Don’t Cut the Person to Fit the Cloth

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Rod's World

I was in my local library returning my slightly overdue items when I saw it: The Book titled f**k it – DO WHAT YOU LOVE: Get it here, free shipping.

In this highly entertaining and motivational book, John sets out to prove that when we do what we love, we’re actually more likely to be happier, healthier, wealthier, and more successful. He addresses the significant blocks that people experience when they consider doing what they love, including: “Doing what you love is for time off, not work”, “Doing what I love would be selfish”, “I just don’t know what I love” and “I could never make a living from doing what I love”. Through no-nonsense ideas, fascinating facts and motivating calls to action, John brings us from pessimism to inspiration, so that our thoughts become powered by “F**k it, I can’t waste any more of my life”, “F**k it, I will find a way to make this work”, “F**k it, I will do what I love”.

So what is your Yes, But? here are the ones John collected from his research:

Yes, but I’m afraid I’ll fail.
Yes, but I don’t want to give up this lifestyle.
Yes, but what about my responsibilities – my family, etc.
Yes, but I’m scared I’ll embarrass myself.
Yes, but no one can just do what they love – grow up.
Yes, but I have no idea what I love.
Yes, but what about money? My passion is acting.
Yes, but I have to think about everyone else in my life.
Yes, but what if doing what I love makes me sick.
Yes, but what if no one wants the thing I love doing.
Yes, but what if I do it and it doesn’t work out. I’ll have nothing left to dream of.
Yes, but my parents won’t approve.
Yes, but it’s hard to take a commercial or business approach to doing what I love.
Yes, but I’m too old now.
Yes, but I don’t deserve to do what I love.
Yes, but what if I don’t make it work after giving up my safe, permanent job.
Yes, but the idea of what I love changes and morphs all the time – like life.
Yes, but what if I realize I don’t love it after all.
Yes, but the people around me won’t like it.
Yes, but I love lots of things, not just one.
Yes, but I don’t want to do what I love for eight hours a day, because then I won’t love it anymore.
Yes, but it’s selfish to do what you love.
Yes, but I might find out that I’m not good at doing what I love.
Yes, but work is meant to feel difficult; it’s not meant to feel like play.
Yes, but I’d never want to work for myself.

Quite a comprehensive list as to why up to 70% of people answer they do not love their work. Sometimes to Do What You Love, you have to say ‘no’ to lots of things that you’d quite like to do.

So how has society spoken about Yes, But over the years? This is what I found that to be:

1. She’s listening, all the time. Be careful what you say and think.

One of the worlds most noted Science Fiction and Fantasy writers, a 2009 profile in The New York Times Magazine described Vance as “one of American literature’s most distinctive and undervalued voices”. He died at his home in Oakland, California on May 26, 2013, aged 96: Cliff Jumping.

3. Another bride, Another June, Another sunny honeymoon, Another season, another reason, For makin’ Whoopee.

4. The ultimate Yes, But: Scared to Death.

5. Sort it out after, to live you must make mistakes.

6. When But can be a great thing: Discovery Channel Song.

7. Beautiful things the But means you do not experience.

8. Imagine if the jazz greats had listened to their Buts: Red Clay.

9. No Buts, Thankyou.

10. Two Words, Barack Obama: Yes We Can.

11. Time for some Fun.

12. Named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the Top 10 Twitter Accounts Every Entrepreneur Should Be Following, Ali is an expert at taking away the buts: Vision of Love.

13. Great trumps good every time.

14. Is Maybe So the same as but?: Call Me Maybe.

15, What’s your answer to this final quote?

John says that real prioritizing needs to be laced with frequent ‘F**K Its’, so here we go: F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It, F**K It etc, etc.

Today’s playlist includes a POTUS. We begin with the alphabetized YT Vines and KZ Tandingan. Then an ad, The Discovery Channel Song, them some of my favourite style of music from Freddy Hubbard. The POTUS follows, then Mariah Carey and Carly Rae Jepsen finish off with some classic pop: Don’t Cut the Person to Fit the Cloth.

Remember on this glorious NYE, to express Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included as you walk into 2019:

Just In Case You Need Reminding!!

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Rod's World

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure,” says Marianne Williamson in a Return to Love. “It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so people won’t feel insecure around you. You were born to manifest the glory of God that is within you. It’s not just within some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.’

