Life is Easy

I’ve just returned from Perth where I spent eight days working at the Conscious Living Expo (www.consciousliving.net.au). Or would it be more appropriate to say that the time was spent having a fun experience? Personally I prefer to refrain from using the word ‘work’ due to its connotation. During the time in Perth I had the good fortune to connect with many like-minded individuals. Again and again I heard questions such as, “When will society at large wake up? What’s holding up the shift? What can we do to change things?”

While these questions – and many other similar ones – seem to indicate possibly a feeling of powerlessness I’m inclined to view them as an indication of a shift in consciousness that is occurring. All too often it’s easy to blame governments and corporations for the status quo and to also bemoan the fact that change won’t happen until those in positions of power take the lead.

In a lengthy discussion I had with a friend we explored the role governments, agencies and other organizations will be playing in the coming years. My friend’s position is that it’s necessary for change to occur at the top levels of power, which at the moment appears to be very slim. My position is that change from within occurs in all walks of life first, and that this is likely to be impetus for change.

A participant in one of the workshops I held shared what I believe to powerful testimony to the fact that change is occurring. My summation of this information may not be 100% accurate but will attempt to explain it as clearly as possible. Recently a state government in Australia conducted a survey of the population, seeking information regarding the most important priorities and needs of the general population.

Normally with surveys such as this, issues such as education, health, welfare, etc are deemed to be a priority. Instead over 70% of respondents to the survey indicated a strong need for greater community activity and involvement. This is indeed heartening to hear and indicates that there is a shift occurring.

It’s apparent that systems are crumbling, that what we’ve been trained into believing is the only way to live isn’t working. There are many individuals worldwide who are still unaware that there are other possible options for living peacefully and in harmony.

This brilliant interview with Russell Brand will most likely help individuals begin reflecting and questioning more deeply. Hopefully it will go viral on the internet! He has a very clear grasp of issues and is definitely saying he’s not buying into the common beliefs and systems we’ve all accepted as being perfectly natural and a ‘normal’ way of functioning.

http://gawker.com/russell-brand-may-have-started-a-revolution-last-night-1451318185?autoplay=1

As I’ve said previously it’s all too easy to focus on the problems we face. Finding solutions however does not need to be too difficult. A wise friend commented that solution options need to be explored, assessed and found to be workable before we fully dismantle the existing systems and structures. I fully agree with him, but am also aware that we have a young population of aware beings who have the vision, grit and determination to ensure that changes happen.

We are only just beginning this journey of significant change. Ongoing climate and Earth changes will accelerate the process of change as we will be forced to explore other options for living on this majestic planet.

One individual has shared his moving story of how he discovered that life is easy. After attempting to live like everyone else he’s realized that the ‘normal’ lifestyle is hard work. His words are powerfully moving and a real reminder of how it’s possible to revert to an ‘easy’ life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21j_OCNLuYg

I hope you enjoy watching this video as much as I do. It’s inspirational and covers a lot of issues and concerns most of us would face once we begin making changes in how we live.

Make a Difference

There is no doubt that the most effective way to create positive change is by beginning with oneself. This involves making changes within, in terms of how you see yourself and how you see yourself in relation to all others, including Mother Earth. Often making simple changes can lead to lasting change that has a healing and dramatic impact upon others and the planet.

The old ways of pushing for change are not going to work in our current climate of unrest and uncertainty. Once upon a time it was merely a matter of organizing rallies, protesting and focusing on what was wrong with a situation. Energetically that basically involves using the frequency of anger, hurt, defiance, etc to bring about change, when in reality all that resulted was more of the same energy.

In this new energy paradigm that we are in the process of moving into it’s vital that the frequency of love, compassion, tolerance etc are predominant. That whatever changes are wrought occur through the intention and manifestation of positive energy – as this is the only way to create higher frequency changes to support the new vibration that Earth and all on her are experiencing and stepping into.

For a long time I truly believed that the only way to create change was to maintain a strong spiritual practice, living with mindfulness, being in the moment with heartfelt gratitude and living in a state of unconditional love.

However, the realization finally dawned that this was insufficient! Doing the above things is essential but taking a proactive position in supporting the changes is vital to their successful implementation.

The process is really very simple and involves six stages (that I observe at this point in time):

1.    Change from within. Do the inner healing and attain a state of inner balance and harmony. Often easier said than done but constant practice and mindfulness gradually change the inner landscape from one of grief, hurt, anger etc into one of acceptance and peace.

