I finished reading this book for the first time recently.
It had been sitting on my shelf for an age gathering dust, but finally I got around to it. Strange that it took me so long.
For a 3 year period in the late 90's, the Celestine Prophecy was the best-selling book in the world.
People either read it and say 'this is a load of bulls**t', or they put it down and say 'that book has changed my life'.
It was one of those books that I bought on my year out. I must have read a book a week last year - it was so beautiful just knowing that a book was the priority and not just an underlying feature of life. It made reading properly possible again, for the first time since school holidays. Even though I am now living life on my own terms, things have sped up a bit in 2008, so it's now back to grabbing an hour reading whenever I can, as opposed to finding a friendly tree to sit under and laze away a whole afternoon.
Anyway, it was finally time to read the Celestine Prophecy,
The book is based around the '9 insights' listed in a mysterious, ancient, possibly Mayan, manuscript that the Peruvian government and the church are trying to destroy.
For the most part, and to me, a dedicated follower of spiritual gurus from India to Africa to the US, from Castaneda to Lao Tzu to Deepak Chopra, in 2008 the insights now read like an amalgamation of many ideas of others. Or to followers of more recent trends such as The Secret or What the Bleep, again the messages will not seem too original... But although we are familiar with these things, people 14 years ago when the Celestine Prophecy was published were in a very different spiritual landscape to the world we are in today. Quite simply, the self help / personal development / popular psychology boom had not quite happened.
It happened because of books like the Celestine Prophecy. For me, this book, published in 1994, was a key tipping point for the spiritual revolution that took place over the next 10 years.
The author, James Redfield, sets the 9 Insights, or spiritual teachings, against an Indiana Jones style adventure story line, which makes it easy for the reader to follow - and to buy into. There is a hero, many villains and much double crossing, with the church painted as the source of much of the evil in the world via misguided intentions... Which all sits rather well with me. But the narrative serves to bring the various spiritual messages to life with the same mainstream appeal as The Secret did for positive thought.
What I loved most about it is that it connects the world of science, spirituality and nature.
When I was traveling last year, I spent most of October in Peru and I think Redfield is spot on with how he views the critical role of evolution and nature in the future of mankind. My experiences there taught me that mother nature is the true host of humanity, and while we may be abusing her bountiful nature, she will be here, firmly in charge, long after we are gone. Some of what Redfield spoke about in the book really resonated with me because if my own time in Peru experimenting with various plants such as Ayahuasca.
I'm willing to bet that 'the manuscript' represents some other piece of knowledge that Redfield held back from the reader - something to do with mother nature and something with very real powers.
The book's insights around coincidences (take a minute to think about how absurd the concept of coincidence is), historical awareness, energy, flow, meditation, children and conflict, whilst not being totally original to the author, are enlightening.
I enjoyed it hugely, even if some of the action scenes are laboured and repetitive.
Every now and again a book or film comes along that brings together all the experiences and lessons of the author and creates a generation defining opinion or awareness which millions adopt.
The Secret is the most recent example.
The Celestine Prophecy was 10 years prior to that.
I say let go of your cynicism, dare to believe, and read it now - but you probably already have.
Monday 14 January 2008
Sunday 13 January 2008
Year 2, day 12 - being present / the power of now / living in the day etc etc, sigh.
I'm back in England after my african excursions. I was over tired on the plane as I wrote goals and to do lists for the coming quarter, and just felt so out of my depth at the prospect of it all.
But somehow I got to a space of real clarity - I could just 'be' with the mountain of work that needs to be done.
Balance will be integral to this year being everything I want it to be. The little things that drag me out of the zone simply have to go. So I am entering an eight week booze sabbatical as of today... dear oh dear. My mission over these next few months is to remain totally at peace with wherever I may be right now.
I keep having so many realisations around what it is to be 'present' at the moment. I get that excellence is just the same as being present. When I let go of all desires and attachments and all the meaningless ambitions, I can just excel at being me, right here, right now. And I get that who that person is, is exactly a result of what I was doing yesterday, or a minute ago. And who I am being right now is the best possible investment in the future I can possibly make. What I do right now is the producer of who I will have become in 5 minutes time, or in one hour or 10 years. It's all about right now. There is nothing else! Nothing else even exists!
