Love Hurts!!!

Posted on August 16, 2020 by Rod's World

Did you know love is not enough? I found that out in a sudden, dramatic way yesterday. I was travelling in our lockdown city of Melbourne to visit my supposed partner outside the 5-kilometre allowable zone when I rang her because she had written to me that she felt a bit down about her zoom visit to her psychologist. I rang her to find out what could I do for her, two hours later I was heading home and it was all over.

It was because I had agreed with her and allowed her space the night before and it seems I should not have listened to her and gone against her will and taken care of her. We had discussed this for an hour after I was halfway there and she told me she felt the most empowered she had ever felt. It seems that I am not enough to meet her needs. A day later I realise that I cannot be different from where I am at the moment. I can grow but cannot miraculously be different from where I am at the moment, so yes, Love hurts.

What does society say about the pain of unrequited love, lets have a look:

1. I hope it finds this place soon.

2. I forgot: Stronger.

3. I found out the embrace of love is not enough.

4. How will I get her out of my heart, it seems impossible at the moment, only time will tell: Love Hurts.

5. Being in the same city doesn’t seem far enough, I cannot stop thinking of her.

6. I’m crying typing this: When I Look at You.

7. I wish you the best life.

8. No words needed: Disappear.

9. It’s storming in my heart.

10. I mistakenly thought this was not us: Almost in Love.

11. It seems this was not us.

12. And not just of a sexual nature: Dreaming of You.

13. I fear this.

14. Thank you karma, you hurt: Instant Karma.

15. and our final lesson comes from the Twitter personality Bauvard – A work of art should stand on its own, divorced from the personality of the creator. That is the only way the creator can be a work of art in himself.

So what am I learning? Embrace that individual inside you who has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms. And above all, be true to you – if you cannot put your heart into it, take yourself out of it. Starting today…

1. Get your priorities right.

2. Take full responsibilities for your goals.

3. Know your worth.

4. Choose the right perspective.

5. Don’t let your old problems punish your dreams

6. Choose the things that truly matter.

7. Love You.

8. Accept your strengths and Weaknesses.

9. Stand up for You.

10. Learn from others, and move on when you must.

11. Be honest in your relationships.

12. get comfortable with being UNcomfortable.

13. Be who you were born to be.

14. Never give up on You.

The playlist today is a bit maudlin, we begin with Kayne West, go back to the 1970s to hear that song by Nazareth. The four pop divas: Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Olivia O’Brien and Selena. We finish off with John Lennon: Love Hurts!!!

This will not stop me from spreading the ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. I have extended it to a million people in my new tribe: Thriving People.

Join if you wish. 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.

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart!!!

Posted on August 2, 2020 by Rod's World

You may have noticed my past 5 blogs have been about growing friendship with my friend Amy. It moved quickly and then spectacularly into becoming lovers against all the reasons the world tells you that a friendship between two people 28 years apart in age should. Being used to a single life, where you domestic actions didn’t have a lot of repercussions to being in a partnership saw me totally do some things that have unfortunately taken it from you are the greatest lover I have ever had and talk about moving in together to stop treating me like I am your mother in a period just greater than 24 hours.

Did we really love each other, yes we did, but I allowed my actions to move our relationship from our hearts to her head. I sit here writing this close to tears and I have cried about ten times in my 66 years, my parents once sent me to a phycologist to see why I couldn’t during my teenage years, it didn’t resolve anything and I am still a non-crier basically. The only thing that shifted it was the joy I felt in my love for Amy, I would be sitting on a railway station and feel tears of joy welling up, very un Rod Williams like.

My relationship consultant friend who is also a phycologist advised that we should not contact each other for 30 days as to go from the passion of a ten to the lesser feelings of friendship, say a three to a five we had to journey through our grief and sadness at to what we had lost, as moments this sacred are rare in people’s lives. I fight with the urge daily to break this especially when Amy contacted me. I wanted to write platitudes how I would do anything to get back together, but this is the act of 17-year-old first love. I must admit after 12 years it did feel a bit like this for me.

I realise I could write 1,000s of words what this woman means to me, I will journal them later, so what has the world said about relationship breakdowns and broken hearts over the years. Let’s have a look:

1. Oh, how I wished I could have stopped this occurring.

2. Oh, how my heart yearns for this: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart.

3. I love His Holiness quotes, but my heart does not want to agree with this one at all.

4. Crossed fingers, but it fucking hurts so much at the moment: Don’t Judge Me.

5. One of the things I did not do was break glass but forgetting to thank her most of the time was just as devastating.

6. And to me, it is you: My Immortal.

7. I am feeling this more and more as the pain slides away.

8. I am not ready for Amy to do that yet, I may not be responsible for my reaction in the emotional state I am in at the present: Run Through The Jungle.