2.    Make simple and practical changes in your everyday life. Sometimes this involves reducing reliance on plastics, growing herbs and vegetables, supporting local farmers’ markets, minimizing car usage, bartering, buying locally made products etc. Many simple changes reduce energy consumption and also support a simpler and more satisfying lifestyle.

3.    Find your passion. What is it that excites you? Begin to manifest that in some tangible way in the outer world. Often the passion does not fully emerge until the inner landscape is in harmony.

4.    Connect with like-minded souls. Connect with organizations and groups that share your passion. Develop common goals and aspirations and work in community.

5.    Take action to change the issues that are dis-harmonious, destroy the planet, weaken community etc. It is all too easy to complain about what is ‘wrong’. Instead focus on finding possible and alternative solutions. Writing letters and emails to elected politicians voicing suggestions for alternative solutions is a powerful way of creating constructive change, especially when many people take the initiative. Join organizations that are committed to creating strong community values and ensuring equity of resources, etc.

6.    Speak up. Share your awareness and understanding with others. While it’s not possible for everyone to be as strong and expressive as Mahatma Gandhi, it’s nevertheless possible to develop a strong voice, one filled with reason, containing solution based wisdom. Complaining is not an acceptable option as its energy is not going to achieve desired results!

So, where are you at this time? Every person has awareness and convictions. Channeling them constructively and in collaborative community co-operation is something we can all do!

Currently most people in our society are living in bondage to systems that demand we live a certain lifestyle. Here I refer to the endless feeling of being stuck in a rut, working for The Man, needing to pay for basic living costs, having limited choice options, being reliant on choices that are pre-determined by corporations, having a mortgage and generally not seeing a way out of the co-created reality that is primarily dependent upon a crumbling financial system.

And, let’s be totally honest, our financial system isn’t working. The high level of debt experienced by the average person attests to this. We are gearing our lives to a system that enslaves and keeps us in bondage – and all the time we hope (and pray) that the financial situation improves. Globally the situation appears to be even more disastrous.

While we continue subscribing to dated and failing systems (and beliefs) we continue creating more of the same. Winning the lottery isn’t likely to happen for the majority of people so what can we do to begin feeling more empowered and in charge of our life?

De-clutter your Life

If you are serious about changing the inner landscape, of making changes deep within then the first thing I often recommend is letting go of clutter. This may relate to physical clutter that is over-crowding your living space. It may be emotional and mental clutter. It may possibly even be the clutter of a life that is overly filled with activities and people, which keeps you from finding the space and time in which to reflect and clarify your priorities.

Just clearing the physical clutter leaves space for new energy to flow into your life. While it may be difficult to let go of books, music, clothing and personal stuff it is surprisingly restorative and energizing to do so.

Undertaking practices such as yoga, tai chi, meditation and living in the moment supports the de-cluttering of both emotions and mental processing. De-cluttering these is critical to the process of gaining clarity and stepping into a new phase of empowerment. It is only by letting go of extraneous stuff that clarity and insightfulness can occur.

Differentiate Wants and Needs

The second suggestion is to become clearer in relation to ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. Our society has adopted consumerism as a major lifestyle priority. Yet, I doubt this provides lasting satisfaction. In most instances the high that is evoked when a new product is purchased quickly diminishes. This means that additional consumerism is needed to maintain that artificial high. Instead, I recommend asking a couple of simple questions when contemplating yet another act of consumerism: “Do I need this?” and “Do I want this?” Once there is a clear and obvious response it becomes easier to say ‘no’ to the wants and to focus on needs only, thereby leaving energy and time to be gainfully employed in other satisfying and fulfilling activities.

Find Your Passion

Another suggestion for creating a state of self-empowerment and simplicity is to engage in activities that excite and generate a feeling of passion. Finding just what your passion is can be challenging as societally we’ve been conditioned to doing specific things because they’re expected of us. How often are we given the option to explore and experience our true passion? Connecting with what excites you, brings you joy and for which you feel a huge commitment is vitally important to wellbeing and physical health.

Let Go

Letting go means letting go of worry, stress and everything that decreases the enjoyment of life. It means learning to trust that everything happens for a reason and in a timely manner. It means that there is no need to control life – instead be in the flow and energy of life. Allow other people to be who they are and love them for their foibles and idiosyncrasies. Concentrate on yourself and follow your inner voice. Letting go also means letting go of ego! Ouch, that’s a biggie for most people but the more you do it the easier it becomes. The saying ‘let go/let god/goddess’ is highly relevant to nurturing the inner landscape.

