Don’t Let Anyone Else Hold The Pen!!

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Rod's World

Back to Marc and Angel Chernoff for today’s blog, I stubbed my toe on their book 1000+ Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently: Hit them Up… As is my practice when writing about a possibility I open the book to any page and voila, that is the subject for today. On page 139 is the heading “10 Ways to WRITE a Life Story Worth Living” appeared.

The chapter begins with the following words from Marc:

‘When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen. Make conscious choices every day that align your actions with your values and your dreams. because the way you live each day is a sentence in the story of your life. Each day you make a choice as to whether the sentence ends in a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point.”

He then offers 10 ideas for writing a life story worth living:

Find a Passion that makes you come alive.
Work hard on that Passion.
Live happily in your own way.
Change your path when you must, but keep moving forward.
When the going gets rough, keep fighting.
Let go of the past and live consciously in the future.
Embrace new ideas, lessons, and challenges.
Appreciate the little things in life that mean a lot.
Live honourably through kindness.
Spend quality time with people you love.

What a beautiful, inspiring list, I’m willing to take it on. Now lets have a look at what the world has said about writing your own story, let’s take that journey:

1. This beautiful image could be included on your vision board.

2. Not all testimony is in the negative: when you have the feeling your words can make a difference, speak them: Song for Someone.

3. Yes, You, the unique human being you are. Go on, you can do it.

4. Mine says I am an Interculturalist: Love and Respect for All, Everyone included. Over to You: Live your Story.

5. As Helen says, It will not always be easy. As Marc’s point 5 says, keep fighting during these time. Each little step makes a difference.

6. To my new friend Josie, you are editing at the moment, your writing is magnificent: Write your Story.

7. Excitement to me is covered in the expression Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs.

8. Ready, Set Write!!!: So Much Magnificence.

9. Even the stars don’t necessarily have great stories. Greta was one of Hollywood’s shining lights in her time.

10. And how could we leave out Deepak when writing about our lives: Change Your Life.

11. Or Brene!!!

12. 我是, Wer bin Ich, qui suis-je, ko wai Ahau, kas aš esu, هستم: Who I am.

13. We all have friends we can do this with: don’t be stingy.

14. To each of our glorious adventures: Yay!!!: This Is Me.

15. And finally, some blank pages for you.

I will finish with some more words from Marc and Angel:

‘If you live honourably, no matter how old you get, you’ll never lose your beauty; it will gradually shift from your face to your heart. And remember, there is no better exercise for the heart than reaching out and holding the hand of someone in need.’

Today’s playlist even contains both types of music, County and Western. We begin with U2. Then to the European continent for Auli’i Cravalho and Francesca Battistelli. I just had to put in Miten and Deva Premal’s song about magnificence. Who would have thought I would ever include a Little Mix song, but here one is. Jessica Andrews is next and we complete with the cast of the Greatest Showman: Remember, Don’t Let Anyone Else Hold The Pen.

So remember to show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until next time we meet, my dear friends:

Breath in Experience, Breath out Poetry.

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Rod's World

I recently attended the most transformational training week of my youthful 64 years. It is commonly known as ISTA, short for the International School of Temple Arts: Here’s the Link. In my over 350 blogs I normally write about books on a possibility, one of the other participants asked me, You aren’t going to write about this, are you? As one of the agreements is to only share your experiences, here I go.

Some background from the source:

We live at a unique and critical time on earth. At the same time as we are faced with incredible challenges to the survival of the diversity of life and consciousness on our planet, we are experiencing an incredible awakening of human potential. Not only are new energies emerging but for the first time in history, the wisdom heritage of all our cultures and traditions is available for integration just as it is most needed.

There have always been temples and mystery schools on earth where the deep teachings on sexual and spiritual wisdom were practised, developed and taught. These centres were often the hidden cause for the advancement of civilizations. Now we have a global civilization and these temples are once again emerging into the light, blossoming like chakras and Nadi points as the light body of the earth is awakened and energized.