We live in a new age. It’s a time of opening up and of healing and growth. It’s not passive but it requires surrender – the surrender of our old egos and patterns. As Charles Dubois once said, “The important thing is to be able at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you could become.”

Debbie Ford says in order to authentically love ourselves we have to embrace all of who we are, not just the dark but the light as well. And learning to recognize our own talents allows us to appreciate and love everyone else’s unique gifts.”

So here is Debbie’s remarkable exercise on this festive day:

‘Take a moment to quiet your mind. Take several, slow, deep breaths and slowly read through the list below. After looking at every word, say to yourself, ” I am _______,” for everyone. For example, I am healthy; I am beautiful; I am brilliant; I am talented; I am rich. Write down any word that you’re uncomfortable with, on a sheet of paper. Include words that represent things that you admire in someone else but don’t embrace in yourself.

Satisfied, secure, loved, inspiring, sensual, radiant, delicious, passionate, cheerful, joyful, sexy, forgiving, alive, fulfilled, energetic, confident, flexible, accepting, whole, healthy, talented, capable, wise, honoured, holy, empowering, embracing, divine, powerful, free, funny, knowledgeable, affluent, enlightened, realized, balanced, brilliant, successful, worthy, open, compassionate, strong , creative, peaceful, fair, famous, disciplined, responsible, happy, pretty, desirable, blissful, enthusiastic, courageous, precious, fortunate, mature, artistic, vulnerable, radiant, conscious, faithful, magnificent, cosmic, attractive, complete, centred, cherished, romantic, warm-hearted, lucky, assertive, thankful, gentle, quiet, full, soft, wanted, extravagant, decisive, juicy, tender, willing, timely, irresistible. generous, beautiful, calm, carefree, easy going, patient, non-judgemental, cool, thoughtful, spiritual, loyal, connected, articulate, spontaneous, organized, reasonable, humorous, acknowledged, content, adored, playful, clean, fruitful, punctual, fun, understanding, self-assured, dedicated, optimistic, forward, intelligent, credible, active, glamorous, fearless, vivacious, warm, focused, innovative, nurturing, superstar, wonderful, leader, solid, champion, rich, choice-maker, simple, genuine, giving, assertive, adorned, prolific, productive, bold, sensitive.

Debbie says we all possess all of these qualities. All you have to do to manifest them is unconceal, own and embrace each one. So how does the world relate to being magnificent, let’s have a look:

1. Steve Maraboli has created, contributed to, and impacted Humanitarian, Education, and Empowerment programs in 40 countries. Steve is a recipient of the prestigious United Nations Award for Philanthropy and continues to serve in support of Global Literacy and Education.

2. Find the others who can see it: You are so Beautiful to Me.

3. Time to walk tall.

4. You, Yes, You: Magnificence.

5. Mini practice, I am _______.

6. Shadow and Light, they travel together: All of Me.

7. I honour your uniqueness.

8. Double it, there you go: Brave.

9. Self Explanatory.

10. As an artist, Rudy Francisco is an amalgamation of social critique, introspection, honesty and humour. He uses personal narratives to discuss the politics of race, class, gender and religion while simultaneously pinpointing and reinforcing the interconnected nature of human existence: Love Poem.

11. From the worlds most famous quoter, Ms. Unknown, what you give and get by receiving from others.

12. I’m thinking of a very daggy song: Born to be Alive.

13. Not by Helen Keller, but it could be.

14. I saw my friend Leela yesterday, who has the prettiest smile in our community yesterday, it always makes my heart sing: Make me Smile.

15, And to finish, this beautiful ode to you.

We are taught not to acknowledge our greatness. Most of us believe we possess some positive traits but not others. But we are all things: those that make us laugh as well as those that make us cry. We are every beautiful and ugly trait rolled into one. It is time to manifest all of your qualities. When you can own your entire list you will truly be in the presence of your version of God.

I think I have kept the best playlist for this festive day. We begin with Joe Cocker, then Miten and Deva, John Legend and I snuck in one Pop diva, Sara Bareilles. Then a beautiful spoken word ode from Rudy Francisco. We go back in time to finish with Patrick Hernandez and Steve Harley, enjoy: Just In Case You Need Reminding!!

Remember to spread Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included with those you relate with today:

Every Moment is an Opportunity!!