There are no hard and fast rules for shifting your energy or for shifting into the new paradigm. It’s a gradual process and one that can easily be viewed as an adventure. It is often challenging, but with challenges comes growth. We’re all in this together, so let’s cooperate and aspire to achieving constructive outcomes for society and global community!

It's Time to Stop Monsanto!

In recent years I’ve been observing a miraculous trend occurring! In many countries there has been a gradual shift towards growing vegetables, fruits, berries and herbs in home gardens. This trend is a reversal from the big agri-business mono-culture cropping, which was once touted as the solution to feeding the world’s masses.

That huge experiment, as we are all rapidly becoming aware, has been a total failure and disaster. Mono-cropping and bio-engineering of seeds and plants has resulted in the denuding of essential minerals and trace elements from soils;  the continual erosion of Earth’s top crust (topsoil) and the incredible depletion of prosperity in the farming community.

There are declining harvests in those fields that are being mono-cropped. We are now experiencing a critical lack of diverse food crops available for general consumption. ‘The Good Food Revolution – Growing Healthy Food, People and Communities’ by Will Allen is a great read for understanding the history of the farming industry in the United States.

On November 5^th a critical vote will be taken in Washington State regarding the mandatory labeling of ingredients in foods. This vote is especially critical as it relates to the labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Monsanto, powerful bioengineering company, is spending millions (if not billions) of dollars to ensure that mandatory labeling does not occur. It has a vested interesting in controlling the food sources of the world.

If you are unaware of just who Monsanto is and the horrifying control it holds over our food supply you’ll find plenty of information on the internet. It’s no coincidence that many countries worldwide have banned GMOs. They are dangerous to the food chain and dangerous to the human body!

I’m including several links that I believe are important. Believe me, there is no shortage of information on the evils of Monsanto – and if I sound a tad emotional on this subject I make no apologies. The damage caused to the environment is irreparable and extensive! What appalls me even more is the fact that governments worldwide allow this to happen, and those who speak out against Monsanto’s monopoly and control are often silenced.

The Organic Consumers Association is seeking donations to their cause. They support mandatory labeling and are doing all that is possible to share their powerful environmental message. A dear friend has volunteered to seek donations for them. I encourage you to visit this site and donate in whatever way you possibly can. If we all share of our abundance we may just be able to ensure that our right to eat natural (non chemicalized) organic foods continues.

http://organicconsumersfund.org/oct-16/

If you doubt that Monsanto is an evil company and believe it has our best interests at heart then I suggest you listen to this farmer (from Canada). He spells out just how powerful, influential and damaging this company is to our right to choose and grow organic, natural foods.

http://www.brasschecktv.com/videos/spin-1/fighting-food-fascism.html

As possible ‘evidence’ of the damage that GMOs cause to the human body, the link below explains just how it interferes with the blood (circulatory) system. Anything that tampers with or destroys the blood has the potential to irreversibly damage the DNA and also genetic blueprint. Imagine the long term effects this will have on future generations. At this stage we don’t know the extent of potential impact and damage of consuming foods that contain GMOs.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/05/11/scientists-discover-bt-toxins-found-in-monsanto-crops-damage-red-blood-cells/ 

Being intuitive my guess would be that long term GMO consumption is going to:

·         Lead to weakened immune system;

·         Potentially result in decreased ability to reproduce;

·         May even contribute to, and result in, increased birth deformities;

·         Impair cognitive development in young children;

·         Contribute to the predisposition to a host of serious illnesses, including cancer.

The above list is only a rough but intuitive guess on my part and has yet to be validated by scientific statistics. But do we have to wait 25 years or so before we say ‘ooopsie, we goofed’?

As a global community we cannot afford to wait any longer. The health of the planet and all who reside upon her is at risk. Glysophates – from RoundUp weed killer used in GMOs – has already been implicated in causing cancer.

If you live in Australia don’t think that GMOs aren’t here or that Monsanto isn’t already influencing policy decisions at the government level. I have it on very good authority that Monsanto has purchased the Western Australian seed bank for $38 million. Can I prove this claim? No, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least as governments are not known for their visionary abilities. Instead government policy development generally is short term and is vested in winning elections, and in appeasing the corporations and powerful individuals who fund election campaigns.