So what has society said about transformational experiences over the years, lets take that journey:

1. What our logical mind wants to do almost instantly, explain it away.

2. We all took the opportunities that were offered during the week to the levels our identity would allow a change in: Changes.

3. I received the gifts of Massive trust and energy from the Earth as I walk on this new planet.

4. The ISTA community, you join after spending a week in the field. Prior to that your already I have done ISTA friends will just hug you when you tell them you are going to do it: You Belong With Me.

5. To me, my priceless moment was witnessing a process and looking out over the field and realising there was nothing wrong going on, just total trust.

6. One of my top ten, have learnt so much off this beautiful spirit: Let It Go.

7. Integration time.

8. Albert Camus was a French philosopher, author, and journalist. His views contributed to the rise of the philosophy known as absurdism. He wrote in his essay The Rebel that his whole life was devoted to opposing the philosophy of nihilism while still delving deeply into individual freedom. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44 in 1957, the second youngest recipient in history: Going Under.

9. Much easier after ISTA.

10. Certainly, the journey I took has me much closer to this place: I Was Here.

11. I am so looking forward to where this new trust and energy will take me, and I don’t really care that I don’t know.

12. Back to ancient China for this one, so many of our hearts are now travelling this path: Listen to Your Heart.

13. And the ability of our skilled facilitators, Stephanie, Sean and Elaine.

14. Could my new energy take me here, Who Knows: Africa.

15. And we certainly did in that beautiful space known as the ISTA field.

The two main takeaways I received are an increase in my trust of myself and others to the Nth degree and an energy emanating from the earth that feels volcanic in nature and a sense I do not know what my future will be, and that’s a great thing.

Today’s playlist has some classic sings and songs. We begin with Mr David Bowie then one of the great pop divas Taylor Swift. A musical number from Frozen follows, then some great rock from Evanescence and her highness Beyonce. Two older memories from Roxette and Toto close out the list: Breathe in Experience, Breathe out Poetry.

Remember to show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until we meet again, my dear friends.

There is no Elevator to Success!!!

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Rod's World

I was having a deep and meaningful conversation with a friend into what prevents us from meeting our goals which made me think of Angela Lee Duckworth’s great book Grit: Why Passion and Resilience are the Secrets to Success: Get It Here.

Here are some great lines from the book:

“What I mean by a passion is not just that you have something you care about. What I mean is that you care about the same ultimate goal in an abiding, loyal, steady way. You are not capricious. Each day, you wake up thinking of the questions you fell asleep thinking about. You are, in a sense, pointing in the same direction, ever eager to take even the smallest step forward than to take a step to the side, toward some other destination. At the extreme, one might call your focus obsessive. Most of your actions derive their significance from their allegiance to your ultimate concern, your life philosophy. You have your priorities in order.”

“Why were the highly accomplished so dogged in their pursuits? For most, there was no realistic expectation of ever catching up to their ambitions. In their own eyes, they were never good enough. They were the opposite of complacent. And yet, in a very real sense, they were satisfied with being unsatisfied. Each was chasing something of unparalleled interest and importance, and it was the chase— as much as the capture—that was gratifying. Even if some of the things they had to do were boring, or frustrating, or even painful, they wouldn’t dream of giving up. Their passion was enduring.

In sum, no matter the domain, the highly successful had a kind of ferocious determination that played out in two ways. First, these exemplars were unusually resilient and hardworking. Second, they knew in a very, very deep way what it was they wanted. They not only had determination, but they also had direction.

It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special. In a word, they had grit.”

How does the world navigate this thing called Grit: Lets take that journey:

1. John Ortberg is an evangelical Christian author, speaker, and senior pastor of Menlo Church in Menlo Park, California. One of his publications, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, has sold more than 500,000 copies.

2. Grit is a lifetime hobby: Work It.

3. John says give peace a chance, Wayne not Lennon.

4. You can have it all – that’s what we think as kids, unfortunately, this is taken away from us in our school years: You can Have It All.

5. I am ……………

6. Come across to the other side, its fun over here: On the Dark Side.

7. Passion and Perseverance – Fuck Yeah!!!

8. Minna Thomas Antrim was an American writer. She is famous for the quote “Experience is a great teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.” She was also well known for her collection of toasts: Say Something.