9. This hurts in the I still love her zone.

10. I was the storm: Riders On The Storm.

11. I didn’t really do the second thing or did I, she has gone.

12. I lost in the first round: Street Fighting Man.

13. Ken oath.

14. We talked about our families a lot: We are Family.

15 And for our final lesson, well said Trent.

I spoke to a friend halfway through writing this for half an hour because I believe she has wisdom in this area. She advised me three things: 1. Take ownership for your part of the breakdown and look for the red flags that were there for it to happen. 2. Make agreements, keep them. If you are going to break them, communicate, communicate, communicate. 3. Take time to heal before you think about going back there, and do this day by day.

I am just doing these things now.

The playlist today is funk and rock and roll, we begin with the title track by The Bee Gees, then Chris Brown. Evanescence sneaks in this century’s rock track, then we go back in time to CCR, The Doors and the Rolling Stones. We complete with a ten minute epic by Chic and Sister Sledge, enjoy, it rocks: How can you mend a Broken Heart!!!

In my heartbreak, I have started a new tribe around my ethos Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included. It is called Thriving People – People who wish to make a difference to Humanity, my intention is a 1,000,000 people take up the challenge, here is the link to join, I would love you too: Thriving People.

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.

Let Go, Let God!!!

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Rod's World

I went to Zoom church today, they certainly sing groovier songs than they used to in the days my parents forced me to Sunday school all those years ago. An aside, when I was sixteen I told my mum is she kept making me go I would run away and never come back. She reminded me twenty years later I had said that to her, I had forgotten but it obviously meant a lot and hurt my deeply religious mum.

I personally don’t believe in the God that is presented by the standard Christian church, hell and brimstone etc. etc. but it was interesting viewing, my friend has asked me would I watch it with her as God means a lot to her. The distinctions they used were a lot different from what I expected and I found myself agreeing with quite a bit of the sermon. I am more of a humanist than a Christian, believing in that there are more good people than evil people on the planet and that good, will overcome in the end.

So what have people said about God, even the Gods over Millenium, lets have a look:

1. Not famous enough for a Wikipedia entry, Michelle makes a simple point.

2. Satisfaction guaranteed: I Surrender.

3. From little things big faith grows.

4. God is not all love and light, stop thinking he is: Yes, I Know.

5. Interesting quote by an F1 racing world champion.

6. Remember its his/her process. You are just along for the ride: Waymaker.

7. We are just walking home together.

8. Grammar alert: Your Spirit.

9. How do you live in the space of faith?

10. And you may never understand it: “Babusisiwe Labo Abemukela Umsebenzi KaNkulunkulu Omusha”

11. The cute quote of the blog.

12. The purpose of faith is to lift you up: My Life is in your Hands.

13. Nobody will open it for you, Nobody…

14. I love that saying, It sounds like a plan: You Say.

15. Thank you God for putting Amy in my life.

I thought I would end this blog with a poem by Rilke, it is magnificent:

God speaks to each of us

Rainer Maria Rilke

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,

then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are words we dimly hear:

You, sent out beyond your recall,

go to the limits of your longing.

Embody me.

Flare up like flame

and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.

Just keep going. No feeling is final.

Don’t let yourself lose me.

Nearby is the country they call life.

You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.

From Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy.

If you had told me I would include a Hillsong Church song in one of my playlists I may have chortled loudly, but I have changed in the last month. We begin with Hillsong Worship, then the Gaither Vocal Band. Two fine female singers next in Sinak and Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Then we travel to South Africa for some Zulu Gospel. Kirk Franklin is the penultimate song and we finish with Lauren Daigle: Let Go, Let God.

You will love this playlist, Amy. I feel so much closer to my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included since I have been around a person of faith. Until next time we meet, my dear friends.

Writing your Life Story!!!

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Rod's World

A friend just liked a meme I posted on Facebook. Its says the following: 4 Things you can’t get Back- The stone after it’s thrown; the word after it’s said; the occasion after its missed; the time after it’s gone. As I reach Age pension eligibility in four weeks they have made me ponder my life.

