One of the great rock anthems from Rage Against the Machine is next. We then enter the spiritual world with a tune from Kirtana. We go back a century for the last three numbers. Bob Marley, Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell end this beautiful playlist: At Our Core, We Are Love and Light!!!

So, we have discussed our penchant to blame when life becomes hard and the compassion practised by His Holiness. One of Brene’s lines sums up the choice for me: – it is holding someone responsible for their actions and the consequences of their actions. To me, compassion allows for this, and blame does not. It behoves us to walk alongside Love and Respect For All, Everybody Included. Until next time, my dear friends. If you are enjoying reading these blogs of mine, sign on to receive them in your inbox on the right-hand side of the blog.

Love The Trees Until Their Leaves Fall Off!!!

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Rod's World

In my state of Victoria, Australia, a group of indigenous women from the Djab Wurrung tribe have been fighting the State Government to save their ancient birthing trees, I attended a rally of support outside our Parliament House yesterday.

Among the women speaking out against the eviction of the Djab Wurrung protection embassy camp and the removal of thousands of trees between Buangor and Ararat, including some 200 sacred birthing and direction trees, some of which are believed to be around 800-years-old, embassy leader DT Zellanach travelled from country to speak into power, supporting the rally’s calls of “no trees, no treaty.” The embassy camp has been actively blocking the removal of the trees for around 14 months, despite notices of eviction from the Victorian government being delivered to make way for Major Road Projects Victoria to begin clearing the land.

Our government declared a public square that is just 17 years old, Federation Square being added to the state’s heritage register in recognition of its cultural significance to Victoria. Yet they will not recognise the birthing trees which are around 800 years old the same protection.

When did we forget that nature and the lore of the indigenous people of our country are just as important, if not more so?

What has society said about the rights of mother earth and its peoples over the centuries, remembering that the First Australians are the world’s longest existing culture who had looked after this land for 60,000 years before European settlement, lets have a look:

1. We are the only European settled country that does not have a treaty with the indigenous people of the land we invaded, our relationship with them suffers accordingly.

2. Embassy leader DT Zellanach had this to say at the rally: Zellanach: We are the land. What you do to our country you do to us. We’ve never ceded sovereignty.

Our women and children are the most oppressed people in this land. I get sick and tired of seeing what men want to do to our women and children. The trees are Women’s business: Wild Women Do.

3. The actions the Djab Wurrung women have taken to raise support to resist for 14 months is truly magnificent.

4. These women can clearly hear their regions earthsong: Earth.

5. Sixty thousand years, I believe we have something to learn off these women before it is too late.

6. Ralph Emerson was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, he died in 1882. Luckily there are still people like the Djab Wurrung women who are willing to stand up for their rights: Eve of Destruction.

7. Clearly does not satisfy the Victorian State Government.

8. A quirky individual, Michael Jackson stood for the earth, he possibly would have been at the embassy if he was alive today: Earthsong.

9. I consider the Djab Wurrung women Earth Angels.

10 What are the birthing trees but not the soul of the Djab Wurrung nation: With Arms Wide Open.

11. Our premier, Daniel Andrews has forgotten this, No Trees, No Treaty.

12. I was gifted the ability to hear the earth by an indigenous elder at Confest, sometimes I hear the earth crying, I sure you can hear the trees on the Embassy site: The Memory of The Trees.

13. To all the people who attended the rally with me, thank you for giving the trees a chance.

14. Many Christians who follow the greed train seem to have forgotten this quote from their holy book, including members of our state government in this situation: Timeless Land.

15. And for our final lesson some words from one of the great women of this and the last century, Maya Angelou. To the Djab Wurrung women, I stand with you, No Trees, No Treaty.

Indigenous land, it’s where you stand, we cannot keep denying 60,000 years of occupation. Time for a treaty, and time to protect the Djab Wurrung sacred birthing trees.

Today’s playlist is about the Earth, birthing and trees. We begin with Natalie Cole. Some rap from Little Dicky follows, then we go back to the 1960s to Barry McGuire to demonstrate we haven’t really learnt the lesson this song is about. Then a Michael Jackson song I actually had never heard of. Creed follows with a beautiful ode to birthing then, the penultimate song is from Enya and we complete with a tune from one of Australia’s preeminent indigenous bands Yothu Yindi in praise of the timelessness of our ancient continent and its first people: Love The Trees Until Their Leaves Fall Off!!

I have not written a political based blog for several years but realised that it was time to reenter that space. No Trees, No Treaty. If we are to have Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included becoming the worlds catchcry all must be willing to take action. Until we meet again, my dear friends. Remember if you wish to receive my blogs sign on in the follow space.