*****

Like many individuals in recent years I’ve yearned to live a more sustainable life. No matter where I’ve lived I’ve been fortunate to have a small garden in which to grow vegetables and herbs. In addition, access to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs and local farmers’ markets has ensured that to some degree I’ve enjoyed high quality organic produce. This is a brief video clip that shows just how a family has been able to create a more natural and sustainable way of life –

http://fitlife.tv/1-man-produced-6000-pounds-of-food-on-110-acre/

When I encounter individuals who are living off the grid (without public utilities), who have sufficient acreage to plant a vast array of foods and who are truly living the ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ principles the desire to do more surfaces.

On a deeper level the desire to return to a simpler and healthier lifestyle is emerging – as I believe is occurring for many other individuals. In recent years, while living in New York I encountered countless people who expressed a desire to return to living off the land, not necessarily to establish a farm, but instead to become more self-reliant and more closely connected to the cycles of nature. Here in Australia I also observe the desire for community, co-operation, collaboration and sharing of resources.

I believe the more informed we truly are – and this means relying on alternative media sources such as the internet – the more we are able to effect positive change. It’s time to stop the insanity that currently exists, where corporations such as Monsanto hold such incredible power to influence laws that diminish our rights to our natural home and heritage – Mother Earth!

It's Time to Reclaim Empowerment

I'm thrilled by the response to my blogspot so far. It seems that there are many individuals and groups worldwide who share similar aspirations, who are feeling constrained by the limiting systems that are in place and who are questioning the status quo.

Our endeavors to create a more meaningful life are not futile. This is how change manifests though there are times it's easy to despair because we cannot readily see the desired changes happening. Yet, when we reflect back on the past 10, 20 to 50 years it's apparent that huge change has occurred - on just about every level.

When I view the changes that have occurred and where we are in terms of technology, systems, beliefs, lifestyle, etc it seems that we have reached a point - like the swinging of a pendulum - where we can go no further. It's time for the pendulum to swing back, back into balance and harmony.

Scientific experimentation has created a vast amount of the damage to our planet and to human health. While I'm not opposed to scientific endeavors as a methodology for exploring our universe and our capabilities to function at an optimal level I am opposed to science when it destroys, damages and creates irreparable destruction. (More on this in later blogs).

In many ways I'm feeling challenged as to how best to develop this blog. It's really important for us to be well informed as to just what is happening. How can we co-create a new collaborative based and harmonious world if we don't know what needs to be changed? There are many questions that can be asked in order to find out what's really been going on these past 50-100 years or so.

What are the real stories? How have we been lied to by governments and corporations? How is the media shaping our perceptions and creating a distorted view of reality? How are we becoming disempowered? Why are we allowing corporations to dictate our food sources? Why are we supporting the chemicalization of our world when Earth provides all that we need in its natural and healing form? There are many more questions, each of them unearths a travesty of deception and mis-truths.

It is all too easy to go into a fear state once we begin questioning and exploring deeply. That is NOT the intention of this blogspot.

Instead, let's share our concerns and SOLUTIONS to the issues we perceive are limiting our health, wellbeing, survival, etc!

A great deal of the information is already available via the Internet and it's my intention to share links and names of organizations that you may find relevant.

It is via setting up communications links such as this blogspot that we are able to become more empowered in creating sustainable changes. It is this way that we are able to change systems from within rather than relying on governments and corporations to do it for us -- they haven't so far and they certainly won't be changing the status quo that supports and furthers their agendas.

An interesting article was forwarded to my inbox this week and I'm sharing it because it explores the concept of 'anarchy'. For many years I've strongly felt that anarchy is preferable to democracy as my belief is that we are each masters of our life journey. We hold an inner knowing on how to live meaningfully - in co-operation and with mindfulness. It is our dated systems (such as education, political, military, financial, etc) that create unnatural and unnecessary stress, which in turn results in disharmony, chaos and the need for boundaries, laws and rules to regulate our lives to the nth degree.

http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2013/10/03/hyde-perspectives-anarchy-looking-better-time/

I hope this article provides food for thought. If you don't agree with it then I urge you to reflect on what it is that creates the disagreement. I'm not saying we should all agree with what is shared. What I'm suggesting is that we all take time to reflect on our beliefs and why we react strongly to some concepts more so than to others.

If you think that I'm over stressing the concept of population control by governments, corporations, military, etc then you might find this quote (below) by President JF Kennedy worth considering:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151860426513908&set=a.10151198752138908.475684.131929868907&type=1&theater

In addition, I'm attaching a link about mind control that may leave you with many more questions than before.

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/10/01/the-relentless-invasion-of-our-minds/ 

There are many solutions to creating  a strong and independent mindset, to becoming empowered and to feeling inspired to living a more natural and health giving lifestyle.