9. Way back to the 18th Century and Ralph Waldo Emerson for part of the recipe of Grit.

10. Thrusting, now that takes Grit: Call on Me.

11. I agree with Brene, possibly the bravest thing we will ever do.

12. Never give Up in search of your dreams: Tough Lover.

13. Ovid, way back in the times of the Roman Emperor was known as a poet of Love.

14. Jon Gordon, known for his earth-shattering book, The Energy Bus, which is said about: “If you want to fuel your family, your career, your team, and your organization with spirit read this book. Jon’s energy and advice will leap off the page and help you cultivate positive energy in everything you do—and you will make the world a better place for your having been here: We Shall Overcome.

15. How often are you unyielding, what does it take?

“In fact, when people drop out of things, they do so for a reason. Actually, they do so for different reasons. Any of the following four thoughts might go through your head right before you quit what you’re doing:

‘I’m bored.’
‘The effort isn’t worth it.’
‘This isn’t important to me.’
‘I can’t do this, so I might as well give up.’

There’s nothing wrong—morally or otherwise—with thoughts like these. As I tried to show in this chapter, paragons of grit quit goals, too. But the higher the level of the goal in question, the more stubborn they are about seeing it through. Most important, paragons of grit don’t swap compasses: when it comes to the one, the singularly important aim that guides almost everything else they do, the very gritty tend not to utter the statements above. …

Together, the research reveals the psychological assets that mature paragons of grit have in common. There are four. They counter each of the buzz-killers listed above, and they tend to develop, over the years, in a particular order.” They are Interest + Practice + Purpose + Hope.

The playlist today contains quite a few Pop divas: We begin with Rihanna and Drake, Then some rock and roll from Yo Lo Tengo and Eddie and the Cruisers. Two Christina Aguilera tracks are intersected by Eric Prydz and we complete with some wise words from Martin Luther King: There is No Elevator to Success.

Remember to provide Love and Respect for All, Everbody Included until we next meet, my dear friends.

lovelight14

Forget The Risk and Take The Fall!!

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Rod's World

Whats meant to Be Will Be: True strength comes when you have so much to cry and complain about, but you prefer to smile and appreciate your life instead. There are blessings hidden in every struggle you face, but you have to be willing to open your heart and mind to see them. You can’t force things to happen. You can only drive yourself crazy trying. In the end, loving your life is about trusting your intuition, taking chances, losing and finding happiness, cherishing the memories, and learning through experience. It’s a long-term journey. You have to stop worrying, wondering and doubting every step of the way. You might not end up exactly where you intended to go, but you will eventually arrive precisely where you need to be.

So what it means is mostly what is meant to be will be. You have the strength to survive whatever life throws at you, even though at times you may severely doubt this. How has society written about this over the eons, let us have a look:

1. Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali polymath, a poet, musician and artist who reshaped Bengali literature and music, as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of Gitanjali and its “profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse”, he became in 1913 the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore’s poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial; however, his “elegant prose and magical poetry” remain largely unknown outside Bengal. He is sometimes referred to as “the Bard of Bengal”.

2. How many years are you willing to wait to go home to where you are meant to be: I’m Going Home.

3. You don’t have to stress and worry if it doesn’t happen straight away, no time frame to what’s meant to be.

4. So you slept in and missed the 7 o’clock train. Don’t beat yourself up, you cannot change the circumstances: Right On Time.

5. Reyna is a young African American woman with a YouTube channel on relationships and a best selling book called I Love my Life. Her video called How Vulnerability Can Help Us Grow is very insightful.

6. I have had many a situation that did not turn out the way I planned only to have something better turn up soon after. I have learnt to not make it mean the world has ended because I didn’t get exactly what I wanted instantaneously, a problem in our instantaneous gratification society of today: Say Something.

7. The will of the Universal spirit works in mysterious ways. You may meet that person you think is the one, and God/Gaia will teach you the lesson that you need to learn at that stage.