Why Walk When You Can Dance!!!

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Rod's World

I made chai for Mojo, The Dance of Connection over the weekend. I have been chaistro for four different dances over the past month: Mojo, Dancing Freedom, Ecstatic Dance and Resonance Project. Here, in Melbourne Australia, we have a vibrant conscious dance scene which I love being part of. I hold that dance is one of the true forms of healing available on the planet. It has existed longer than language and takes us to states that words alone cannot.

Each dance is different: Mojo, to me, is the dance of healing where people get to be touched in a safe, loving manner during the forest and if they fulfil the request to dance with a different partner each track, they get to examine their relationship to connecting with others: How to contact Mojo. Dancing Freedom is more a personal shamanic transformational dance through the elements the earth is made from, you are a little bit different after each journey: How to contact Dancing Freedom. Ecstatic Dance each fortnight brings you diverse rhythms beats and melodies to attune your Body, Mind and Soul to: How to contact Ecstatic Dance. Resonance Project brings together an evening of 5Rhythms embodiment and sound medicine magic, a full sensory experience for you to journey deep and invite transformation of the highest frequency. It includes a guest musician as well: How to contact Resonance Project.

So there was dance before language, what have we said about it since we learned to speak, read and write, here are a few of my favourites:

1. The Hebrew Bible is not somewhere I would expect to find this quote praising dance.

2. Passion, turn to the left, hold on that’s: Fashion.

3. My Happy Place.

4. I just had to look up who Marilyn Ferguson was after reading this fantastic quote, A founding member of the Association of Humanistic Psychology, Ferguson published and edited the well-regarded science newsletter Brain/Mind Bulletin from 1975 to 1996. Her acquaintances included Bucky Fuller, Ram Dass and Al Gore: Let’s Dance

5. Considered one of the most innovative dancers of the last century, Isadora Duncan began teaching dance in her teens, unfortunately, she suffered one of the most bizarre causes of death when her scarf went around her cars axle.

6. Transcend the limitations of our self – what a beautiful description of ecstatic dance: Desert Dwellers at Burning Man.

7. All hail the teachers of dance that exist on the planet.

8. They have them, they are just made out of gossamer: Fly.

9. We dance for all the things!!!

10. And for me, it is always an honour: Waiting for Love.

11. How true is this in a dancers world, very in mine.

12. I feel so sorry for the deaf ones, they do not know what they are missing out on: My friend Suebee Fae.

13. In all its forms: folk, ballet, conscious, line, rock and roll, swing, etc. etc. etc.\

14. Even the cardiganed one has something to say about it: Dance Monkey.

15. Our final lesson on the dance comes from an extraordinary source: Margaretha Geertruida “Margreet” MacLeod, better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I and executed by firing squad in France.

So as you may have guessed dancing is one of my passions, I have fallen in love with my friends Marc and Angel Chernoff’s lists again: Here are some questions on passion to make you think.

1. What will you never give up on?

2. What activities make you lose track of time?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have tried to include some more obscure tracks beside the classic tracks about dance in the playlist today. We begin with David Bowie twice, yes, one of them is that track. From The Desert Dwellers next is a sunrise set then we fly with Marshmello. Avicii lays down the next track and then my friend from Byron Shire, Suebee Fae features. We end with a track from Ireland by the Tones and I: Why Walk When You Can Dance!!!

Remember to signup to receive these blogs in your email box if you enjoy them, we can dance our way to a new world ethos: Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. Until we meet again my dear friends.

It’s About Breaking Down The Walls

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Rod's World

I am starting to get a lot of information in my Facebook news feed as to what makes a man a real man, I was in my local library the other day when I saw the updated version of Steve Biddulph’s visionary book Manhood first released in 1998, now called the New Manhood: Love, Freedom, Spirit and the New Masculinity and re-released in 2015. I discovered a review of the book which sums how I see the situation, written by a phycologist named Katja:

Just reading the first ten pages of this book will probably be enough to leave you in no doubt – we in the Western world have a serious problem with men. Lonely, frustrated, confused, unhappy men. Men who can’t express their emotions and either numb them or channel them in negative and violent ways towards women, children, and other men. Men whose identities are tied up in their careers, because they never learned that there were any other options. Men whose fathers were authoritarian, cold, distant, abusive, or absent, and who are perpetuating those same patterns in their own families. Particularly affecting is the section in which Biddulph explores where we as a society got our modern conception of “manliness” – and where, frankly, it all started to go wrong. If this book impresses upon you one message, it is that our concept of manhood has become warped, constricted, deranged – and is in desperate need of re-evaluation. The fact that this is just as much the case as 20 years ago when it was written is extremely worrying. Biddulph doesn’t mince words – he cuts straight to the point and tells it like it is, succinctly but deeply exploring the problems of modern manhood, with a writing style that is refreshing and at times devastatingly emotional. So much so that the friend who lent it to me said that it made him cry – and if you think there’s anything wrong with that, then this book is for you in particular! Here is a link to the book: The New Manhood.