I think this is one of the underlying messages in Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, when the treasure turns out to be in the shepherd's andalusian hills where his journey started - it was right with him, all along, in the present moment - he always had it, he just needed to realise it.
The treasure is right here, right now. It's the present.
So I choose to be here, and I get that all there actually is, is the here and now.
So why do I always feel as if there's somewhere to get to, something to 'make happen'?
There's nowhere to get to, no need to 'make it'.
But it's a neat trick ingraining that in our psyche. Taking time out surely helps, but as life speeds up again, it's a bigger task to stay unattached, in the day and free.
But I know at least I have a chance this time. Solid foundations are being built.
I'm rambling - but if we can't ramble on our blogs, where can we?
But somehow I got to a space of real clarity - I could just 'be' with the mountain of work that needs to be done.
Balance will be integral to this year being everything I want it to be. The little things that drag me out of the zone simply have to go. So I am entering an eight week booze sabbatical as of today... dear oh dear. My mission over these next few months is to remain totally at peace with wherever I may be right now.
I keep having so many realisations around what it is to be 'present' at the moment. I get that excellence is just the same as being present. When I let go of all desires and attachments and all the meaningless ambitions, I can just excel at being me, right here, right now. And I get that who that person is, is exactly a result of what I was doing yesterday, or a minute ago. And who I am being right now is the best possible investment in the future I can possibly make. What I do right now is the producer of who I will have become in 5 minutes time, or in one hour or 10 years. It's all about right now. There is nothing else! Nothing else even exists!
I think this is one of the underlying messages in Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, when the treasure turns out to be in the shepherd's andalusian hills where his journey started - it was right with him, all along, in the present moment - he always had it, he just needed to realise it.
The treasure is right here, right now. It's the present.
So I choose to be here, and I get that all there actually is, is the here and now.
So why do I always feel as if there's somewhere to get to, something to 'make happen'?
There's nowhere to get to, no need to 'make it'.
But it's a neat trick ingraining that in our psyche. Taking time out surely helps, but as life speeds up again, it's a bigger task to stay unattached, in the day and free.
But I know at least I have a chance this time. Solid foundations are being built.
I'm rambling - but if we can't ramble on our blogs, where can we?
Thursday 10 January 2008
Year 2, day 10 - guguletu township, western cape, south africa
This is the first of many blogs which I will write as I travel this year, visiting the places in which my charity, Cycle 4, will be active.
Today I visited Guguletu, a township of around 250,000 people 10km from Cape Town.
The cold reality of the past 10 years for South Africa is that real poverty has almost doubled. Promises have been kept, such as clean water and electricity for all, but at the expense of other rather important national attributes... stuff which we all in the west would deem absolutes.
I left the leafy suburb of Somerset West where I am staying in a shiny Toyota hatchback I have on loan, a real feeling of adventure coursing through my veins. I was off to visit a real live township, and even more than this, I was bringing help - potentially the answer to many problems.
As I drove past the airport on the immaculate motorway, I saw the sign for Guguletu, framed by the majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town, home to a gazillion dollar-rich tourists at this time of year, and turned off, full of hope at what my meeting may bring.
I soon had a very cold reality check, as I realised that life 100 yards from the freeway was of a very different nature to what is visible in the tourist busses between airport and city centre.
Not too dissimilar to how I imagine Compton circa 1980 to have been, the street corners were inhabited by loitering gangs, the playing fields by drunks and homeless: the general atmosphere was one of zero opportunity... not to mention danger.
I struggled to see a positive side, or a positive hope - sadly role models were not too evident on a hot afternoon in January. I strained to see a real life version of the famous boyz'n'the'hood scene where Lawrence Fishburne, playing the male father figure Furious Styles, maps out his own view of how young men can take control of what the future holds for the black population in modern america. But instead of this fanciful, idealistic fantasy, the visible impact of hip hop culture was everywhere.
I realised quickly that I had better close the sunroof and windows, and concentrate very, very hard on my directions.
I was meeting a prominent local Dr and Reverend who leads the fight for equality, the struggle against poverty, and for awareness around HIV in these parts.
What inspirational people Dr Xaphile and his colleagues turned out to be.
They showed me first hand what could be done by the actions of human beings. The JL Zwane centre in Guguletu is a beacon of hope, a venture born solely from the hearts of good people, and it shines like a tower of integrity in a sea of confusion and upset.