8. I had a period of 6 years where my mental health fell apart, I now believe if this had not happened I would not be doing the things I do that I love today: Shine Your Way.

9. Assuming you will wake up tomorrow is an extreme assumption, but for some people, it does not happen.

10. Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962) was an American actress, model, and singer. Famous for playing comic “blonde bombshell” characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and was emblematic of the era’s attitudes towards sexuality. Although she was a top-billed actress for only a decade, her films grossed $200 million by the time of her unexpected death in 1962 (equivalent to $2 billion in 2017). More than half a century later, she continues to be a major popular culture icon: After You Get What You Want.

11. If you have an attachment to a result when it does not happen when you expect it to, it adds much efforting to what you are up to.

12. These practices take a lot of the risk out of living your life: Close To The Edge.

13. That line, you have to draw the line of determination from desperation should be included in everybody’s boundary statement.

14. Sometimes I feel really jealous when I see happy loving couples after my feeble attempts at having my romantic love affairs work out: Regardless.

15. We go back to the years 767 CE to 820 CE for our final quote and the words of the great Muslim cleric, Imam al Shafi’i. He was the founder of the Principles of Islamic jurisprudence otherwise known as Uṣūl al-fiqh which is the study and critical analysis of the origins, sources, and principles upon which Islamic jurisprudence is based.

The best thing you can do is keep going: Don’t be afraid to get back up – to try again, to love again, to live again, to dream again. Life’s best lessons are often learned at the toughest times and from the biggest mistakes. Sometimes you have to endure the worst to arrive at your best.

Today’s playlist contains some smooth soul and rocking Rock and roll, one of the great guitar anthems in my humble opinion starts it all off. Ten Years After from Woodstock then three soulful numbers from Aaron Cole, Justin Timberlake, and Owl City. Then a return to the sex symbol of the 1950’s, Marilyn Monroe. Another rock classic from Yes finishing with an ultra badass sex number from Masicka. Here’s the link, Enjoy: Forget the Risk, and Take the Fall.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends:

Find Joy In The Ordinary!!!

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Rod's World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Freely Interdependent exuberance – Orgasmic!!

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

7. No regrets, please.

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

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

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

11. We are born free, what happens?

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

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

14. Smell the Roses: English Country Garden.

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

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

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

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Three Things that Can No Longer Be Hidden!!

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Rod's World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. As is a man.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Namaste until next we meet, dear friends.

I want you to take off your Clothes!!

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Rod's World

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

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

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

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

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

3. Hot Chocolate – You sexy thing!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

When you make a difference!!

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Rod's World

In my senior years, I have fulfilled one of the wishes my dear father had for his children, that we follow him into the noble profession of teaching. I was expelled after Year 11 for not going to school so the standard route to it had the door slammed on it. Over 40 years later I find myself being a one on one English tutor to one of China’s top general’s daughter, A Venezuelan biochemistry lecturer who can speak about ten words of English and a Chinese Medicine doctor who treats his 200 patients in Shanghai via Skype.

So, my question to you today is, how do you make a difference in other peoples lives? A lot has been written about it over the centuries, and here are some of my favourite ones:

1. Robert Green “Bob” Ingersoll was an American lawyer, father of the feminist Eva Ingersoll Brown, a Civil War veteran, politician, and orator of the United States during the Golden Age of Free Thought noted for his broad range of culture and his defence of agnosticism. He was nicknamed “The Great Agnostic”.

2. AKA Money doesn’t buy you happiness and you can’t take it with you: Where Is the Love.

3. Reminds me of my paradigm statement: Love and Respect for All – Everyone Included, get on board, people.

4. Nelson was born Rolihlahla Mandela, Nelson is his anglicised name. No matter, we all love Rolihlahla for what he gave to the planet in the name of peace: Nelson Mandela song.

5. Then, we move onto the man, who wore a loin, freed the second largest nation in the world from the colonial rule when they didn’t want to give it up.

