A simple step

Consider this. The human race is the only race, animal or being in the world that chooses names for itself. You could argue that other animals simply do not have the ability to select names for themselves, as they do not know how to talk or communicate in that way. They definately identify themselves from other animals of the same breed or type, yes, but they do got give themselves names in the same way that we do. Names provide humans with our identity. Without a name, we are a nobody, a nameless human being. Like animals, without names, we would recognize one another by the features that we physically show, the behaviors that we exhibit and the things that we do or that make us different from others. The things that we do, and the behaviors we exhibit relate to our intent, rather than our identity. Our identity is a label that is given to us at birth, and which becomes the label for our particular personality. Our identity enables others to connect with us...

What does SPACE mean for you? A sky full of planets and stars, the gap between two words on this page, room to move or an empty section of wardrobe? I was reminded today about the need that we all have for space, for clear air around us, room to breathe, time for reflection and this got me thinking about how essential it can be to occasionally stop to seek out space and to immerse yourself in it. For those that have read 'I am That' you will have come across the concept of space indirectly throughout the book. Space in that context being the space between thoughts, peace of mind and serenity. The book encourages you to forget the usual concepts of self, ego and your physical state, and guides you to find yourself within that space between thoughts. It is an insightful read and one I recommend to anyone with an open heart and mind. It is one of those texts that both challenges the intellect and that reminds you of the you, you really are. So next time you have time to stop...

Neuroscience is an interesting subject, and for me came to the fore a few weeks ago when I was asked to have an MRI scan to check out a series of pretty 'gnarly' headaches that I have been experiencing for a while... I turned up for the scan which went well (apart from the poor lady doing it having to deal with a broken air conditioning unit half way through which stopped the machine..) and I was given a DVD to bring home which I promptly popped into my laptop to watch ... Wow! It is quite remarkable to behold what is up there within the old 'grey matter'.. A spaghetti mix of blood vessels weaving in and out of brain matter, and that is it. Nothing more, nothing less. Having watched it, I felt quite enlightened to know that (a) there is nothing wrong with my brain and (b) that we are such simple beings. I began to think very differently about myself, how I think, and what I do. I realized that worry really is simply a process our minds go through, which often simply w...

How consistent are you in your approach to life? Is consistency important? It is a question that I found myself asking recently when things weren't quite going as planned. How consistent we are in our approach to life and other people helps others to understand us, to understand what we enjoy, what we live for and why we are who we are. It also helps others to see how people can help one another along. Inconsistency can cause people to have a confused opinion of us, or even to find us threatening, self centered or untrustworthy. An inconsistent approach to how we handle and manage ourselves can put doubt in people's minds about our motives, goals and direction. So to enable us to convince those around us that we are good to know, and that we can help, requires a consistent image, or does it? A lack of consistency does not necessarily mean that someone is hard to trust or believe. It may mean that in actual fact, they are highly focused on helping you with your desires or n...

It's a thing that puzzles me often - 'what actually is it that makes things happen the way they do?' Energy is at the root of the answer, and around that like a pair of hands holding that ball of energy is focus, direction, will, desire and sometimes just simply, the natural course of things.. When you understand this, doors open - life becomes less busy, we have time to twiddle our thumbs and move ahead with confidence, light on our feet with a smile on our faces. Humans love weather forecasts - we listen or watch them attentively, using the knowledge that the well dressed weather forecaster gives us to decide what to wear tomorrow, what to do or where to go... Predicting the weather is a fascinating thing - because we understand the patterns that typically give rise to particular weather patterns, we are able to assess and predict what may happen. Of course, the forecasts are not always spot on, in fact sometimes they are wildly inaccurate. That said, by and large i...

Serenity for me is that feeling you get when you stop thinking and doing and 'be' ... This week I returned from a month's vacation spent mostly in Spain re-connecting with myself and those closest to me. It was an awesome time and I returned to New Zealand a new person (with a nice tan too!). Some personal events transpired which had a negative influence on my state of being, 3 days after arriving home, and I was reminded of the way in which negativity can have a profound impact on our health and state of wellbeing, not to mention our happiness. One negative thought often leads to another and then doubts arise which lead to another and if we're not careful we end up spiralling in a downwards direction, feeling sorry for ourselves and passing our own negative feelings on to others. I reminded myself that how I feel is my decision. How I react to negative energy, is my decision. Whether I react at all, again, is my decision. I used to think that avoidance was th...

As the saying goes, enjoy the journey on the way to your destination .. is the journey more important than the destination? And, if you do not have a destination, how does that make the journey feel? We had dinner out this week with a couple of friends and had a great laugh about life, nerf guns, guinea pigs and beards ... we also chatted about our lives and the journeys that we are on and the dreams that we have for ourselves. Faith in our ability to achieve those dreams has been a thread that has woven its' way through this blog one way or another for a while. Seeing life as a breeze, for example, is pretty hard if you are struggling with the way things are going (the journey), or having issues with the direction life is taking you (the destination). My thinking is that you cannot really split the two - one builds on the other. Clear direction and passion for achieving or arriving at a particular place in life will only bring happiness if you are enjoying the ride along the...