Darwin Re-Created

Hello friends! Yesterday, we closed off by pointing to a new topic that will possibly -- profoundly -- change your perception of the famous Darwinian phrase survival of the fittest.

Now, I'm very confident (in the humble way, not the arrogant way!) that very quickly, you'll see how simple what I'm trying to share with you today really IS. Indeed, one of the characteristics of all real wisdom is that it's simple.

Of course, it may not seem simple at first; but once you "get it," you can't help buy reflect and go: ohhhhhh yeah, that's so simple!

The reason I'm sharing all of this, is because before we can visit our good friend Charles Darwin, I'd like us to visit our other good friend: The Secret :)

(By the way, if you haven't yet seen The Secret or mapped out its various beneficial aspects, click on this link and you'll be amazed at what you can learn -- and yes, it's simple!)

Now, in The Secret, one of the underlying themes that is either overtly discussed or subtly alluded to, is that we create our own reality. That is, reality is not something "out there" -- it's as much an expression of what's "in here" -- in each one of us -- as it is anything else. In other words: reality is a dialogue between the outer and the inner. We aren't passive observers who simply "objectively" see reality for what it is. Indeed, real objectivity does not exist. You may need to read that again because it's a powerful, potentially transformative statement of fact: real objectivity does not exist. And that is the reason -- and the only reason -- why we create our realities; or, at the very least, we contribute to our realities in much deeper ways that we can "detect" using our senses or our intellect.

So....what? Good question. We aren't done yet :)

Another way of understanding this basic fact is through the word filtering. We filter our reality through our perceptions; and that means that WE SEE WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE.

Sounds weird? Yes, maybe -- but if we look into our own personal experience, we can see that this is indeed quite true. Do you remember being in love? Or the days after a blissful, inspiring experience? How does the world look? If you have to stand in line an extra few minutes because the employees are chatting aimlessly, or you get stuck in traffic longer than you expected, or it rains all the time, or something else "negative" happens...do you care? If you do, then it's just barely caring.

Now picture yourself on one of your BAD DAYS. How much tolerance do you have for even the slightest inconvenience? How do you respond to bad weather, to traffic jams, to "rude people" at work or the daily, ordinary, frusterating things of life itself?

Obviously, something has to be "different" about these situations. The rain is the same. The traffic is the same. The aimless talkative employees are the same. Everything else is the same. YOU are different! Your perception is different; your FILTER is different. You are simply "changing" how you see reality; or rather, your unconsciousness is changing it for you. That's why you can go through a similar experience in two different "moods" and experience wildly different emotions, and even conclude wildly different facts. Those chatty employees can go from being "carefree and playful" to "JUST PLAIN EVIL FIRE THEM ALL!! AHHHH!"

:)

Now, with all of this in mind, let's jump over to Charles Darwin and his rather oft-borrowed (and widely misunderstood) observation that only the fittest survive.

You see, in today's world, the people who tend to "use" this observation almost always use it as a justification for a very (very) aggressive approach to life. They see life as a threatening jungle within which everything is out to eat everything else -- or if not eat it, then harm or destroy it "just because that's what things do in the jungle."

But...ah, yes, you're thinking it with me now, right? THEY'RE FILTERING! They're doing exactly what The Secret says they're doing: they're seeing reality through the filter of "dog eat dog." Naturally, they'll see this wherever they look. In fact, they might see ten or even one hundred examples of harmonious cooperation; but the ONE time someone fights with someone else, they'll pay attention, look at you and say: see? see? I told you! Survival of the fittest! So what, really, does this tell us about Darwin's statement? It tells us that Survival of the Fittest does not mean what we think it means!

It does NOT mean that "only the strong survive." It means only the aware survive, because only the aware are aware that they're filtering! Only the aware -- that is, only those who are grounded in the present and conscious of what's really happening -- can adapt to reality and see it for what it is.

That's what Darwin meant.