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Rod's World

My new friend Rick is a big fan of Dan Millman. I must admit I have not read much of his work since Way of the Peaceful Warrior so I decided to check out what he had done since then. I took a fancy to Everyday Enlightenment – The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth. The Gateways are as follows:

Discover Your Worth.
Reclaim Your Will.
Energize Your Body.
Manage Your Money.
Tame Your Mind.
Trust Your Intuition.
Accept Your Emotions.
Face Your Fears.
Illuminate Your Shadows.
Embrace Your Sexuality.
Awaken Your Heart.
Serve Your World.

A great list to live a worthwhile life from. Dan speak about enlightenment as follows:

“When people ask me abstract questions about time, or space, or reincarnation, I may respond by asking whether they exercise regularly, eat a wholesome diet, get enough sleep, show kindness to others, and remember to take a slow, deep breath on occasion—because it seems important to bring our spiritual quest down to earth. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with philosophical speculation. But let’s not mistake conceptual thought for the spiritual practice of everyday life. After all, what does it serve to know whether angels wear earrings if we can’t hold a regular job or maintain a long-term relationship? What good does it do to pray like a saint or meditate like a yogi if we are unchanged when we open our eyes? What good to attend a place of worship on Saturday or Sunday if we lack compassion on Monday?”

So how do you how enlightenment, do you think you will ever get there? So very wise people have the following to say about it:

1. Mr Nature, David Suzuki says you can pick them because they walk above the ground, would certainly save on footwear.

2. I also love Pema’s stuff on compassion: Explaining Maitri.

3. I have had this quote in my altar for over 10 years.

4. Love this take on the Noble Eightfold Path, the crux of Buddhism: Alan Watts take at It.

5. Lao Tzu places it right at the feet of Self Love.

6. And here are my two favourite symptoms of Enlightenment from Deepak Chopra: Miracles.

7. Thích Nhất Hạnh born as Nguyễn Xuân Bảo on October 11, 1926, is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, founder of the Plum Village Tradition. He is known for his universal stand for world peace.

8. Each day we get a new opportunity at it: A New Day Has Come.

9. As that famous quote says, Before Enlightenment – Chop Wood, Stack Wood. After Enlightenment – Chop Wood, Stack Wood.

10. A gentle reminder that you cannot get Enlightenment from others, it is a personal journey: Happy.

11. More wisdom from Thich.

12. Permanent and Unbreakable, real and present, still working on it: A Thousand Years.

13. Well, Are You?

14. Think Gandhi, MLK, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, even the author of this quote: One Tribe.

15. And from the man who sat under the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha, a reminder what can make the journey so difficult.

I love what Dan says about Self-worth: Self-worth is not a thing; it is a perception. Just as a gymnast begins a routine with ten points and receives deductions for each mistake, so you began life with a natural, complete sense of worth. (Have you ever met an infant with self-worth issues?) But as you grow, you serve as your own judge, deducting points when you misunderstand the nature of living and learning—when you forget you are a human-in-training and that making mistakes and having slips of integrity and mediocre moments are a part of life, not unforgivable sins.”

If we agreed to give this up, our journey to enlightenment would be a much less perilous journey.

Today’s playlist begins with some wisdom and then tunes. Pema Chodron, Alan Watts and Deepak Chopra lead off with some wise words. Celine Dion, Pharrell Williams and Christina Perri follow with some beautiful tunes of possibility and we finish with Black Eyed Peas anthem to humanity, Enjoy: Every Moment is an Opportunity.

Remember to show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included to your beloveds over the festive season until we meet again:

All Good is Hard, All Evil is Easy.

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Rod's World

Today is a follow up on habits via Marc and Angel Chernoff’s excellent book: 1000+ Little Thing Happy Successful People Do Differently: Marc and Angel Hack Life. Using my write about the page you open up to formulae, we come to 30 Challenges for 30 Days of Growth.

The chapter begins with the following statement: Scientists have suggested that, with a little willpower, it takes roughly 30 days for a person to form a new habit. As with mastering anything new, the act of starting and getting beyond the preliminary stage where everything feels awkward is 80% of the battle. This is precisely why it’s important to make small positive changes every day over the course of at least a 30-day challenge.

