Jun 19

24 hours in one day is a long time and there is so much that you can do with it. If you let it get repetitive every day will seem the same to you and you will get bored with life. Thats why I decided to create this list of 101 mini purposes or goals where you can pick and choose one to make the primary focus of your day. You will notice that the first 50 or so are quite random and more fun orientated whereas the last 50 or so are more specific in the area of personal development. I hope you get something out of this list and maybe even make one of your own! In fact create your own list and let me know when you have so we can link them all together so that people can get new ideas of goals they can keep throughout the day! :-D

1) Eat a little healthier
2) Smile more
3) Smile and talk to a complete stranger
4) Write a poem
5) Be a better listener
6) Try something completely new
7) Cut down on the junk food
8 ) Be more grateful for the food dished
9) Feel a bit better than yesterday
10 Help a stranger
11) Call an old friend and catch up
12) Stand tall in the face of adversity
13) Be a better driver
14) Write a song
15) Write a positive review of a product you like
16) Create a new TV show concept
17) Call a radio show and request a song
18) Enter a talent show
19) Start reading a new book
20) Start writing a book
21) Go for a drive with no destination in mind
22) Watch an old movie
23) Watch re-runs of your favourite TV shows
24) Go and see some famous works of art
25) Track down a lost friend and get in touch
26) Call a distant relative
27) Give some spare change to a beggar without thinking about what they might spend it on
28) Plan your strategy for becoming world famous
29) Start a trend
30) Create a cool new word that the young generation can catch onto
31) Organise a fantasy football tournament
32) Complete a crossword or soduku puzzle without help
33) Go old skool and write a letter to a pen-pal
34) Take a picture of something random and submit it to a photography competition
35) Make a fun video on your phone with your friends
36) Laugh for no reason
37) Poke some strangers on Facebook
38) Do some charity work
39) Raise some money for charity
40) Donate money to a random charity.
41) Do one ‘ARK’ (Act of Random Kindness)
42) Go explore a park
43) Get out the old photo albums and reminisce
44) Introduce someone who’s never see it to ‘The Secret’
45) Set yourself a challenge to double the money in your pocket by being savvy
46) Invent a new game
47) Play a board game instead of watching T.V.
48) Give someone a lift
49) Wear something you wouldn’t normally wear
50) Write an inspirational text message and send it onto friends
51) Wash your car
52) Focus on abundance for the whole day
53) Become more in-tune with people
54) Create a better rapport with people
55) Improve your attitude of gratitude
56) Remember that you have the power of choice at every step
57) Attract something simple like a sweet
58) Start a blog
59) Write a blog post
60) Let out pearls of wisdom you’ve been holding onto
61) Write to your favourite author or inspiration and say thank you
62) Shift your focus from the bad to the good
63) Focus on healing any minor ailments or injuries
64) Increase your sensory acuity
65) Give advice and guidance to those who need it
66) Ask yourself better questions
67) Pray
68) Meditate for brief moments throughout the day aka Minute Meditations
69) Practise following through on your decisions
70) Complete an unfinished project
71) Create some SOS’s (Simple Obvious Strategies) for enhancing your life
72) Focus on getting better at what you do
73) Practise being ‘in the moment’
74) Create a new way of doing a repetitive task
75) Look at a repetitive task in a new light
76) Listen to audio books throughout the day and at night
77) Apply your wisdom
78) Meditate in an open space like a park
79) Do some tai chi or yoga and allow people to join you if they wish
80) Get a book on NLP or EFT and learn it
81) Improve your memory and remember peoples names and other info
82) Find a good Life Coach and hire them
83) Start a new course or evening class
84) Learn to breathe more fully
85) Cook a healthy meal
86) Volunteer at a school and give some personal development tips to the students
87) Sort out your finances
88) Book some ‘you’ time
89) Be more charming and attractive to the opposite sex
90) Do a very challenging task e.g. walk on fire
91) Arrange a tournament of some kind
92) Get rid of clutter
93) Act more consciously
94) Appreciate the rain
95) Tackle something you fear head on
96) Overwrite a limiting belief with an empowering one
97) Anchor your positive emotions
98) Send out healing vibes to the whole world
99) Utilise the technology you have to do good
100) Get leverage on yourself to get into action
101) Write your own list of 101 mini goals/purposes for yourself.

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Apr 15

Kitaro Nishida said: “If my heart can become pure and simple like that of a child, I think that there can probably be no greater happiness than this.”