All over the world movements are arising to shift this, in my hometown, Melbourne we have one-day events called Isle of Men and a three-day retreat called Menergy, they are for men to attend to become a better man for themselves, their partners, their children, their families and their friends. So what has the world said about masculinity over the years, let’s take that journey:

1. Withholding causes emotional and physical pain on an ongoing basis.

2. Little Boxes, Little Boxes all in a row: Mask Off.

3. What one could call living a complete life, not ignoring the hard parts.

4. Wrong-way, go back: A Woman’s Worth.

5. Boom!!!

6. The shadow and the light, Its all part of the deal: Shadow of The Day.

7. If this irritates you, its time to begin the journey.

8. The journey from the mind to the heart and back again – a great start: Jar of Hearts.

9. I am 65, I only learnt this in my last five years, it is very freeing.

10. Both M and F words, but they have totally different meanings and distinctions attached to them: Breaking Free.

11. Repeat after me, It is not given to you.

12. The film industry has a lot to answer for: Gangsta’s Paradise.

13. Because I can.

14. Fuck, this is good: In My Feelings.

15. And for our final lesson in masculinity, who is the greatest victim, time to go and look in your mirror.

Each chapter has a quote at the beginning, I thought I would finish with a few:

You and your father: Oh will you never return to see, your bruised and battered sons? Oh, I would, I would, if welcome I were for they loathe me everyone – Traditional Folk Song.

Real Sex: Slowly, Slowly in bed with a woman, I am learning to be human – Jesse Kornbluth

From Boy to Man: Between childhood, boyhood, adolescence and manhood there should be sharp lines drawn with tests, feats, rites, stories, songs and judgements – Jim Morrison.

You would think a playlist about masculinity would be all men lamenting on the subject, not so. There is quite a bit of rap though. We begin with Future who is followed by Alicia Keys. Linkin Park gets quite dark next then Christina Perri and Ruby Rose have their say. Back to rap to finish with Coolio and Drake: It’s about breaking down the Walls.

In the steps forward I have seen in the men’s movement in my country I hold great hope for my ethos: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. Until we meet again my dear friends.

It Can Struggle, But the Bond Cannot Be Broken!!!

Posted on July 25, 2019 by Rod's World

Today, I am writing about how I often feel when I am in the presence of love directed towards me. What do you think the first line of the above quote I chose for the title of this blog was? It was about a version of love never failing the test. Yes, it was Unconditional Love, and through the experience of my identity, I know I have struggled with this over the years. Researching this I came across a great article on the matter: called Soulmates and Unconditional Love in a journal called PyschCentral by Darlene Lancer, here are the guts of it:

Are you searching for a soulmate or unconditional love? Your quest can set you on an impossible journey to find an ideal partner. The problem is twofold: People and relationships can never achieve perfection. Often unconditional and conditional love are confused.

Usually, we yearn for unconditional love because we didn’t receive it in childhood and fail to give it to ourselves. Of all relationships, parental love, particularly maternal love, is the most enduring form of unconditional love. (In prior generations, paternal love was thought of as conditional.) But in fact, most parents withdraw their love when they’re overstressed or when their children misbehave. To a child, even timeouts can feel like emotional abandonment. Thus, rightly or wrongly, most parents at times only love their children conditionally.

Is Unconditional Love Possible?

Unlike romantic love, unconditional love does not seek pleasure or gratification. Unconditional love is more a state of receptivity and allowing, which arises from our own “basic goodness,” says Trungpa Rimpoche. It’s the total acceptance of someone — powerful energy emanating from the heart.

Love that is unconditional transcends time, place, behaviour, and worldly concerns. We don’t decide who we love, and sometimes don’t know why. The motives and reasons of the heart are unfathomable, writes Carson McCullers:

The most outlandish people can be the stimulus for love. . . The preacher may love a fallen woman. The beloved may be treacherous, greasy-headed, and given to evil habits. Yes, and the lover may see this as clearly as anyone else — but that does not affect the evolution of his love one whit. ~ The Ballad of the Sad Café (2005), p. 26

McCullers explains that most of us prefer to love than be loved:

. . . the value and quality of any love is determined solely by the lover himself. It is for this reason that most of us would rather love than be loved. Almost everyone wants to be the lover. And the curt truth is that, in a deep secret way, the state of being beloved is intolerable to many. ~ ibid

Ideally, the giving and receiving of unconditional love is a unitary experience. Couples experience this most frequently when falling in love. It also happens when someone fearlessly opens up to us in an intimate setting. It’s a being-to-being recognition of that which is unconditional in each of us, our humanity, as if to lovingly say, “Namaste,” meaning: “The God (or divine consciousness) within me salutes the God within you.” When we delight in another’s being-ness, boundaries may dissolve in what feels like a spiritual experience. This allows energy to flow into places of resistance that surround our heart and can be deeply healing. It can happen during moments of vulnerability during therapy.