One that I've found particularly powerful and restorative is to spend time in nature daily - away from technology, noise and pollution. While this is not always possible even spending time sitting on grass, meditating in nature, breathing in clean natural air from plants, etc helps clear the mind and heal the body. 

Spending time in nature daily becomes addictive as the healing impact, while gradual, is powerful. Walking barefoot for an hour a day has been shown to remove the dirty electricity toxins from the body, realign the body, help relieve knee, hip and back problems and much more. It also results in increased awareness and understanding of our interdependence with the natural world. If you haven't yet begun to spend regular time in nature I encourage you to begin today!

Cause for Concern

Last night I attended a highly informative presentation by Golo Pilz, visiting from Europe, who presented an eye-opening explanation of what just is happening globally. Golo is a member of the Brahma Kumaris worldwide organization and has been involved in the most incredible environmentally sustainable work that is supported by the United Nations, Germany and also India.

A few of the disturbing facts he presented include:

*  We are currently using 1.6 of Earth's resources. What this basically means is that our consumption rate is over the limit of what is available on the planet.

*  Global warming means that ocean levels are rising at an alarming rate, which will result in all seaboard cities being critically impacted, with the likelihood of mass evacuations being required in future.

*  We are currently facing a global environmental and credit crisis. The global government concept is a failure. A large number of European countries are bankrupt - and that number continues to increase.

·         *   Oil and gas supplies are rapidly being used up and there is no way of replenishing them. Even the supplies we have now won’t be sufficient to last us for many more years. We are heavily dependent upon the petroleum industry for so many products that we take for granted. It’s likely to be tough to make adjustments when the oil and gas supplies become scarce unless we begin introducing alternative sustainable products into the markets now.

·         *  The Fukushima radiation leak now is reported as impacting most of the Pacific Ocean. Japan is a hotspot. Both the west coasts of North and South America are affected. It’s interesting to note that the German government immediately closed down its eight nuclear plants when the Fukushima disaster occurred. This is a decision that could – and should - also have been made by other countries using nuclear energy for fuel as no country is immune to the likelihood of natural disasters.

·        *   We have a world over-population crisis. Figures indicate that by 2040 the world’s population will reach 10 billion. The current food growing and production cannot keep up with the increasing demand.

·        

     *  One-third of greenhouse emissions are due to meat consumption. This is a strong reason for adopting a vegetarian diet as there’s no doubt that climate change is happening worldwide.

·        

     *  Predictions from the United Nations – based on research data from several hundred scientists – indicate that extreme weather conditions can be expected due to climate change as the average temperature increases from 1.5 to 3 degrees globally.

Solutions

1.    Alternative energy sources must be developed and used worldwide. Solar energy in particular is in especially abundant supply. Apparently 400 square kilometres of solar energy harnessing equipment would be sufficient to provide energy to the whole world! It seems that solar energy, biomass and wind energy are available and can easily be harnessed.

For information on the economic and sustainable environmental initiatives undertaken by the Brahma Kumaris check out these links:

www.environment.brahmakumaris.org  and  www.greenangelinitiative.org

2.    An energy audit taken by all households could easily result in the reduction of energy consumption by 20-30%. This entails taking simple steps to reduce gas, electric and water consumption in addition to adhering to the principles of Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Making do with less packaging, lightening the carbon footprint, etc.

3.    Becoming mindful of thoughts. According to Golo ‘our thoughts and ideas are the key to save the planet’. The more harmonious and healing our thoughts the greater the impact we have in reducing the damage being done.

For example, when a group of individuals work in community to create a more sustainable and environmentally sound solution to problems there is an increase in the vibration of harmony along with increased satisfaction/joy experienced by participants. This in turn results in further positive energies for constructive creation.

4.    Avoid consumerism. It’s a trap that results in credit debt and provides no satisfaction albeit a temporary ‘fix’ that soon needs to be fed once again.

Incidentals

Golo made several interesting observations about current global and societal trends, particularly relevant to our western culture. They are:

o    ***  The disappearance of values has initiated the degradation of our environment.

o    ***  Values and the existing technology have to go hand in hand.

Here he refers to the fact that our values have deteriorated. We’ve lost sight of what is really important and instead culturally we have become immersed in technology and consumerism!

Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying “There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not greed.”

Perhaps it’s time to reflect upon the inclusive needs of ‘we’ and let go of the greedy ‘me’ who feels there is never enough to satisfy egoic cravings?