6. Yay, I get to play my favourite 60’s rock anthem by Carlos’s band from Woodstock: Soul Sacrifice.

7. Step up to the plate, my darling young ones.

8. As kids we were going to be nurses, doctors, firemen and astronauts, you still have time to live your dreams: Embraceable You.

9. Some more Nelson wisdom.

10. Who is Alexandra Trenfor? Quora’s answer is: I don’t really know, so I did some research. Perhaps she’s a blogger? I could find no other references to her. If you find out, let us know: Teacher.

11. The bliss of blessing yourself and others, Yum!!

12. As I could not read the name under this beautiful quote, I looked it up. You get the prize for it, Mandy Hale: Take Care.

13. And the simplest way to make a difference is…

14. Come on and feel the noise, as it makes a huge difference in people’s lives: Cum on, Feel the Noize.

15. And we finish on a sad note with a quote from a president a nation killed for trying to.

I live in the conscious community of Melbourne, Australia. I could list countless people who make a difference on a daily basis, love you all. But I will finish with the gift Julieta gave to my dad wherever his spirit is hanging, “Rod, you are a very good teacher.”

The Playlist for today owes a lot to the 1970’s. The Black Eyed Peas start it off, then the anthem the Specials rode to fame on about Nelson. Then from the 70’s Santana, Willie Nelson and Jethro Tull. Back to the present with Drake featuring Rihanna then a rollicking number from Slade to finish who I saw in the rain with my younger sister at the Melbourne Showgrounds in the 70’s

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.

Always desire to Learn Something Useful.

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Rod's World

Once again we return to Danielle LaPorte’s great book White Hot Truth for today subject, that often misunderstood emotion called desire: Here’s the Link.

The chapter on desire is subtitled a broader view for creating reality and begins with the following poem:

Dear Infinity

soon

enough

My Future

will be

now

and my scars will have grown into

sacred geometry

(circles of Dignity, pyramids of Will, vortices of Love)

I hide what I have to let go of in furrows

behind a tail gate

and I whisper wishes

into every victory seed

I plant –

every one hears this prayer

Dear Infinity

Breathe life into

my every desire.

To give some context to desire let’s have a look at how different parts of society view it:

The Catholics: If you want it, you have to go through God to get it.

The Buddhists: Your problem is that you want it.

The Zen Buddhists: What’s to want?

The Hindus: You wanted that in your last life.

The Capitalists: You got to want it more than anyone else.

The New Agers: Just keep telling the Universe how much you want it.

I have followed Danielle’s Core Desired Feeling for over four years now, freed from my to do list perfection after one or two. So how do we as a society relate to this often verboten subject that is desire:

1. Some people say Donald Trump is Ayn Rand’s love child. He obviously forget this piece of advice.

2. I love this statement Tom Krause wrote about teaching, Welcome to teaching!!! You are now part of a profession solely dedicated to helping students of all ages learn. It is a profession where the more you give of yourself, the more you get in return. Most famous people are eventually forgotten. Teachers live on in the hearts and minds of their students for a lifetime: The Rose.

3. “Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.” “There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else.

4. 3 percent of people write their goals down. In a study they earned on average 10 times more than the other 97 percent. Do you write down your passions, your desired feelings: Change.

5. Are you lost?

6. And the surest way for them to be uncontrolled is to deny they exist and not deal with them: Scary Monsters.

7. Whoever wrote this must have been following me around for a long time.

8. I think the last word is praised: Praise You.

9. But what if your fantasies become your reality: Yummy!!!

10. A force to be reckoned with, desire can take you to some strange places:

11. A photographer by trade, Jason uses his images and wealth to combat the negative effects ethnic identity has on the human race.

12. Blind from the age of 7 to 15 after falling down the stairs, Eric Hoffer is famous for this insight – A movement is pioneered by men of words, materialized by fanatics and consolidated by men of actions: Opportunity.

13. A prolific quoter, T. P. Chia has a site with over 800 quotes on it. Many of them pointing to it is up to us to fulfill our desires and turn them into achievements.