Yet, inevitably, these occurrences don’t last, and we return to our ordinary ego state — our conditioned self. We all have our preferences, idiosyncrasies, and particular tastes and needs, which have been conditioned by our upbringing, religion, society, and experiences. We also have limits about what we will and won’t accept in a relationship. When we love conditionally, it’s because we approve of our partner’s beliefs, needs, desires, and lifestyle. They match up with ours and give us comfort, companionship, and pleasure.

We’re fortunate to meet someone we can love conditionally and, at times, unconditionally. The combination of both forms of love in one relationship makes our attraction intense. It’s the closest we come to finding a soulmate.

How has humanity related to unconditional love over the decades, here are some ways they have taken a cut at it:

1. Rev. Melony McGant aka Miss Mellie Rainbow is a storyteller, thought-leader, humanist, poet, & compassionate communications professional with more than 30 years experience in helping people find love. How my Essence must be flowing I feel for love of another to be present.

2. As said in this quote it is a daily journey towards it: We Need Love.

3. There are no Google entries for Akashwani, there should be just because of this quote.

4. Oops, they got it wrong: Skin.

5. The King Dick Gregory is talking about is Martin Luther King Jnr.

During the turbulent 1960s, Gregory became a pioneer in stand-up comedy for his “no-holds-barred” sets, in which he mocked bigotry and racism. He performed primarily to black audiences at segregated clubs until 1961, when he became the first black comedian to successfully cross over to white audiences, appearing on television and putting out comedy record albums.

Gregory was at the forefront of political activism in the 1960s, when he protested the Vietnam War and racial injustice. He was arrested multiple times and went on many hunger strikes. He later became a speaker and author, primarily promoting spirituality.

6. You must have the strength in all situations, even the shitty ones: The Greatest Love of All.

7. The scientific explanation of why love is not based on looks.

8. Dedicated, Caring, Disciplined, Wise, Precise, Power-full, Committed and Cheeky are words often used to describe Tanya Curtis. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Fabic Behaviour Specialist Centre and Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sunlight Ink Publishing. Tanya is also an award-winning Business Woman, Behaviour Specialist, Teacher, Course Writer, Presenter, Author, DVD Presenter, App Creator, Product Developer, Mentor and Student Supervisor: Who You Are.

9. Bliss in Love equals acceptance of both the Shadow and the Light.

10. The times I have fallen in love have always been in spite of all the stories I tell myself why it won’t work out: Sing for My Life.

11. I think the two words at the bottom, self-acceptance sum it up pretty damn well!!

12. I can hardly see without my glasses at times, but I do see and agree with this: Superficial Love.

13. If the future Buddha says it, I’m in.

14. All or None: Love ‘Em All

15. And for the final lesson, a four-word mantra you must never forget in the game of love.

Opening the Heart

Unconditional love isn’t a high ideal we need to achieve. Actually, striving after it removes us from the experience. It’s always present as the unconditioned part of us — our “pure, primordial presence,” writes Buddhist psychologist John Welwood. He believes that we can glimpse it through mindfulness meditation. By observing our breath, we become more present and can appreciate our basic goodness. In mediation and in therapy, we find those places we choose to hide from ourselves and others.

Relationships can provide a path to opening the frozen places in our hearts. Love can melt a closed heart. However, maintaining that openness demands courage. The struggle for intimacy challenges us to continually reveal ourselves. Just when we’re tempted to judge, attack, or withdraw, we open to our hurt and that of our partner. In doing so, we discover what we’re hiding, and triggers from our past yield opportunities to heal and embrace more of ourselves.

The playlist today is chock full of pop divas singing about love. The only male starts off, John Legend doing one of his soulful numbers, then six divas: We begin with Rihanna, go back a few decades to Whitney Houston. Then hang around this century with Jessie J., Sia, Ruth B. and finish with K. Michelle: It Can Struggle but the Bond Cannot Be Broken.

if you wish to read my blog on a regular basis remember to sign up on the list with your email address. Love is a great subject for Love and Respect for All Everybody Included to manifest through. Until next time we meet, my dear friends.