It's survival of the fittest, yes. But the fittest doesn't mean the most aggressive. It means the most conscious; the most aware.

Your task? Filter your world around awareness and consciousness. See awareness and consciousness in your life. When you look at a flower: LOOK. Don't think about the flower, what it's called, whether it would look nice in your garden, or whatever. Be conscious. Be aware.

Start small, and then keep adding more and more awareness and consciousness into your life. Eventually, small things will become big things: relationships, career, social contribution...it will all be filtered through your lens of awareness and consciousness.

If Darwin were here, I can only imagine he'd be bookmarking this blog :)

Until tomorrow!

Creative vs. Competitive

One of the most interesting -- and important -- aspects of The Secret is this: creativity is not competition. In fact, they're polar opposites.

However, in today's business world (and probably other worlds, too, such as some social worlds and recreation worlds) it's extremely easy to "believe" in the overwhelming power of "scarcity." And that belief drives us to compete, not to create.

One of the reasons that this is so challenging in everyday life, is that we can easily forget just what it means to create, and what it means to compete. In other words: we can, somehow, delude ourselves into thinking that we're creating when we're really competing. During these times -- and they usually happen when we're under stress and unaware of our present moment realities -- we could really use some simple, clarifying pointers to help guide the way. That's what we'll focus on today.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE COMPETING IF...

• you cannot "win" without making someone else "lose"


• your underlying motivation to take action is based on fear


• you are making decisions and/or taking actions that you know are not in alignment with your values -- but you have to "silence" this inner voice


• you cut yourself off from the feeling of what you're doing, and become completely cerebral and "stuck in your head"


• you do not honestly feel good about your accomplishments; instead, you feel empty, guilty or ashamed


• the value of your contribution has actually taken away something from the world -- it may be very small and perhaps nobody will notice, but YOU know


• if you met yourself (really, pretend that you did), you wouldn't be able to look yourself in the eye and clearly describe what you're doing, why you're doing it, and why you don't stop doing it

YOU KNOW YOU'RE CREATING IF...

• you can only win when other people win alongside you


• your motivations are self-generating; instead of "talking yourself into" doing something, you simply ride a wave of authentic enthusiasm that is beyond your power to incite


• you are not obsessed by the outcome of your actions, but powerfully aware that the means and the ends are, in fact, part of the very same contiuum and are "part" of each other (much as the cloud is part of the rain; and the rain is part of the ocean)


• you are open and adjust to reality and to nature; you don't impose your agenda on the world, but instead, embrace and respond to it


• you would do what you're doing regardless of whether anyone was there to applaud, appreciate, or pay you to do it


• if you met yourself, you'd give yourself a great big HUG for being so creative :)

As you can see, the difference between creating and competing is quite vast; it's the difference between a positive contribution and a negative contraction; between giving something fresh and new to the world, or taking something from it; something that could have been divine and celebrated.

Yes, of course, here in our nice friendly blog, it's easy to see the difference: it's day and night, white and black. But "in reality" -- particularly in the business world -- it's so easy to lose this clarity, and to start "moving" that line between what we know to be creative, and what we know to be competitive.

When those moments emerge in your life -- and yes, they will happen; that's the nature of life to test us in many ways -- then please consider coming back to this safe, friendly blog and re-reading this post (you may even want to bookmark it). It could be the clarifying wake-up call that you need to ensure that your path is the creative...not the competitve.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about something that many of you are going to find very, very interesting -- we're going to visit our old pal Charles Darwin, and re-create his so called "survival of the fittest" observation. It's something that will affect many of you and help you really understand whta Darwin meant -- and what it means NOW. Check back tomorrow and see for yourself!

Until then...

An Attitude of Gratitude!

Yesterday, we looked at the basic fact that attention is nourishment. And to illustrate how to become more attentive about something helpful, positive and valuable in your life (and naturally, in the lives of those around you), we looked at the "gratitude rock" idea from The Secret. (By the way -- The Sequel to the Secret is going to be out very soon; please stay tuned to this blog and I'll keep you updated!).