While I was reading this quote in my little Zen companion book on my desk at work, it made me realise the simple truth that as children, we become so eager to become adults and when we become adults we become eager to become like children. That comes from thinking that being in one state or another will bring with it happiness whereas the truth is that the most amount you can have is by being in the moment; enjoying and making the most of now!

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Apr 8
Deepak Chopra in London
icon1 Amit Sodha | icon2 Daily, Happiness | icon4 04 8th, 2008| icon3No Comments »

Deepak Chopra

There is a seminar by Dr Deepak Chopra on Monday the 14th of April and there are tickets still available to purchase if you wish to go. I’ve created an event on Facebook with more information here - Deepak Chopra in London.

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Mar 20

Enjoying the process

Now it may seem contrary to my previous article in the series from day 13 but there is also a strong reason to learn to enjoy the process. You can’t always be in this frame of mind though. It’s simply taking a few short moments to remember who you really are and what your existence is truly all about.

Having a strong focus on your desired result is awesome for long term achievement but very often what happens is people get to that point and then ask: “Is this all there is?” So what you must remember is that you won’t get satisfaction from the result. The satisfaction must come now through the process; in actual fact, the result is secondary. It’s fulfillment from the experience and the joy of doing now that will give you ultimate satisfaction. The result is the driving force to keep you going in the now. The fulfillment won’t come at the end though! That must also come now through an understanding that the process is very special time for you.

It’s a time for you to appreciate and acknowledge this wonderful gift that you have. It’s a time for you to understand that you truly have an amazing gift to be here, in the now, in this particular situation and are able to plough your energy into the things that you love doing the most. After doing this you will find that you energy levels will rise and surge. Now doubt you’ve experienced times of lethargy and low emotions? Well this is the way to increase your energy and lift your emotions. It’s a way of stilling the mind for just a few brief moments and just enough for you to feel recharged.

Related Posts: Minute Meditations Part 2

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Jan 22

This post was inspired through the recent work I’ve been doing on the radio and some of the articles I’ve been reading in the tabloids regarding certain celebrities. Now, I don’t always believe what I read, especially from the tabloids, but I do know that celebrities will face challenges, in a very different way, to you or I on a daily basis.

What separates them from us? In reality, nothing, but we’ve designed a culture where they’re treated so differently which often stems from one of two poor perceptual constructs: 1) The way they look. 2) How much money they have. What happens then is that a celebrity will often need to meet the high levels of expectations which are created for them. There are many other factors but these two, more often than not, shape our attitudes towards these unique individuals who are fulfilling their dreams and doing the thing that they love most!

They will often be judged in various ways but a common theme that I hear often is: “They have so much money, how can they have anything to be worried about or complain about anything or lack anything or not be happy?” That suggests to me that there are still people out there that believe that money will bring them all the happiness they desire when the reality is that money is only part of the equation; a very small part to boot! Only WITH the right mindset can money serve you as a tool for not only enhancing your life but enhancing the life of others.

Money and wealth are two totally separate things. Money is currency for exchanging goods and services but true wealth is an abundance in of everything in every area of your life. The thing that people often don’t realise about wealth is that you can be wealthy right now. The way to be wealthy is to firstly being grateful and secondly to share that energy with others. When you start to experience true wealth through gratitude money will follow naturally.

Some celebrities have an abundance of money but become lost in their way and then squander their money for things like: cosmetic surgery, alcohol and drugs; all the types of things that cause damage and destruction; rather than towards things that create, expand, grow and help others! Why does that happen? How can someone with the means to obtain or do anything they like choose to take that kind of path?

My best friend recently got back from India and was telling me about how far just a small sum like 7,000 rupees (or£80 approx) can go for an orphanage and yet for us it’s not uncommon to spend £80 just on a haircut which can go wrong and in turn we can feel sad, down, angry or depressed? Why?

A celebrity is someone who is, where they are, because they not only love what they do, but they also enjoy giving happiness to other people and they enjoy receiving that love and admiration back. They enter a world where they all eyes now focus upon them and for some people they can do no wrong but then suddenly, they might do something that, between everyday folk like us, is something perfectly normal, but because they’re in the limelight whatever it is they have done is completely taken out of context and then often the media come along and crucify them. How would that make you feel? To just make one small mistake and have that plastered across the newspapers the next day? In my mind it would take someone incredibly strong minded to overlook that kind of attention and only focus on the the good they do.