The people that run this centre are highly educated, highly intelligent agents of change - people that could have chosen their careers in any city, in any country in the world.
And they chose this.
This oasis in a desert of harsh, cold, windswept misery and destitution is what they have chosen to do with their lives.
I realised that they chose something worth living for, and I feel so proud to have met them.
There was something totally different about these people. There was no air of resignation. No tiredness - despite the mid afternoon heat reaching 40 degrees. No suspicion of the outsider.
They were vital. The glowed with purpose and assuredness.
I am proud to say this - but it was just so obvious that everyone was there for the same reason. To make change happen. The integrity was immense.
And I cannot wait to show my new friends what is possible.
In South Africa, billions of dollars are currently being spent developing a dozen national stadiums in which to house the 2010 world cup, while politicians idly dismiss the socio-economic problems of the country as a systematic result of 100's of years of oppression. A situation that will simply take generations to correct.
I can see clearly that true wealth and freedom cannot exist with this abject breakdown in our back yard. It's always there for us - the knowledge that these places exist, and that this level of existence can be tolerated in a world of such immense wealth.
Soccer stadiums, for god's sake, are being built that can seat 100,000 people, within 5 miles of Guguletu. They may take 3 years to build and rob thousands of people of the most needed of futures, but whose to say we can't match this disgraceful expenditure with the same numbers in terms of real change?
The internet brings the capability to do this.
I made a promise to myself, as I sped out of Guguletu. Having had a meeting the likes of which I used to dream of - a meeting where I was emotional within my business life - a meeting in which i gave a professional presentation which actually moved me and those around me - I made the promise that I would cause exactly that, with the team of people that I am building around me.
A team of people that are prepared to do one thing that I have always sought after - to look someone in the eye, shake their hand, and know that the work would be done.
Today I visited Guguletu, a township of around 250,000 people 10km from Cape Town.
The cold reality of the past 10 years for South Africa is that real poverty has almost doubled. Promises have been kept, such as clean water and electricity for all, but at the expense of other rather important national attributes... stuff which we all in the west would deem absolutes.
I left the leafy suburb of Somerset West where I am staying in a shiny Toyota hatchback I have on loan, a real feeling of adventure coursing through my veins. I was off to visit a real live township, and even more than this, I was bringing help - potentially the answer to many problems.
As I drove past the airport on the immaculate motorway, I saw the sign for Guguletu, framed by the majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town, home to a gazillion dollar-rich tourists at this time of year, and turned off, full of hope at what my meeting may bring.
I soon had a very cold reality check, as I realised that life 100 yards from the freeway was of a very different nature to what is visible in the tourist busses between airport and city centre.
Not too dissimilar to how I imagine Compton circa 1980 to have been, the street corners were inhabited by loitering gangs, the playing fields by drunks and homeless: the general atmosphere was one of zero opportunity... not to mention danger.
I struggled to see a positive side, or a positive hope - sadly role models were not too evident on a hot afternoon in January. I strained to see a real life version of the famous boyz'n'the'hood scene where Lawrence Fishburne, playing the male father figure Furious Styles, maps out his own view of how young men can take control of what the future holds for the black population in modern america. But instead of this fanciful, idealistic fantasy, the visible impact of hip hop culture was everywhere.
I realised quickly that I had better close the sunroof and windows, and concentrate very, very hard on my directions.
I was meeting a prominent local Dr and Reverend who leads the fight for equality, the struggle against poverty, and for awareness around HIV in these parts.
What inspirational people Dr Xaphile and his colleagues turned out to be.
They showed me first hand what could be done by the actions of human beings. The JL Zwane centre in Guguletu is a beacon of hope, a venture born solely from the hearts of good people, and it shines like a tower of integrity in a sea of confusion and upset.
The people that run this centre are highly educated, highly intelligent agents of change - people that could have chosen their careers in any city, in any country in the world.
And they chose this.
This oasis in a desert of harsh, cold, windswept misery and destitution is what they have chosen to do with their lives.
I realised that they chose something worth living for, and I feel so proud to have met them.
There was something totally different about these people. There was no air of resignation. No tiredness - despite the mid afternoon heat reaching 40 degrees. No suspicion of the outsider.
They were vital. The glowed with purpose and assuredness.