Today, I'd like us to look more deeply at the concept of gratitude.

Now, you may be wondering (as I'd be wondering if I were you) why we should focus more on something that we already understand. After all, each of us has experience of being grateful; and yes, each of us have experience of not being grateful -- or, indeed, of someone not expressing gratitude towards us and thereby making us feel...well, I guess really bad is the only term I can use. "Humiliated" also fits.

The basic point is: we all "understand" gratitude, and we all have experiences -- many experiences -- to draw upon if we need a little refresher of the creative, nourishing power of gratitude AND the destructive, harmful power of ingratitude.

So...if we're all such gratitude-experts, why do we want to spend more time learning about it here?

The simple answer to that question is: honestly, it's just plain hard to be grateful these days.

Really. Open up a newspaper, turn on the news, or even just browse through the web and you'll almost certainly (I'd say absolutely certainly) bump into 20 "bad news" events before connecting with one that is even mildly positive; that is, something that you could, somehow, be grateful for.

Actually, sometimes it seems that the "bad news to good news" ratio in the world may be higher than 20 to 1. Maybe it's 100 to 1. Maybe 1000 to 1.

Well, I'm not going to go out and study this (and I don't recommend that you do, either!), but I will admit -- as positive, optimistic and solution-focused as I am -- that, yes, it's hard to remember the power of gratitude. Or, to put it another, more practical way: it's easy to forget to feel grateful.

Now, I'm not saying that to make anyone feel guilt (including me :). Feeling grateful is, sometimes, an uphill experience.

It's hard to see past the daily, ordinary (or maybe not so ordinary) problems and challenges of life. It's hard to find the clarity that we wish we could tap into. It's hard to remember and be alert to the things that really matter to us -- the things that keep us integrated, that nourish our spirits and bodies, that enable us to be loving, kind, peaceful people sharing a pretty weird journey (well, it is kind of weird) around a sun for...who knows how long? Decades for some, years for others, months, days...it's a mystery.

And it's a mystery that thrives and comes alive with gratitude.

My partner Anneli and me have created an ebook to help you bring more gratitude into your life -- regardless of how busy or complex it may be at times, or relaxing and simple it may be at other times. The ebook is aptly called The Book of Gratitude -- just click on the link and you'll instantly receive the ebook. It's also available at Anneli's remarkable self-help website: http://www.4lifeselfhelp.com/. I'd really suggest that you pay a visit -- and sign-up for your free newsletter while you're there.

See you tomorrow!

Lessons from Nature!

In this Information Age of ours, surrounded by some pretty cool, technically advanced “information sources” (like a blog for instance!), it’s easy to forget that, despite the amazing (and sometimes not-so-amazing) technical toys at our disposal, we’re still, well, PEOPLE. In other words: we’re organic expressions of nature; not mechanical bio-computers, however clever or intelligent we may think ourselves to be.

And because we are, thankfully, organic expressions of nature, we can – if we wish – take a step back from all of our bookmarked blogs, all of our DVDs (yes, this includes The Secret :), all of our workshops and seminars and other tools of learning in the Information Age, and simply re-connect with the source of it all: nature.

Indeed, if you can clearly and openly re-integrated with the natural world – and it could simply be a tree near your home or a lush tropical rainforest – you’ll find sources of information that will truly amaze you, and potentially transform you.

Really, it must be pretty hilarious for trees and rocks and mountains and flowers to listen to us human beings talk about “the Information Age” as if it’s something new. Do we really believe that anything in the world – that is, anything in nature – could exist, AT ALL, without being influenced by an incomprehensibly divine source of information? Information is natural; and, oddly, it seems that the only living things on the planet who don’t seem to grasp this eternal and rather ordinary fact, are human beings.

No wonder cats look at us like we’re…well, kind of stupid. We are!