If we allow the countless number of voices on the outside and try and absorb the input it’s no surprise that we might end up getting dazed and overwhelmed! Have you ever been in a position where someone has said something about you that has set you off or got you angry or upset? Right, now multiply that a thousandfold If you were a celebrity, and a paper printed something about you that wasn’t necessarily true, or was taken way out of context? Most people read an article in a paper and they often within a week or two it’s forgotten about but for the celebrity the sting of it can potentially last a life time! Even just a few small bashings can permanently change their mindset if they listen to all those stories!

So what can the celebrity do to minimize or even totally negate the effects of the public humiliations, stories, or mistakes? Here are my suggestions and ideas so feel free to try them out, experient and remember these ideas aren’t just for celebrities, they apply to anyone and everyone no matter who you are and what you do!

1) Do more for others, especially children, maybe even anonymously! - It’s naturaly with your lifestyle that you’ll work hard and also play hard. In amongst all your activities set time aside every month for charitable work; something hands on and something you can personally get stuck into! Even just a few hours every month doing something that you enjoy and also helps others. Find something that you feel passionate about and do lots of that. There was one celebrity who recently go into looking after mis-treated horses and said that helped to turn her life around.

2) Make the voice inside stronger than all the voices on the outside - I remember recently reading an article about Kylie where she consults her inner voice before making any big decision. Some might say she’s crazy, I say she’s the smartest one of all! Everyone has an inner voice and you can choose to change that voice at will depending on what you need it for. If your inner voice is pounding your for making a silly mistake, turn it into a forgiving voice and then change it into a voice that helps you either change or turn it into something positive. There is also more you can do in terms of adjusting your mental imagery to enhance your performance too. Sports people do this all the time as they know that doing so will absolutely enhance their performance.

3) Become a mentor for upcoming celebrities. - If you spot talent offer to take them under your wing and share the experiences that you’ve gone through so it might better prepare them. They might get thrust into the limelight incredibly quickly and might not have had the time to adjust to the sudden change in their profile or status. Initially it will be exciting for them but after time the steam from the pressure can build and they can get to boiling point! Offer them your help and guidance which will be priceless to them; something that money cannot buy.

4) You can’t always do everything right and please everyone so don’t try! - If you do you’ll constantly be second guessing yourself and then you’ll start to feel even more lost. People will always think what they want to think and trying to shift their opinion of you and that is just going to exhaust you! The only thing you’ll ever have conscious control over is where you choose to focus your mental energy. If you always focus on the things that are bothering you then you’ll slowly but gradually start to experience inertia. If you focus on what you can do next and all the outcomes that you want to achieve you’ll begin to gain more momentum and start feeling more energised.

5) Take onboard my 5-a-day rule. - I’ve always said that to experience a more fulfilled and enjoyable existense there are 5 things that you need to incorporate into your routine every single day. These are things which are very simple and easy and including them takes very liittle time or effort. The five things are: i) Meditate, ii) Smile, iii) Laugh, iv) Give, v) Appreciate. So simple and yet so effective. Make time for these 5 things watch it transform your life for the better.

Related posts: 5-a-day

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Nov 1

How to tell a friend you love them…How to ease your heartbreak.

For many Love = Friendship. So being in love with a very close friend leads to the next logical step of forming an intimate relationship.

I would love to be able to address this article at everyone but I think given the nature of the topic I think it would be difficult to do so although that doesn’t mean that not everyone can learn something from it. This is probably one of the most challenging and long articles I’ve ever decided to write simply because of the nature of the topic and the undefined way in which situations like this can be handled.

So firstly guys, my question to you: Have you ever been in love with or fallen in love with a friend only for them to turn around and reject you? Their answers might range from, “I see you just as a friend” or “I don’t feel that way about you.”

For many young men events like this can be both heartbreaking and soul destroying. I have been in that situation many times and even recently was in that same situation. I’ve heard so many stories where one party loves the other but the feelings weren’t returned. The truth is that situations like that are common and the first challenge is whether or not to act on your feelings. That in itself is a big challenge! For most guys, at the best of times, the decision of whether or not to go ahead and speak to a girl about their feelings is tough enough as it is. Firstly, you’re friends with this woman and it’s something you might value deeply. With that in mind you become faced with difficult choice: 1) Tell her and it could go either way. She will either feel the same about your or not and in which case the decision to tell her may permanently harm the friendship. 2) Don’t tell her and never find out how she felt about you. The element of regret can leave a lasting sting.