I am proud to say this - but it was just so obvious that everyone was there for the same reason. To make change happen. The integrity was immense.
And I cannot wait to show my new friends what is possible.
In South Africa, billions of dollars are currently being spent developing a dozen national stadiums in which to house the 2010 world cup, while politicians idly dismiss the socio-economic problems of the country as a systematic result of 100's of years of oppression. A situation that will simply take generations to correct.
I can see clearly that true wealth and freedom cannot exist with this abject breakdown in our back yard. It's always there for us - the knowledge that these places exist, and that this level of existence can be tolerated in a world of such immense wealth.
Soccer stadiums, for god's sake, are being built that can seat 100,000 people, within 5 miles of Guguletu. They may take 3 years to build and rob thousands of people of the most needed of futures, but whose to say we can't match this disgraceful expenditure with the same numbers in terms of real change?
The internet brings the capability to do this.
I made a promise to myself, as I sped out of Guguletu. Having had a meeting the likes of which I used to dream of - a meeting where I was emotional within my business life - a meeting in which i gave a professional presentation which actually moved me and those around me - I made the promise that I would cause exactly that, with the team of people that I am building around me.
A team of people that are prepared to do one thing that I have always sought after - to look someone in the eye, shake their hand, and know that the work would be done.
Tuesday 8 January 2008
Year 2, day 7 - spooky everyday notes
I received this earlier today, and thought you may enjoy it:
"You're in time and space for one reason: to thrive. There's no 50/50 about it. You are OF the Creator, BY the Creator, and now a Creator yourself, alive on a stage YOU designed for your own adventures. You were not an afterthought and you didn't design it to just eek by. All of the elements are beholden to you; you summoned them, you dreamed them into place, and now they conspire endlessly in your favor. "On a dime" your life can improve for the better with the slightest effort on your part, no matter how insurmountable the odds, nor how futile your thoughts and deeds may seem. You are "the prodigal child." In a heartbeat you're welcomed back into the fold. In an instant you can be carried along by life's current once you stop struggling against it. And for all of these reasons, and more, it's therefore as if your positive thoughts are 10,000 times more powerful than your negative thoughts. 10,000 times more in alignment with the magnificent tidal wave of energy that you are. 10,000 times more likely to become the things you want than the things you don't want, when you know these truths and you act on them. Yeah, coolness. The UNIVERSE"
If you enjoyed that as much as I did, i.e alot, sign up for 'notes from the universe' at www.tut.com... Trust me when I say they are spookily awesome.
"You're in time and space for one reason: to thrive. There's no 50/50 about it. You are OF the Creator, BY the Creator, and now a Creator yourself, alive on a stage YOU designed for your own adventures. You were not an afterthought and you didn't design it to just eek by. All of the elements are beholden to you; you summoned them, you dreamed them into place, and now they conspire endlessly in your favor. "On a dime" your life can improve for the better with the slightest effort on your part, no matter how insurmountable the odds, nor how futile your thoughts and deeds may seem. You are "the prodigal child." In a heartbeat you're welcomed back into the fold. In an instant you can be carried along by life's current once you stop struggling against it. And for all of these reasons, and more, it's therefore as if your positive thoughts are 10,000 times more powerful than your negative thoughts. 10,000 times more in alignment with the magnificent tidal wave of energy that you are. 10,000 times more likely to become the things you want than the things you don't want, when you know these truths and you act on them. Yeah, coolness. The UNIVERSE"
If you enjoyed that as much as I did, i.e alot, sign up for 'notes from the universe' at www.tut.com... Trust me when I say they are spookily awesome.
Saturday 5 January 2008
Year 2, day 5 - interesting last words
Taken from Kurt Vonnegut's last press interview, for what it's worth I disagree with his views on America, and I think a lot of Americans are too hard on themselves about recent world events:
Q: In the process of your becoming, you’ve given the world much warmth and humor. That matters, doesn’t it?
KV: I asked my son Mark what he thought life was all about, and he said, “We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” I think that says it best. You can do that as a comedian, a writer, a painter, a musician. He’s a pediatrician. There are all kinds of ways we can help each other get through today. There are some things that help. Musicians really do it for me. I wish I were one, because they help a lot. They help us get through a couple hours.
Q: “A lack of seriousness,” you wrote, “has led to all sorts of wonderful insights.”