Now, the point of this blog isn’t to remind us that we’re…stupid…but instead to invite you to take some time (how about today? How about right NOW?) and step back from your familiar sources of information: the Internet, your Secret DVD, your CDs, your books…whatever you learn from, and go outside and co-exist with something that has a more pure, more integrated connection with the SOURCE of information. In other words: go hang out for a while with a tree, or a rock, or a stream, or a flower.

And when you do, if you simply open yourself up – just as a flower or blade of grass is open and inviting – you’ll experience something…rather difficult to put into words. But I’ll try to put it in words, anyways (since a blank blog would be a bad idea…or maybe not?). You’ll experience insights, connections, clarity, spaciousness, and stillness that will nourish your information-starved soul. You’ll see elements in your own life, and the lives of those around you, that reveal themselves as patterns: which means that you can change them by changing something that you’re doing, or, more likely, the way that you’re doing it.

I know, I know. It sounds weird and “out there” and, really, who is out there marketing for “tree learning”? I mean, people sell all kinds of things – books, seminars, even Secret DVDs. But who is selling “hanging out with a tree”?

Just because nobody’s selling it to you, doesn’t mean that it’s worthless. In fact, it’s invaluable; and YOU have the potential to tap into that invaluable current of REAL information…not just knowledge and endless streams of thoughts and words. I’m talking clarity, insight and vision. THAT is information. THAT is what “informs” us.

So make an effort – a small effort, really, considering the other things you do in your busy life – and go hang out with something natural. A lake, a shrub, a tree…it doesn’t matter. Anything. Everything. The SKY.

Information does not belong to an “age.”

Information is your very nature…and it’s in nature still. We’ve forgotten.

The rocks, trees, flowers…and yes, the cats, still remember. So can you. So will you!

The "Secret" Fear...

Here’s something rather strange that I’ve noticed about “The Secret,” – and I’m guessing that with the imminent release of The Secret Sequel, I’ll notice even more and more of it (and so will you, if you care to join me in noticing these things…).

Here’s what I mean: have you noticed how many people seem to outright, categorically, and unhesitatingly REJECT everything about The Secret? It almost seems to border on hate. Why such rejection; why such hate?

I’ve reflected on this for a while, and the only answer that I can come up with (at least for now) is that deep down inside, people who go out of their way to tell you how much they hate or reject The Secret are not operating from the “calm, cool and collected plane” of logic and reason (think “Mr. Spock” from Star Trek) from which they claim to make their “arguments”. Instead, they seem to be coming from a place that is familiar to all of us in some way: fear.

Yup. Plain, ancient, ordinary, destructive fear. And what they fear is even more…interesting (for lack of a better word) than the fact that they’re afraid.

In my view, these people aren’t actually afraid of anything that the teachers on The Secret are saying. Why should they be? Why should anyone be? It’s not as if The Secret is advocating hatred, intolerance, violence, or anything harmful. Why be afraid of a bunch of people popping up on a DVD, politely and respectfully suggesting different ways of living, behaving and being? What’s so scary about that?

Here’s what’s so scary to these people. People who categorically and very defensively reject The Secret – and we’re not talking about people who disagree with it, but people who go out of their way to ensure that you and me disagree with it, too – are afraid of their OWN life and how it relates to what The Secret is saying.

Or, in simpler terms: many people have invested HEAVILY into a particular “life strategy.” They may have believed, for decades, that the problems and obstacles they encounter are 100% external and “out there” – other people, other situations, other blocks.

And now, a bunch of strangers show up on a DVD (of all places!) and politely suggest – just as teachers and mystics have been suggesting for…well, forever – that many of the problems we face aren’t “out there” at all; they’re merely reflections, projections, or extension of what is within us.

To a lot of people, that very POSSIBILITY that this could be true – even partially true, even barely true – is seen as an attack on that “heavy investment.” And so to avoid even the possibility of assessing The Secret; to avoid even speculating on whether there may be something “to” it or not, some people swiftly take an antagonistic position.