As I said earlier I can’t really speak from the perspective of what it must be like on the flip side for the woman in both ways, i.e. being on the receiving end but also being in the same situation and being in love with a friend! I’ve been in that situation more than once and a number of people have said to me that I fall in love to easily, it’s probably true, but I have a very loving nature towards all my closest friends and I do get attached quite easily. But in response to that attraction is such a natural thing and should never be frowned upon. I’m fortunate to have many close female friends who are have amazingly loving and good natured personalities as well as being beautiful. So naturally if I feel that the girl and I have a great friendship and in addition to that I find her attractive it seems like only natural to me that the next step would be to be honest with her and find out how she feels too. I know, I know, I make it sound easy I know but it’s where the rocky road begins.

Before I go any further guys, I don’t have all the answers, my sole intention with this article it to make that challenge just that little bit easier to handle. There is no dichotomy of a right or wrong way to handle this. You do however have to make a choice while taking into the consideration the feelings of the person you wish to tell and be understanding towards them. I’ve seen some guys totally undermine the womans feelings because they allowed their own hurt to saturate them and become totally oblivious to the females needs and end up leaving them hurt, lost, and a feeling that they’ve been abandoned by a friend.

So lets begin…

1) First and foremost, it’s time for me to be a bit brutal! Guys, don’t be such babies! This woman who you’re in love with isn’t the only woman you’re ever gonna love and if she doesn’t love you back it truly isn’t the end of the world! I know I’ve started off harshly but you have to accept this fact if you’re to stand a chance in making this thing work. React aggressively or childishly to her or her answer and you will end up blowing it for good! So first and foremost, before you do anything, give yourself a pep talk, if you’re too distracted get a friend you can confide in, tell them the situation and get them to give you a pep talk! Keep on telling yourself that no matter how this ends up, the most important thing is her, be understanding and compassionate towards her!

2) Make sure you plan a time and place to tell her properley! A time when you’re both alone, absolutely no distractions, just you and her, somewhere quiet where you can talk in your normal voice and can have good eye contact! Avoid doing it in a restaurant, at a club or anything like that, do it if you’re having a quiet meal at home and or watching a movie. Turn off the movie, finish your food and begin. Make sure you have nothing in your teeth though! :lol: For heavens sake, don’t do this over email, phone or text messages! If you do any slight misunderstanding could screw things up for good! It’s vitally important that she sees your body language and that you see hers!

3) When you get to that stage when you’re ready to tell her, don’t blurt out what you want to say, it might be a good idea to reassure her how much she means to you; that you will always be there for her and that you value your friendship highly! Once you’ve reassured her and made her feel at ease, it’s time tell her! Be honest and straight forward. Don’t try and tell her in a way which is indirect, it doesn’t serve you and you may not end up getting a straight answer which might leave you more confused then when you initially began down this path!

I can’t tell you what to tell her, that’s got to come from your own heart and soul, all I can do is put you in a better mental state in preparation for this big event!

4) Once you told her reassure her again! This is vitally important! Explain to her how much she means to you and that nomatter what she says that you will be there for her. If she feels the same way, then you need not read further! :-D If however she does not feel the same way about you it’s time to offer her some time. At this point, make you sure you gather yourself, this is a time where you might waffle something you didn’t mean to. Take a moment! Ask her if she would prefer it if you were to give her some room for a set period of time, e.g. a couple of weeks. Listen to her, acknowledge what she says, and respect her wishes!

5) Don’t run away because you’re upset!! Let the evening come to a close naturally and when it’s your time to go make sure you leave with a smile, again reassuring her! Once you’ve left, the heartache will really kick in! That being the case it would be worth having your pep talk friend on standby! Get them to accompany you somewhere! Go for some drinks, make sure you have someone there you can talk too! Despite what any macho guys might be thinking right about now, nope, strip joints and lap dancers aren’t going to ease your pain! Feel free to go do it if you want but it really won’t help or change the way you feel!

6) As tough as it might be for you to be around her, stick with her! If it gets to the point where your health is suffering then be honest with her. Don’t blame her, but do tell her honestly that you’re finding it tough. She will more than likely be understanding and compassionate towards you. Maybe explain to her that you need a bit of time away again reassuring her how much her friendship means to you! Take your time out but keep in touch with her, let her know that you’re thinking about her and are not just wrapped up in your own feelings. Do whatever you need to do during that time, but keep yourself occupied, don’t close yourself off from people, it’s people who will help you get through this challenging time!