KV: Yes. The world is too serious. To get mad at a work of art — because maybe somebody, somewhere is blowing his stack over what I’ve done — is like getting mad at a hot fudge sundae.
Q: So what’s the old man’s game, then?
KV: My country is in ruins. So I’m a fish in a poisoned fishbowl. I’m mostly just heartsick about this. There should have been hope. This should have been a great country. But we are despised all over the world now. I was hoping to build a country and add to its literature. That’s why I served in World War II, and that’s why I wrote books.
Q: When someone reads one of your books, what would you like them to take from the experience?
KV: Well, I’d like the guy — or the girl, of course — to put the book down and think, “This is the greatest man who ever lived.” [Laughs.]
Q: In the process of your becoming, you’ve given the world much warmth and humor. That matters, doesn’t it?
KV: I asked my son Mark what he thought life was all about, and he said, “We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” I think that says it best. You can do that as a comedian, a writer, a painter, a musician. He’s a pediatrician. There are all kinds of ways we can help each other get through today. There are some things that help. Musicians really do it for me. I wish I were one, because they help a lot. They help us get through a couple hours.
Q: “A lack of seriousness,” you wrote, “has led to all sorts of wonderful insights.”
KV: Yes. The world is too serious. To get mad at a work of art — because maybe somebody, somewhere is blowing his stack over what I’ve done — is like getting mad at a hot fudge sundae.
Q: So what’s the old man’s game, then?
KV: My country is in ruins. So I’m a fish in a poisoned fishbowl. I’m mostly just heartsick about this. There should have been hope. This should have been a great country. But we are despised all over the world now. I was hoping to build a country and add to its literature. That’s why I served in World War II, and that’s why I wrote books.
Q: When someone reads one of your books, what would you like them to take from the experience?
KV: Well, I’d like the guy — or the girl, of course — to put the book down and think, “This is the greatest man who ever lived.” [Laughs.]
Friday 4 January 2008
Thursday 3 January 2008
Year 2, Day 1 - inspiration and resolution
I think new year's resolutions are important. They are, if nothing else, a useful thing to look back on as we consider where our lives are going. They can enhance our understanding of who we think we are and what actually exists for other people, is what I mean.
Which is always a good thing...
I read a quote today that really inspired me. I've been wondering what I should blog about at the beginning of this year and thanks to this quote I now know - it totally resonated with me.
It was made by Bilawal Bhutto, who is the son of Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan who was assassinated last week. In the wake of this senseless killing, Bilawal, who is 19 and studying at Oxford, was elected as head of his mother's political party. He wrote this on his Facebook page:
'I am not a born leader. I am not a politician or a great thinker. I'm merely a student. I do the things that students do like make mistakes, eat junk food, watch Buffy, but most importantly of all... learn. My time to lead will come but for now I'm the one asking questions, not the one answering them. People have asked why I want to partake in a future that will put my life, and the lives of those around me, in constant and critical danger. People have questioned why a person of only 19 years of age feels he has the ability to achieve greatness for a nation in turmoil. I can say this in response: They are the right questions to be asking. These questions are the foundations of democracy and a free society are built on. The important thing is not to stop questioning.'
When I read this, I can see very clearly how a 19 year old can save his country, and play a huge part in saving the human race. This guy has lost his grandfather, mother and two uncles to political assassinations... That must be a record. But do you feel how strong he is?
That sort of strength can only be achieved when a human being takes a stand. It is the most empowering thing in the world - it cannot be beaten out of us.
I think Bilawal is lucky to have inherited such strong lineage to take with him on his perilous journey... Of course he will be accompanied by much personal pain, but like many great leaders he will use this pain to fuel his resolve when the days are dark, as at times they undoubtedly will feel...
When I read this quote I see far more than just a student. I see a prosperous, free and fair Pakistan. I see a world leader.
I see peace in the middle east.
But we can all take a stand like Bilawal. We can all find something that touches, moves and inspires us and then simply make that choice: This is what I stand for.
My own stand, as I have blogged about before is 'Abundance for all'. I am so angry at the concentration of wealth on this planet, and so angry at the poverty gap. Working to decrease these two things really gets me out of bed in the morning. We live on an abundant planet which can provide indefinitely for all mankind. As long as we respect and love and look after it, it will evolve and serve us for thousands and thousands of millions of years (this is why I love my stand - it is so juicy, it spreads into all sorts of areas and I don't feel sidetracked at all).