Of course, they use the standard tactics that you’d expect from people who, themselves, aren’t fundamentally convinced of what they’re saying, but instead operating from fear of what MAY be inside: mockery, fear-mongering, cynicism, sarcasm, and pretty much anything that can undermine the flight of another person who may be gently spreading vulnerable wings, ready to experience the possibility of living life in a new way.

The fact that others are willing to courageously attempt to fly – who knows where – is a threat to those who have invested heavily in chains that keep people on the ground. The flight of another is proof that flight is possible.

So the next time you see someone (usually in a blog, but sometimes perhaps right in your own home) ranting and raving about “The Secret” and how it’s a bunch of crazy new age nonsense (for lack of a harsher word :), before you respond in-kind, take a moment, step back, and ask yourself: is this person’s opinion coming from understanding…or from fear?

And if it’s coming from fear, remember: that fear probably has nothing to do with The Secret.

The fear is coming from within themselves. The “certainty” of their life – certainly miserable, yes, but still certain – is not-so-certain anymore. Other possibilities are presenting themselves; other options; other paths.

It takes no courage – at all – to crush the wings of one who is ready to try flying.

You are actually a Success, even though you may not think it.

“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.”
– Benjamin Disraeli

I think most of people want to be successful, but there are many who never seem to reach their ‘ultimate goals’. They don’t realise that even if they haven’t made it to their ultimate destination yet, they are still a success.
I make sure that every day, I tick off each and every ‘win’ that I have had during that day. They might only be little ‘wins’ like ‘I finished going through my emails for the day’, but they are worth acknowledging and celebrating.
Otherwise you can go through your whole life striving for your goal, and not realise that...

YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Here is an article that Winsome (Global Secrets) has recently written about success.

What Is Success – Or How Will You Know When You've Got There?

If you step back and take a look at your life you actually already have reached success. Your life is in fact a success story even though you may not realise it. Take a look at where you are successful …..

When you think about success, first think back to your childhood.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

Do you remember that mantra chanted from the back seat of the car during long drives? You could have been passing amazing scenery, unusual people and having a great conversation with your family ... but all you wanted to do was get to the destination so you could get out of the car and play.

Most adults live their lives as if they are still in the back seat of the car. They ask "am I successful yet" like a mantra and ignore what is passing them by.

It seems that we are so focussed on the end goal we forget there is a whole lot of stuff that happens in the middle. And if we reach one goal we instantly set an even bigger goal and start aiming for that one (and beat ourselves up for not hitting our goal earlier, faster, better).

We don't allow ourselves to see that our success journey is really a series of smaller journeys with infinite possibilities for enjoyment along the way.

We don't allow ourselves to feel relief, gratitude and to bask in the glow of achievement when we reach a minor milestone. We just race off to the next one without drawing breath.

We don't allow ourselves time to stop and reflect on our journey so far – what we have learnt along the way.

So how can you turn this around?

The first step is realising life is not a one destination goal – your only measure of success is not just one exam at the end of your life. Life is a series of smaller tests – some obvious and some not so obvious. Success is a cumulative process on how you go on all of these tests.

If you are a logical type – look at setting goals in all areas of your life. This includes work, spirit, family, health, and friends. Once you have set your targets ask if they really are achievable – I mean REALLY achievable.

If you set your targets too high you will never reach them – which means in your world you will never achieve success. Break the big targets down into smaller manageable steps and tick them off as you go. Factor in time to celebrate each success – with a personal rule that you can't start the next step until you have properly celebrated the one you have achieved.

Take time at each step to reflect on your learnings. Accept you did some great things as well as some things that can be improved upon. The focus here needs to be on a balanced assessment – not a doom and gloom drama.

If you are a feelings type - work out what success feels like. What emotions do you associate with success? How does it feel in the base of your belly?