Marc then offers you 30 suggestions, here they are:

Use words that encourage happiness
Try one new thing every day.
Perform one selfless act every day.
Learn and practice one new skill every day.
Teach someone something new every day.
Dedicate an hour a day to something you are passionate about.
Treat everyone nicely, even those who are rude to you.
Concentrate on being positive at all times.
Address and acknowledge the lesson in inconvenient situations.
Pay attention and enjoy your life as it happens.
Get rid of one thing a day for 30 days.
Create something brand new in less than 30 days.
Don’t tell a single lie for 30 days.
Wake up 30 minutes early every morning.
Ditch 3 bad habits for 30 days.
Watch less than 30 minutes of TV every day.
Define one long-term goal and work on it for an hour every day.
Read one chapter of a good book every day.
Every morning, watch or read something that inspires you.
Do something every day after lunch that makes you laugh.
Go alcohol and drug-free for 30 days.
Exercise for 30 minutes every day for 30 days.
Get uncomfortable and face a fear every day.
Cook one brand new healthy recipe every day.
Spend 10 minutes every evening reflecting on what went well.
Have a conversation every day with someone you rarely do.
Pay down debt and don’t create any new debt for 30 days.
Let go of one relationship that constantly hurts you.
Publicly forgive someone who deserves another chance.
Document every day with one photograph and one paragraph.

We often use the excuse that I don’t know where to begin, what does society say about that: let’s have a look:

1. Recently I walked across 8 Km of beach rocks, I have no sense of balance, I definitely grew from this situation.

2. The challenges begin within, after all, you made them a challenge: This Time.

3. The picture says it all.

4. Ralph puts it in your face why we challenge ourselves: Growth.

5. To spell words correctly.

6. In your challenges lie all your meaningful accomplishments: One Life.

7. One small step forward a day is all it takes.

8. Your Gut Feelings, that is what you want to know, stop ignoring them: Gut Feeling.

9. I think Ralph should be talking to his lawyers about the origin of Gail’s quote.

10. It’s really saying shake off the limits, isn’t it.: No Limit.

11. Stop playing small!!

12. Marlen Esparza is an American boxer. In May 2012, she qualified to compete at the 2012 Olympics, becoming the first American woman to qualify for the Olympics in the first year that women’s boxing was an Olympic event. She won the bronze medal in the women’s flyweight division at the 2012 Olympics in London: You Can Do It.

13. Me, Myself, I: Challenge them all.

14. Set your controls for the heart of the Sun: Chandelier.

15. And some worldly advice from big Tone to finish.

You can’t do all these challenges at once, but they will make for an inspired 2019. As you progress through these challenges remember personal growth is a slow, steady process. It can’t be rushed. You need to work on it gradually every day. There is ample time for you to be who you want to be in life. Don’t settle for less than what you think you deserve or less than you know you can be. Despite the struggles, you will face along the way, never give up on yourself. You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and twice as capable as you have ever imagined.

Today’s playlist lies in the Hip Hop stadium with three offerings. We begin with Pia Toscano, then enter the stadium with Offset. Rock offerings from Boyce Avenue and Devo follow. Usher and Ice Cube make their entry and we complete with Australia’s own Sia: All Good is Hard, All Evil is Easy.

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

We are What we Repeatedly Do!!

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Rod's World

Have you heard of James Clear, he wrote the insightful book on getting done what you want to called – Atomic Habits An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones: Get it Here, Free Shipping Worldwide.

People think when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions – doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call.

He calls them atomic habits.

In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy.

These small changes will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life.

He sums it up with the following statement:

“If you find yourself struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one, it is not because you have lost your ability to improve. It is often because you have not yet crossed the Plateau of Latent Potential. Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees. When you finally break through the Plateau of Latent Potential, people will call it an overnight success. … Mastery requires patience. The San Antonio Spurs, one of the most successful teams in NBA history, has a quote from social reformer Jacob Riis hanging in their locker room: ‘When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow, it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it—but all that had gone before.’”

So how are you with creating good habits, then again how is the planet, let’s have a look.

1. Blessed may your day be if you take this on.

2. What a simple action per day can do for your future: The Seven Habits.

3. It’s not the peak experiences that make the ultimate difference, It’s what you do after them when it comes to light.

4. The first ingredient in a brand new future: Have It All.

5. Napoleon Hill is the grandfather of the self-development movement, He is known best for his book Think and Grow Rich (1937) which is among the 10 best selling self-help books of all time.