But anyway, this blog is not about my stand... It's supposed to be about my resolution, I think. Or maybe it's about Bilawal Bhutto now. Or poverty. Hell, I'm not sure. But I am enjoying writing this.
Just don't get me started on the definition of abundance.
I can see something else in Bilawal's quote, which is, in a round about way, bringing us to my new year resolution.
What I see in Bilawal is a profound relationship to what actually 'is' in his life. And I really get that he is kind of at peace with what exists right now. And that he has a huge confidence for the future and in his abilities. And he is very aware of his own destiny.
I believe that each of us has a destiny, just like Bilawal. We just don't know it like he does - we don't have it mapped out for us.
And we are always being told we are in control of our own destiny.
Maybe we are, maybe we aren't, but one thing I do know is that I spend too much of my life worrying about my future and my destiny and trying to control it. Too much time beating myself up for stuff I haven't done today, or stuff I could have done better. Too much time wallowing in procrastination or anxiety.
So my new year's resolution is: To be at peace with where I am right now. To trust that great things lie ahead for me. To be thankful for what I have and who I am. To invest in my future by staying in the present moment. To stay true to myself and to what I have right here, right now, and to realize how damn lucky I am. To lead by doing what I know is right. To have the courage to follow my heart.
To support people like Bilawal and try and take some of the pressure from his shoulders, by simply being a leader myself... A leader in my own lunchbreak if you like.
To just stay here and now and to know that here and now is already whole and complete.
That's it, I've got it in... 8, I think.
x
Which is always a good thing...
I read a quote today that really inspired me. I've been wondering what I should blog about at the beginning of this year and thanks to this quote I now know - it totally resonated with me.
It was made by Bilawal Bhutto, who is the son of Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan who was assassinated last week. In the wake of this senseless killing, Bilawal, who is 19 and studying at Oxford, was elected as head of his mother's political party. He wrote this on his Facebook page:
'I am not a born leader. I am not a politician or a great thinker. I'm merely a student. I do the things that students do like make mistakes, eat junk food, watch Buffy, but most importantly of all... learn. My time to lead will come but for now I'm the one asking questions, not the one answering them. People have asked why I want to partake in a future that will put my life, and the lives of those around me, in constant and critical danger. People have questioned why a person of only 19 years of age feels he has the ability to achieve greatness for a nation in turmoil. I can say this in response: They are the right questions to be asking. These questions are the foundations of democracy and a free society are built on. The important thing is not to stop questioning.'
When I read this, I can see very clearly how a 19 year old can save his country, and play a huge part in saving the human race. This guy has lost his grandfather, mother and two uncles to political assassinations... That must be a record. But do you feel how strong he is?
That sort of strength can only be achieved when a human being takes a stand. It is the most empowering thing in the world - it cannot be beaten out of us.
I think Bilawal is lucky to have inherited such strong lineage to take with him on his perilous journey... Of course he will be accompanied by much personal pain, but like many great leaders he will use this pain to fuel his resolve when the days are dark, as at times they undoubtedly will feel...
When I read this quote I see far more than just a student. I see a prosperous, free and fair Pakistan. I see a world leader.
I see peace in the middle east.
But we can all take a stand like Bilawal. We can all find something that touches, moves and inspires us and then simply make that choice: This is what I stand for.
My own stand, as I have blogged about before is 'Abundance for all'. I am so angry at the concentration of wealth on this planet, and so angry at the poverty gap. Working to decrease these two things really gets me out of bed in the morning. We live on an abundant planet which can provide indefinitely for all mankind. As long as we respect and love and look after it, it will evolve and serve us for thousands and thousands of millions of years (this is why I love my stand - it is so juicy, it spreads into all sorts of areas and I don't feel sidetracked at all).
But anyway, this blog is not about my stand... It's supposed to be about my resolution, I think. Or maybe it's about Bilawal Bhutto now. Or poverty. Hell, I'm not sure. But I am enjoying writing this.
Just don't get me started on the definition of abundance.
I can see something else in Bilawal's quote, which is, in a round about way, bringing us to my new year resolution.
What I see in Bilawal is a profound relationship to what actually 'is' in his life. And I really get that he is kind of at peace with what exists right now. And that he has a huge confidence for the future and in his abilities. And he is very aware of his own destiny.