I like what my friend Marc Chernoff has to say about writing a life story worth living. I love this paragraph: When writing the story of your life, don’t let someone else hold the pen. Make conscious choices every day that align your actions with your values and your dreams; the way you live each day is a sentence in the story of your life. Each day, you choose whether the sentence ends with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark.

Here are Marc’s ten suggestions for doing this:

1. Find a passion that makes you come alive.

2. Work hard on that passion.

3. Live happily in your own way.

4. Change your path when you must, but keep moving forward.

5. When the going gets tough, keep fighting.

6. Let go of the past and live consciously in the present.

7. Embrace new ideas, lessons, and challenges.

8. Appreciate the little things in life that mean a lot.

9. Live honourably through kindness.

10. Spend quality time with people you love.

So what has society said about storytelling over time, we have always done it:

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1. Yes, that diatribe in your head, that’s the story of your life.

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2. Yes, it is official, I have a crush on Maya Angelou: Maya on Words.

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3. How do you tell the world about your ideas?

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4. How’s the living going?: Staying Alive.

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5. A great reason for my ethos of Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included.

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6. Our stories have had the world evolve: World Turning.

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7. What do you do in creating your communities storyline?

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8. Remember as children how much we loved this, it is still available: Magic Carpet Ride.

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9. Love this quote, well done Christina.

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10. Wise words from one of the most amazing storytellers to have lived, think the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone: Steve’s Stanford Speech.

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11. Ground Control, to Major Tom.

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12. Where have you travelled in your reading?: 500 Miles.

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13. When I think of the big items I have brought in my life, this is oh so true in every case.

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14. And the bridge takes you over: Bridge over troubled Waters.

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15. And for our final lesson, we call on Ira Glass, host of This American Life and All Things Considered.

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs, and what every great story has, are characters that come alive in the pursuit of something that inspires them.

The playlist contains words today. Firstly we have Maya Angelou, then The Bee Gees. Fleetwood Mac are next, followed by a 60’s classic by Steppenwolf. Lots of Words from Steve Jobs, his Stanford commencement speech. Then an anthem from the Proclaimers and we finish with the dulcet tones of John Legend: Writing you Life Story.

My life story, Love and Respect for All, Everybody Included. Until we meet again, my dear friends.

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Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do!!!

Posted on February 6, 2020 by Rod's World

So, I promised a friend I would write this blog about how I was feeling, my identity is resisting it because I am not feeling full of possibility, I spoke to my mentor about it and he pointed out that the only way out of it was in. So here goes.

I feel stuck as I am basically doing what I was two to three years ago and my soul feels there is meant to be more to life than that. I went to one of my sources of inspiration, my friend Marc Chernoff and found an article 16 Harsh Truths That Make You Stronger. This is the shortened version of how it goes:

It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than dominate them, more manhood or womanhood to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind -Alex Karras.

1. Life is not easy. Hard work makes people lucky – It’s the stuff that brings dreams to reality.

2. You will fail sometimes – The faster you accept this, the faster you can get on with being brilliant.

3. Right now, there’s a lot you don’t know – the day you stop learning is the day you stop living.

4. There may not be a tomorrow – Not for everyone.

5. There’s a lot you can’t control – You can’t control everything in your life no matter how many safeguards you put into place.

6. Information is not true knowledge – Knowledge comes from experience.

7. You can’t be successful without providing value -Don’t waste your time trying to be successful, spend your time creating value.

8. Someone else will always have more than you – Whether it’s money, friends or magic beans that you’re collecting, there will always be somebody who has more than you.

9. You can’t change the past – You can’t change what happened, but you can change how you react to it.

10. The only person who can make you happy is you – The root of your happiness comes from your relationship with yourself.

11. There will always be people who don’t like you – You can’t be everything to everyone.

12. You won’t always get what you want – Appreciate the things you have right now. Many people aren’t so lucky.

13. In life, you get what you put in – If you want love, friends, give love, be friendly.

14. Good friends will come and go – Most of your high school friends won’t be part of your Uni life.

15. Doing the same exact thing every day hinders self-growth – If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

16. You will never feel 100% ready for something new – Nobody ever feels 00% ready when an opportunity arises.

Typing number 15 made me shudder, I have been in this rut for at least a week and keep telling my self I do not know the way out, which I know not to be true. So what does the world say about being in a rut and its effect on one, lets have a look:

1. I recommenced my daily walks today and am attended a Warrior Code session tonight, they are designed to shake you up.

2. I’ve set up a dinner with my siblings, they definitely do this: Glad To Be Alive.

3. Much to much comfort, why do I feel so bad then?

4. Take a dose, and the medicine goes down: A Spoonful of Sugar.

5. It’s how you relate to it that gives it the wonder.

6. It’s not always a win/win situation, how would we learn if it was: Seven Years.

7. It’s difficult to be what you are not.

8. At the top of my list at the moment: Rut.

9. Enoch Arnold Bennett was an English writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known as a novelist, but he also worked in other fields such as the theatre, journalism, propaganda and films.