6. Have we been listening, Aristotle who made this statement was born in 384 BC: This is How We Do.

7. What’s your favourite addiction, is it good or bad for you?

8. You wake up one day and feel really motivated. But that will not produce the result, taking up the habit of what you were motivated about is where the answer lies: Burn Bright.

9. Sixty a day of these for ten years then I became a marathon runner.

10. Self Love will help you walk this path: Love Myself.

11. They are also known as breakthroughs.

12. Make your destiny a grand one, in whichever way that shows up for you: High Hopes.

13. Step one, write a bad poem, paint a crap portrait, just begin a new habit today.

14. Maya is one of my top ten on the internet: Yum: And Still I Rise.

15. Oops, seems they left out a bit in Aristotle’s quote at number Six, makes more sense now.

How to Create a Good Habit and then How to Break a Bad Habit The 1st law (Cue) Make it obvious. Make it invisible. The 2nd law (Craving) Make it attractive. Make it unattractive. The 3rd law (Response) Make it easy. Make it difficult. The 4th law (Reward) Make it satisfying. Make it unsatisfying. This seems like it would be simple enough to do , but with the busyness, we fill our life up with these days, maybe not so, time to unclutter and allow space for some new good habits.

The playlist today is full of pop diva songs of possibility: We begin with Jannah Bolin, then Jason Mraz. Three great pop divas follow: Kate Perry, Natalie Grant and Hailee Steinfeld. Then a bit of Electronica from Panic at the Disco finishing with some sage wisdom from Maya Angelou. Enjoy: We are What We Repeatedly Do.

Remember to spread Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until next time we meet, my dear friends.

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.

What if Life is no Gamble?

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Rod's World

Scott Adams is the creator of the hugely popular Dilbert cartoon. At the beginning of his career, he found it virtually impossible to find a mentor setting him off on a lifetime journey of researching what it takes to succeed culminating in the writing of his highly popular book, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big Kind of the Story of My Life : Get It Here. Adams discovered some unlikely truths that helped to propel him forward. For instance: – Goals are for losers. Systems are for winners.
– “Passion” is bull. What you need is personal energy.
– A combination of mediocre skills can make you surprisingly valuable.
– You can manage your odds in a way that makes you look lucky to others. In the book Adams wrote the following:

“You could word-glue goals and systems together if you chose. All I’m suggesting is that thinking of goals and systems as different concepts has power. Goal-oriented people exist in a state of continuous pre-success failure at best, and permanent failure at worst if things never work out. Systems people succeed every time they apply their systems, in the sense that they did what they intended to do. The goals people are fighting the feeling of discouragement at every turn. The systems people are feeling good every time they apply their systems. That’s a big difference in terms of maintaining your personal energy in the right direction.

The systems-versus-goals model can be applied to most human endeavours. In the world of dieting, losing twenty pounds is a goal, but eating right is a system. In the exercise realm, running a marathon in under four hours is a goal, but exercising daily is a system. In business, making a million dollars is a goal, but being a serial entrepreneur is a system. For our purposes, let’s say a goal is a specific objective that you either achieve or don’t sometime in the future. A system is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of happiness in the long run. If you do something every day, it’s a system. If you’re waiting to achieve it someday in the future, it’s a goal.”

So how do you live your life, via setting possible goals or following systems, here’s what society says about winning big:

1. Back in the day, my goal was to run the Moscow Peace Marathon in ten months. My system was to get up at 5 a.m. every day and run as far as I could, something I had not done for 15 years.

2. You win the door prize if you can name which witch Alyssa Milano played in my all-time favourite TV series, Charmed: A Thousand Years.

3. One of a few comments on success by world leaders in this blog.

4. You are a struggling entrepreneur and sometimes it feels like you are pushing a 3-ton boulder up a steep hill. Costs keep mounting and you are considering giving up. Well before you do, check out these 10 setbacks that Walt Disney had, some were financial nightmares that put him millions of dollars in the red:

A. Walt formed his first animation company in Kansas City in 1921. He made a deal with a distribution company in New York, in which he would ship them his cartoons and get paid six months down the road. He was forced to dissolve his company and at one point could not pay his rent and was surviving by eating dog food.