I believe that each of us has a destiny, just like Bilawal. We just don't know it like he does - we don't have it mapped out for us.
And we are always being told we are in control of our own destiny.
Maybe we are, maybe we aren't, but one thing I do know is that I spend too much of my life worrying about my future and my destiny and trying to control it. Too much time beating myself up for stuff I haven't done today, or stuff I could have done better. Too much time wallowing in procrastination or anxiety.
So my new year's resolution is: To be at peace with where I am right now. To trust that great things lie ahead for me. To be thankful for what I have and who I am. To invest in my future by staying in the present moment. To stay true to myself and to what I have right here, right now, and to realize how damn lucky I am. To lead by doing what I know is right. To have the courage to follow my heart.
To support people like Bilawal and try and take some of the pressure from his shoulders, by simply being a leader myself... A leader in my own lunchbreak if you like.
To just stay here and now and to know that here and now is already whole and complete.
That's it, I've got it in... 8, I think.
x
Tuesday 1 January 2008
Day 365 - a year in summary
I've managed to take some time to reflect on what my year out has brought me.
I took a long walk yesterday and had a few moments to make some notes... And after my soberest new year's celebration ever, I was up early this morning for coffee and breakfast at a beautiful little coffee house nearby. Out came the notebook again...
It was extremely positive reflection.
A year ago I was a fully paid up member of the proverbial rat race. I am now, in my own mother's words '99% a different human being'. You know it's gotta be serious...
And now, what am I? A traveling writer, non-profit pioneer, warrior of light, philosophizing happiness expert...? Actually that's not quite it, but it's close.
My first thoughts were that a year is just a decent length of time. You can really get to grips with all your 'stuff' in the course of a year. A sabbatical, a mini retirement, a rest cure - whatever you want to call it, substantial time out from one's career is just a great period in life.
It has undoubtedly been the greatest period in my life to date.
Just to reclaim the joy of living life on my own terms has been truly liberating. Or probably gain it for the first time if I am being truthful.
And rather than leaving this period wistfully behind, I believe the remainder of my life will be more of the same - because what I have done is lay real foundations for my life.
I have some great gigs on professionally - freelancing roles which could really grow into something... I have my own charity launching imminently which will completely change the way we give... I write about what I want to write about every day.
In the last week, while enjoying my current holiday in southern africa, I realize that one really enormous thing I have done is reject everything that I consider to be, for want of less primitive expressions... bad... wrong... and evil.
I have these things down to an absolute minimum in my life now.
I really have managed to release my attachments to most things material, financial and superficial. Which feels amazing.
More to the point, it feels amazing to know that this is actually possible. When we are in the corporate world - in the matrix - we find it difficult to believe that an existence outside of 'accumulation' can possibly lead anywhere but destitution. This is one of the establishment's most elaborate hoaxes. When in actual fact, the process that I have gone through could seem no more natural or prosperous.
Freedom to pursue our own paths each day, to pick our gurus and teachers, to use and speak our own mind each day, to follow our heart, to FIND WHAT WE LOVE, these are priceless gifts. And they are yours, if you would only give yourself the time for peace and the time to realize it.
It is of little wonder to me that the world we are in is in such a giant pickle. 95% of us are suppressed and trapped in a delusional cycle of accumulation, competition and self-absorption.
For the most part, this will lead us to a best case scenario called 'survival'.
But the answer is so close by. Indeed, it is within us all. But so great have most of the external forces become that our inner voice often gets drowned out. The thought of taking a year out is laughable to most.
Anyway, I have broken free of this cycle and it is just so beautiful to know that another world exists out there. A world of camaraderie, love, trust and contribution. A world where dormant forces really do come alive and help us out on a daily basis.
A world that responds to passion and energy.
This is the world I live in now.
It is possible to make a great living in this world - from a hammock on a beach. To lead by simply doing what you know is right. To create your own universe entirely. And I believe that people are ready to start to opt in. I see it everywhere. Eventually the 'powers that be' will simply have no subscribers left. They will be a laughing stock - a powerless group of under achievers who bought the biggest con of all.
One thing I am sure of now as I was the day I was born, is that the Truth will set you free.
It is a life free of politics and corruption. A life which knows of no limits. A universe created by nothing but my own perception. A life that enables me to live quite literally as free as a bird.