Each day when you reflect on your feelings – look to see when you have felt success that day. Again, you are looking for a balance of your emotions. You have succeeded just by virtue of the fact that you are still alive and breathing. Allow yourself to feel the gratitude and the emotions of success.

The bottom line is there is no one single "there" from your "are we there yet” mantra. There are a series of "theres". Stop – celebrate and enjoy each one. You are a success.

If you would like to read more of Winsome's articles about Success and Life Happiness, go to:

www.4lifeselfhelp.com

Win #9 for the day, “Put up Winsome’s Success article on our Blog”

Congrats to myself! :)

Richie. (Global Secrets)

Laughing Your Way to Happiness

Can baby Ethan teach us how to be happy?

You can find more laughing videos at www.4lifeselfhelp.com/movie_life_happiness

Little Ethan knows the secret to happiness! Maybe there is a lesson all of us can learn from babies and children.

I love a good laugh, but too many of us don't laugh enough.

Did you know that children laugh on average 300 times a day compared to adults only laughing 15 times a day?

Where did we lose the ability to laugh? Did we actually lose that ability?
Laughing is a vital part of being happy in our lives, and it is something that is worthwhile making a conscious effort to do more of.
Find out how children are teaching us adults how to be happy in life.

We've all heard that old adage: Laughter is the best medicine, Volumes have been written and spoken about the value of laughter in life and how laughter can make us happy – even if we don't feel happy to start with. Laughter connects people and is part of the fine art of life happiness.

How does laughter relate to life happiness?

Think of this, babies and children have more than one way of showing that they are happy, but the most common way is through smiling and laughing. Research tells us that children up to pre-school age laugh about 300 times a day. 300 times! It's because to them, life is one big happy occurrence. They have what they need and are not concerned in the least about what they don't have – children are experts at the art of happiness. They are happy to see mom and dad, so they smile and laugh. They are happy to see their lunch, so they smile and laugh, they are happy to play with a ball, so they smile and laugh – they're happy! As adults, we laugh about 15 times a day. That doesn't mean that we're miserable, but it does indicate that as we grow up, we start to worry and concern ourselves with things, and unfortunately, we end up laughing less, and yes, we're probably not as innately happy as a two year old. But that doesn't mean we can't be happier! One way to bring a sense of joy and happiness into our lives and practice the art of happiness is by adding laughter. Seems sort of backwards, sure, but if it works, does it matter? If you can add laughter to your life and discover that you find happiness in the process, isn't that great?

How will laughing help me to find happiness?

Laughing does a lot of good things for us. It gives our body a gentle work out by causing us to use muscles in the face, chest and abdomen. It causes us to breathe deeply, cleansing our system. It raises the heart rate, and causes endorphins (feel good hormones) to be released. Laughing makes us feel the same way eating really good chocolate or having sex makes us feel. After a good belly laugh, we feel relaxed and alive and energized. Wait, those are things a happy person might feel! And whatever it is that made us laugh, later when we think about it, we will probably laugh, or at least smile again, continuing the "feel goods".

How can I add laughter to my life?

You can add to your overall life happiness by adding a good dose of sincere, happy laughter to each day. Here are some ideas:

1. Make a point to watch very funny movies or TV programs that really make you laugh a couple times a week.

2. Rent DVDs of your favorite comedian and watch with a group of friends (or your cat – that's OK too).

3. Play and be silly with small children. They know how to make everything fun.

4. Play fun games that induce laughing – games like charades and Pictionary-- are good examples.

5. Have your favorite comic strips emailed to you or set to appear on your homepage everyday.

6. Look into laughing therapy – there are schools and therapists out there that will help you "learn" to laugh.

7. Just laugh – even if you sincerely fake a laugh, you will begin to authentically laugh because it's so darned silly sounding when you fake it!

Laughter is a valuable part of your authentic happiness! Laughing each and every day is as good for you physically, emotionally and spiritually as taking your vitamins and getting exercise.

Go out and have a laugh!

Cheers,

Richie. (Global Secrets)