B. Walt created a mildly successful cartoon character in 1926 called Oswald the Rabbit. When he tried to negotiate with his distributor, Universal Studios, for better rates for each cartoon, he was informed that Universal had obtained ownership of the Oswald character and they had hired Disney’s artists out from under him.

C. When Walt tried to get MGM studios to distribute Mickey Mouse in 1927 he was told that the idea would never work– a giant mouse on the screen would terrify women.

D. The Three Little Pigs was rejected by distributors in 1933 because it only had four characters, it was felt at that time that cartoons should have as many figures on the screen as possible. It later became very successful and played at one theatre so long that the poster outside featured the pigs with long white beards.

E. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was sneak previewed to college students in 1937 who left halfway during the film causing Disney great despair. It turned out the students had to leave early because of dorm curfew.

F. Pinocchio in 1940 became extra expensive because Walt shut down the production to make the puppet more sympathetic than the lying juvenile delinquent as presented in the original Carlo Collodi story. He also resurrected a minor character, an unnamed cricket who tried to tell Pinocchio the difference between right and wrong until the puppet killed him with the mallet. Excited by the development of Jiminy Cricket plus the revamped, misguided rather than rotten Pinocchio, Walt poured extra money into the film’s special effects and it ended up losing a million dollars in its first release.

G. For the premiere of Pinocchio Walt hired 11 midgets, dressed them up like the little puppet and put them on top of Radio City Music Hall in New York with a full day’s supply of food and wine. The idea was they would wave hello to the little children entering into the theatre. By the middle of the hot afternoon, there were 11 drunken naked midgets running around the top of the marquee, screaming obscenities at the crowd below. The most embarrassed people were the police who had to climb up ladders and take the little fellows off in pillowcases.

H. Walt never lived to see Fantasia become a success. 1940 audiences were put off by its lack of a story. Also, the final scene, The Night On Bald Mountain sequence with the devil damning the souls of the dead, was considered unfit for children.

I. In 1942, Walt was in attendance for the premiere of Bambi. In the dramatic scene where Bambi’s mother died, Bambi was shown wandering through the meadow shouting,” Mother! Where are you, Mother?” A teenage girl seated in the balcony shouted out, ” Here I am Bambi!” The audience broke into laughter except for the black-faced Walt who concluded correctly that war-time was not the best time to release a film about the love-life of a deer.

J. The sentimental Pollyanna in 1960 made Walt cry at the studio screening but failed at the box office. Walt concluded that the title was off-putting for young boys.

Walt was human, he suffered through many fits of anger and depression through his many trials. Yet he learned from each setback and continued to take even bigger risks which combined with the wisdom that experiencing failure can provide, leading to fabulous financial rewards: Let It Go.

5. With a nickname like Bum, NFL coach Oail Andrew Phillips could not but live by this credo.

6. A leaders job is to learn from each interaction, there better be smarter people to learn from in your vicinity: Most Girls.

7. Paul Allen and Bill Gates took some risks while founding Microsoft. One huge risk taken by Gates was that he dropped out of college to help create Microsoft, Gates could have stayed in college to learn more but instead, he took the risk to drop out and live his dream of creating Microsoft. Bill Gates also took the risk of starting his business on a vision, the vision of the personal computer being a useful tool on every office desk and in every home. When Gates was asked about these risks he said that he feels that he did not take a risk but instead he had a plan that if his business failed, he had enough money that it would not hurt him. As for dropping out of Harvard, he did not drop out, he took a formal leave of absence that left him tied to Harvard if things did not work out. He had a system in place if his goal did not work out.

8. Systems like lots of hard work in place equal luck, A Ho: Harder, Better, Faster.

9. Yes, that Donald Trump, our one, and only POTUS.

10. And from another side of the world and an earlier era, another world leader has her say: Rap Battle, Hilary vs. Donald.

11. I want a million dollars, I have a million dollars, are you willing?

12. John Davison Rockefeller Sr. was an American oil industry business magnate, industrialist, and philanthropist. He is widely considered the wealthiest American of all time, and the richest person in modern history: I’m Rich.