10. I’m taking up the invitation: Grow As We Go.

11. Time for some explanation.

12. Time to stop waiting to be rescued and found: Who You Are.

13. Shayne’s Pinterest bio reads Author and Always the Good Girl. A firm believer in happy endings. Refuse to let your past define you. Be strong, take control, change your life.

14. Including yourself: Rise Up.

15. And our final lesson comes from running coach Ben Rosario, that it is the journey to your goals and dreams that got you there, so remember to have fun.

To me, the only difference between an opportunity and an obstacle is attitude. Getting a second chance in life is about giving myself the opportunity to grow beyond my past failures, It’s time to positively adjust my attitude toward future possibilities.

The playlist starts with some healing medicine from Teddy Prendergast and Marry Poppins. Then there are three pensive tracks from Lukas Graham, The Killers and Ben Platt. The penultimate track is Jessie J and we complete with some soul from Andra Day: Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do.

So being in touch with my ethos for the world: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included on a daily basis is the practice I will choose to climb out of this rut. 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.

Smile at Strangers, We’re In This Together!!!

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Rod's World

I have had a list on my kitchen wall called Key Statements, I don’t know why or when I wrote it, but here it is:

Don’t let an opportunity go by that that you can make a difference in.

Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included.

Don’t pull back from opportunities to explore the sexual world.

Don’t withhold your feelings for another, it will fester.

Ask, Ask, Ask.

Walk like the value is surging through your body.

I will release my empathic abilities to heal others.

I am a key member of the conscious Melbourne tribe.

Working on each of them at different levels at the moment, here are some things I could do to achieve them sooner:

Take care of myself – Your relationship is the closest and most important relationship you will ever have.
Do what I know is right, for ME – Don’t be scared to walk alone, and don’t be scared to like it.
Follow my own unique path – Every new day is a chance to change your life.
Lock myself away from the world and work on your goals – Dream big dreams, but realize that short term, realistic goals are the key to success.
Adjust my goals and dreams as life changes – don’t forget that sometimes taking a positive step forward requires you to slightly adjust your dreams, or plan new ones – it’s OK to change your mind or have more than one dream.
Forgive those who have wronged me – Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong and wise.
Show everyone my love and kindness – If you are reserving your love only for those who you have decided are worthy of it – it may come as no surprise that is not loving, it is judgement.
Stand up for others, even if it’s the unpopular thing to do – Sometimes you will say something really small and simple, but it will fit right into an empty space in someone’s heart.
Fight through my failures – When I am feeling down or dealing with failure, don’t be ashamed.
Keep my head held high and keep on smiling – Every day of your life is a page of your history. The only time I run out of chances is when I stop taking them.

So what have people on the planet said about energy and how they use it, here are a few of my favourites:

1. You have the opportunity to make it a better day for each person you come across, do that.

2. Your first gut feeling is often incredibly accurate, trust it: Gut Feeling.

3. You are your own personal lifesaver.

4. Using the principles he teaches, T. Harv Eker went from zero to millionaire in only 2 1/2 years! He combines a unique brand of ‘street-smarts with heart’.

Eker’s high-energy, ‘cut-to-the-chase’ style keeps his audience spellbound. T. Harv Eker’s motto is “talk is cheap” and his unique ability is getting people to take “action” in the real world to produce real success: Can’t Stop The Feeling.

5. What opus are you composing for your life?

6. I love Prince Ea, check out his Youtube videos: Love Yourself.

7. And then we have Oprah’s take on it.

8. Heads or Tails: Love Myself.

9. As can we, be an eagle in your life.

10. And a piece of wisdom from the Man In Black: Your Own Personal Jesus.

11. All you need is LOVE.

12. A powerful line of study that will resolve much in your life: Energy.

13. Shadow and Light, they travel together.

14. The Chinese are great at profound proverbs: Winds of Change.

15. And for our final lesson, this intriguing offering from Osho.

There are few joys in life that equal a good conversation, a good read, a good walk, a good hug, a good smile, or a good friend. As you empower your energy toy will have more and more opportunity to do this. One of my key statement is my ethos for the planet: Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included, as I increase my energy it eventual occurrence comes closer and closer.