I get that everything in life is a choice. I choose not to live under the corrupt leaders of this world. My existence is entirely independent of them - a life under my own banner and the banner of those I respect, love and follow. A life where I exercise my rights and where no one can keep me down. I am living my own life - on my own terms.
It is not without it's challenges, and the need for improvement is evident each day.
But at long last I am on my path, for which I am most grateful.
At the end of this most wonderful year, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist:
'The boy reached through to the soul of the world, and saw that it was a part of the soul of god. And he saw that the soul of god was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.'
I took a long walk yesterday and had a few moments to make some notes... And after my soberest new year's celebration ever, I was up early this morning for coffee and breakfast at a beautiful little coffee house nearby. Out came the notebook again...
It was extremely positive reflection.
A year ago I was a fully paid up member of the proverbial rat race. I am now, in my own mother's words '99% a different human being'. You know it's gotta be serious...
And now, what am I? A traveling writer, non-profit pioneer, warrior of light, philosophizing happiness expert...? Actually that's not quite it, but it's close.
My first thoughts were that a year is just a decent length of time. You can really get to grips with all your 'stuff' in the course of a year. A sabbatical, a mini retirement, a rest cure - whatever you want to call it, substantial time out from one's career is just a great period in life.
It has undoubtedly been the greatest period in my life to date.
Just to reclaim the joy of living life on my own terms has been truly liberating. Or probably gain it for the first time if I am being truthful.
And rather than leaving this period wistfully behind, I believe the remainder of my life will be more of the same - because what I have done is lay real foundations for my life.
I have some great gigs on professionally - freelancing roles which could really grow into something... I have my own charity launching imminently which will completely change the way we give... I write about what I want to write about every day.
In the last week, while enjoying my current holiday in southern africa, I realize that one really enormous thing I have done is reject everything that I consider to be, for want of less primitive expressions... bad... wrong... and evil.
I have these things down to an absolute minimum in my life now.
I really have managed to release my attachments to most things material, financial and superficial. Which feels amazing.
More to the point, it feels amazing to know that this is actually possible. When we are in the corporate world - in the matrix - we find it difficult to believe that an existence outside of 'accumulation' can possibly lead anywhere but destitution. This is one of the establishment's most elaborate hoaxes. When in actual fact, the process that I have gone through could seem no more natural or prosperous.
Freedom to pursue our own paths each day, to pick our gurus and teachers, to use and speak our own mind each day, to follow our heart, to FIND WHAT WE LOVE, these are priceless gifts. And they are yours, if you would only give yourself the time for peace and the time to realize it.
It is of little wonder to me that the world we are in is in such a giant pickle. 95% of us are suppressed and trapped in a delusional cycle of accumulation, competition and self-absorption.
For the most part, this will lead us to a best case scenario called 'survival'.
But the answer is so close by. Indeed, it is within us all. But so great have most of the external forces become that our inner voice often gets drowned out. The thought of taking a year out is laughable to most.
Anyway, I have broken free of this cycle and it is just so beautiful to know that another world exists out there. A world of camaraderie, love, trust and contribution. A world where dormant forces really do come alive and help us out on a daily basis.
A world that responds to passion and energy.
This is the world I live in now.
It is possible to make a great living in this world - from a hammock on a beach. To lead by simply doing what you know is right. To create your own universe entirely. And I believe that people are ready to start to opt in. I see it everywhere. Eventually the 'powers that be' will simply have no subscribers left. They will be a laughing stock - a powerless group of under achievers who bought the biggest con of all.
One thing I am sure of now as I was the day I was born, is that the Truth will set you free.
It is a life free of politics and corruption. A life which knows of no limits. A universe created by nothing but my own perception. A life that enables me to live quite literally as free as a bird.
I get that everything in life is a choice. I choose not to live under the corrupt leaders of this world. My existence is entirely independent of them - a life under my own banner and the banner of those I respect, love and follow. A life where I exercise my rights and where no one can keep me down. I am living my own life - on my own terms.
It is not without it's challenges, and the need for improvement is evident each day.
But at long last I am on my path, for which I am most grateful.
At the end of this most wonderful year, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist:
'The boy reached through to the soul of the world, and saw that it was a part of the soul of god. And he saw that the soul of god was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.'
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