13. And this from the most respected world leader of all time.

14. And this is not the way to do it: That’s Life.

15. Marcus does not exist on Google, The more famous quote is by Vince Lombardi which begins the man at the top…

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard goes something like this: If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it. It sounds trivial and obvious, but if you unpack the idea it has extraordinary power. I know a lot of people who wish they were rich or famous or otherwise fabulous. They wish they had yachts and servants and castles and they wish they could travel the world in their own private jets. But these are mere wishes. Few of these wishful people have decided to have any of the things they wish for. It’s a key difference, for once you decide, you take action. Wishing starts in the mind and generally stays there. When you decide to be successful in a big way, it means you acknowledge the price and you’re willing to pay it.

I like today’s playlist, it has deep songs and silly songs, a bit of fun and thought. It begins with Christina Perri, then a Disney tune. Hailee Steinfeld from my collection of pop divas up next, then Daft Punk. The silly track is a Rap Battle between Donald and Hilary. We end with Ada and Frank Sinatra: What If Life Is Not A Gamble?

Show Love and Respect for All, Everyone Included until next we meet, my dear friends,

man in black long sleeved shirt and woman in black dress

Photo by Jasmine Wallace Carter on Pexels.com

Purpose is the Reason you Journey!!

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Rod's World

As Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.” Marc and Angel Chernoff, in their wonderful life-aspiring book Getting Back To Happy: Link to Get It. have the following to say about this quote:

“Any goal you might have might seem impossible when looked at as a whole. The trick is recognising that it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Small acts of positive intention will only help to strengthen your resolve, reignite your passion for living, and. ultimately make it easier for you to turn your life for the better.

It’s important to remember that no act of changing your situation will cause regression, as long as that act is positive and intentional. With this in mind, one simple thing to start with when things are getting stressful, and your passion for taking action is sapped, is to take ten minutes taking a walk to clear your mind. A short walk does wonders. It gives you something new to look at, gets your body moving, and is a quick way to get yourself physically out of your present situation.”

On that ten minute walk we get to remember our passion, to reignite it, here are some of my favourite quotes on the subject of my and your passion:

1. Self Love 101.

2. Gabby Bernstein walks the talk of this quote: Tap Into The Power of Presence.

3. Time to Wake Up!!

4. One of my top ten, here’s some Maya: Still I Rise.

5. Your passion is your gift to the world, please fulfil it.

6. What is you favourite dance floor, time to go there: Dancing Queen.

7. How to get over your fear of heights, don the parachute.

8. Four simple letters that will transform your life: Love has come to Town.

9. From the world most quoted, Ms. Anonymous come a moment to remember when it gets tough.

10. They say that going down to the sea and watching the power of the ocean is a potent way to get in touch with your passion as you see whats possible: We Belong to the Sea.

11. No words needed.

12. I think this has been forgotten in standard education circles. One must go and seek out the education that does this for them these days: Light My Fire.

13. Your life suddenly becomes the long way home when you miss it.

14. Yes, it is. Free form Conscious dancing at 64: Dancing In The Streets.

15. Another passion of mine: More Love Letters.

Marc and Angel continue:

” Many of us are still hopelessly trying to find our passion – something we believe will ultimately lead us closer to happiness, success, or the life situation we ultimately want. And we say hopelessly primarily because passion can’t really be found. When we say we’re trying to find our passion, it implies our passion is somehow hiding behind a tree or under a rock somewhere. But that’s far from the truth. The truth is, our passion comes from doing things right. If you’re waiting to somehow “find your passion” somewhere outside of yourself, so you finally have a reason to put your whole heart and soul into your life and the changes you need to make, you’ll likely be waiting around for an eternity.

On the other hand, if you’re tired of waiting, and you’d rather live more passionately starting today and experience small positive changes, it’s time to proactively inject passion into the very next thing you do. Think about it:

1. When was the last time you sat down and had a conversation with someone you love, with zero distractions and 100 percent focus?

2. When was the last time you exercised and put every bit of effort you could muster into it?

3. When was the last time you truly tried – truly tried – to do your very best?

Stop waiting for better opportunities. The one you have in front of you is the best opportunity.

Todays playlist contains wise words, classic songs and a sea shanty. Firstly Gabby Bernstein and Maya Angelou pass on their wisdom, then two classics from Abba and Talking Heads. Aqua then take us down to the sea, The Doors light our fire and Martha nad the Vandellas close the set having us dance in the streets. Here’s the link to the videos, enjoy: Purpose Is The Reason You Journey.

Namste until next time, my dear friends:

You Will Not Know How Powerful You Are!!

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Rod's World

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Namaste until next time, my dear friends.