The playlist today has spoken word from Prince Ea, one of my faves. We start with Ella Mai and then bop along with Justin Timberlake. Prince Ea is next followed by pop diva Hailee Steinfeld. Then we finish with three male vocals: Johny Cash, Drake and Vance Joy: Smile at Strangers, We’re In This Together!!!

Until we meet again, my dear friends. Remember you can request these blogs in your inbox om the main page of I am an Interculturalist.

Your job is not to be Perfect!!!

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Rod's World

I went to my friends’ Australian citizenship ceremony on Australia day on Sunday. It a nice thing to do but it may me ponder as to why you have to say out loud I will uphold and obey the laws of the land. My friend said she crossed her fingers at this line. Why I pondered it is what if the laws of the land go against what is in your heart and soul and how boring would it be if every person in a country held the same value?

What should we care about as a human resident of our planet? Here is a list of some worthwhile things:

1. Start caring about your own happiness – It’s important to make people happy, but you have to start with yourself.

2. Start caring about your goals and dreams – If you want to know where your heart is, look where your mind goes when it wanders.

3. Start caring about how you invest your time every day – There might not be a tomorrow, not for everyone.

4. Start caring about how you think and what you think about – In your quiet moments, what do you think about?

5. Start caring about how you treat yourself – Your relationship with yourself is the closest and most important relationship you will ever have.

6. 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.

7. Start caring about how others treat you – Choose your relationships wisely.

8. Start caring about your health – Exercise to be fit, not skinny.

9. Start caring about your education and personal growth – Achieving higher consciousness comes from your commitment to personal growth.

10. Start caring about doing the BEST you can – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you.

11. 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.

12. Start caring about this moment we call ‘life’ – Our whole life leads up to each new moment. Each moment is priceless.

So what have we said about being a human being residing on this planet of ours over time, here are a few of my favourite things:

1. This arises when we start listening to and believing that other peoples opinions are more important than our own.

2. To me, George Orwell wrote one of the great odes to the danger of perfection, 1984: I’m Not Perfect, But I’m Perfect for You.

3. Anthony Robbins is an American author, life coach, and philanthropist. Robbins has worked on an individual basis with Bill Clinton, Justin Tuck, Wayne Gretzky, Serena Williams, Hugh Jackman, and Pitbull, quite a diverse group of individual human beings.

4. The whole spiel from Tony: I Learnt from the Best.

5. Humane: A humane person is one who shows great compassion and caring for others, including animals, and who tries whenever possible to alleviate another’s suffering. The idea of being humane is linked to a higher level of a person’s character:

6. Shruti is either a data scientist or a Bollywood actress, which one do you think said this: Ego.

7. Seven billion of us and counting.

8. Artist Alex has come up with some sage wisdom here: Sincerity is Scary.

9. An American stand up comic, Amy was nominated for two Grammy Awards, for Best Comedy Album for Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo and Best Spoken Word Album for The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.

10. And then sometimes we need a break, so just be an owl: Night Owl.

11. And your task for your life is…

12. Raised in small-town America, Wright’s mother died when he was six days old. His father later married a much younger woman, Gertrude: “Gertrude was closer to my age than to my father’s”. Gertrude hated small-town life, but got along famously with Wright, as they shared many of the same childish tastes (both loved games, movies, and ice cream): Pure Imagination.

13. Interesting website page name: Stop the Pain now, an interesting take on humanness.

14. J. R. Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter empire stated she chose the name Dumbledore, which is a dialectal word for “bumblebee”, because of Dumbledore’s love of music: she imagined him walking around “humming to himself a lot”: The Humming.

15. And for our final lesson, we hear from Brene Brown, who, before her fame researched shame for several decades.

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, being human 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, all of your humanness.

The playlist bounces all over the place today, from Beyonce to Gene Wilder. We begin with three divas: Grace Jones, Whitney Houston and Beyonce. My unknown offering is next, The 1975. Then across to England with Gerry Rafferty, dropping into Hollywood next with Gene Wilder before completing with Enya: Your Job is Not to Be Perfect!!!

If we had to wait until everyone was perfect my dream and goal of Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included being the world paradigm would seem a long way off in our humanistic world.

Remember you can get these blogs in your inbox by signing up on the right-hand side of my main page at I am an Interculturalist. Until we meet again, my dear friends.