14. A synonym for desire, curiosity is defined as a strong desire to know or learn something – “filled with curiosity, she peered through the window. Other ways of saying it are inquisitieness, interest, and spirit of enquiry: Curiosity killed the Cat.

15. How many times has this happened in your life, never knew there was such a sexy word for it.

Danielle comments that in her experience, desire works best when you have intersecting reasons for wanting what you want. Yu want it for yourself, and you want it for others. You want it for pleasure, and to be of service. You want it because having it gives you joy, and you can send that joy ( or money, or resources, or healing ) out in other directions. I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment.

The songs this time begin with a classic Bette Midler tune, then the pop diva Taylor Swift. We then return to the 80’s with Bowie followed by Fatboy Slim. Then a Bollywood tune from the Havoc Brothers, some Sia ending with an Australian icon Little River Band.

Namaste until next time , my dear friends.

I’m going to see the World!!

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Rod's World

How do you see the world? Gabrielle Bernstein says you can change the way through the statement – When i lean on certainty and faith I change my mind about the World I See. What does she mean by this statement? Is it that when you believe in what you believe in you do not have to fall for what mainstream media is trying to push down your throat what you are meant to believe about what goes on day to day.

Let’s have a look at ways to do this, there are many:

1. Do you open up your creativity to see the many different ways that it permits you to relate to the extraordinary journey that our lives are.

2. I recently learnt that I had very western values about the Chinese culture when I became an English tutor for three Chinese mothers. I learnt as much each lesson about China as they did about the English language each lesson. It’s a great way to find out how sheltered how you see the world is: Curious.

3. I watched a documentary about Romania, the host was appearing on a fashion reality show as thousands of people were protesting on the streets because the government were trying to legitimise corruption.

4. How much do we owe to the photographers that travel the world and capture the images that make us go : I’ve never thought that way about that place. Alex Sattler is one of them: Photograph.

5. I Think Maya is giving permission to young women to listen to their hearts and not what the fashion magazines tell them is their role in life with this statement.

6. Dali and Picasso see the world very differently to a landscape or portrait artist. Yet each is revealing his soul on the canvas: Art for Arts Sake.

7. I was in Leningrad the year before the Berlin Wall came down and Communism ended in the Soviet Union, the people we meant said they loved Russia, but they just made a mistake 70 years ago, Now known as St. Petersburg, it is a beautiful city.

8. My sister takes thousands of photo’s when she travels the world, I don’t think one of them is of the local airport: Leaving on a Jet Plane.

9. You don’t need to leave your lounge room, to have these if you are , curious that is. Although I imagine that will not be the case.

10. Shaw’s expressed views were often contentious; he promoted eugenics and alphabet reform, and opposed vaccination and organised religion. He courted unpopularity by denouncing both sides in the First World War as equally culpable, He really meant keep yourself clean and bright: Windows of the World.

11. How would life be, if this statement was true for each of us every day.

12. The general theme of Rumi’s thought, like that of other mystic and Sufi poets of Persian literature, is that of tawhid — union with the Beloved, from whom he sees himself as being cut off and aloof. His longing and desire to attain it is evident in the following poem from his book the Masnavi:

I died to the mineral state and became a plant,
I died to the vegetable state and reached animality,
I died to the animal state and became a man,
Then what should I fear? I have never become less from dying.
At the next charge (forward) I will die to human nature,
So that I may lift up (my) head and wings (and soar) among the angels,
And I must (also) jump from the river of (the state of) the angel,
Everything perishes except His Face,
Once again I will become sacrificed from (the state of) the angel,
I will become that which cannot come into the imagination,
Then I will become non-existent; non-existence says to me (in tones) like an organ,
Truly, to Him is our return: Rumi, The Beloved.

13. So are our opinions of people, as this is what we see people doing.

14. The Chinese certainly have some quirky quotes, but they always hit home: Plant more Trees.

15. So, remember to be curious and question what you think you can see or are told about our beautiful planet, or the above statement may be true.

We have the opportunity each day to do something about the planet, is it because we do not have the faith and certainty that what we believe is worthwhile or is necessarily true. It’s time to stand up for it.

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.