Trust me guys, I’ve been there before, many a times! It’s even been a case where me and a friend have been in love with the same woman, in which case I’ve always yielded and in fact, I will do whatever I can to make help and support them getting together. It’s not easy but it’s because their friendship and my love for them has and will always be of paramount importance to me! If I had the choice of my happiness over my friend then my friend would win everytime hands down!

If you don’t have someone to talk to, you have me! You can get in touch with me if you wish. Whatever happens don’t bottle it up and even though times like this can be scary and painful there are other people out there who’ve been through it too and can help you. I hope in some way I’ve been of help in giving you chance in telling the person you love how you feel, whilst at the same time, keeping a close friend!

I wish you success with your friend, your potential future lover, I sincerely hope it goes well! :-)

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Oct 22

The power of flow…

I just finished reading the book called Flow by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi and it was one of the most well written, informative and practical books that I have read thus far. The principle of the “Flow State” is described on Wikipedia as:

The mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing, characterized by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.

I took a great deal of time reading this book through thoroughly as I felt there was so much information to asborb which was meaningful, solid and highly applicable to day to day living. Another great thing about this book is that in many ways it decribes what many of us may call spirituality and it is done in a way that everyone can understand and appreciate. I have always said that pretty much any activity can become “spiritual” if it is done with a spiritual mindset. For me, the “spiritual mindset” and flow state” is very similar. It could be any activity ranging from writing to golf, from motor racing to gardening!

The reason I mention this book is because I feel like this book would be extremly useful if it was introduced, not only to educators, so that they can explain flow and use it as a tool for children, but also re-written as version which young adults from the ages of 14-18 could appreciate. The language in the book is very simple, however it is quite long, so a condensed version would not only be easy to create, but would then be more enjoyable for young adults to read with pleasure and at the same time give them the ability to take more control of their lives. Who knows, maybe this is even a project I may take up myself or even propose to Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. :-D

It is books like I feel which will ultimately stand the test of time and will shape humanity in it’s own unique way. As time passes I get the impression that more and more people are understanding the principles behind the spirtual human evolution. Learning how to create the flow states within ones own life will be one of the major tools that people will look towards in terms of enriching and enhancing the human experience!

I wanted to share some quotes from the book with you:

“The general malaise is not due directly to external causes. Unlike so many other nations in the contemporary world, we can’t blame our problems on a harsh environment, on widespread poverty, or on the oppression of a foreign occupying army. the roots of the discontent are internal, and each person must untangle them personally, with his or her own power.”

“As people move through life, passing from the hopeful ignorance of youth into sobering adulthood, they sooner or later face an increasingly nagging question: “Is this all there is?” Childhood can be painful, adolescence confusing, but for most people, behind it all there is the expectation that after one grows up, things will get better. During the years of early adulthood, the future still looks promising, the hope remains that one’s goals will be realised. But inevitably the bathroom mirror shows the first white hairs, and confims the fact that those extra pounds are not about to leave.”

“The pursuit of a goal brings order in awareness because a person must concentrate attention on the tast at hand and momentarily forget everything else. these periods of struggling to overcome challenges are what people find to be the most enjoyable times of their lives.”

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Oct 19

I feel as if we’re entering a new paradigm. It doesn’t matter how much politicians try and fix all our problems, it seems like those problems only want to grow with the desire to fix. With a growing culture of “please fix this for me” it seems we are losing our way somewhat. The more we ask for others to fix for us the less gets fixed because we disempower ourselves by asking, “please can you do this for me”, or “what is the government doing to tackle this?” The onus is always put anywhere else but ourselves. Offering help and asking for it are not the same thing and they do not produce the same result.

Change won’t come tomorrow, but it can come within a generation. Just the other day I heard on the news that within a generation we will face a mass obesity crisis. That means that it can also remain the same within a generation or it can improve dramatically within a generation. Self empowerment is the only solution that I currently see to this problem and many others! It’s a cycle but it must begin somewhere so I choose that it will begin with me. I’ve made many mistakes, I myself am overweight, something that could have easily been avoided if my parents and guardians understood better how to communicate and empower me. It’s the sole reason I now have chosen this path that I have. If I can empower the children I work with and show them that there is another way then maybe they’ll be much better prepared to deal with the challenges that not only face us on a community based level, but a global community level, the level that affects not just humans, but every living creature on this planet.

The paradox is here is that the more selfish I become the more selfless I become. True self consciousness is where I understand that I’m not just this bag of bones but we are all intricately connected. Every little thing I do has a global impact. If I focus on myself to become a stronger, more focused, caring, loving, spiritual individual then in turn it puts me in a better position to help others and that in turn will create a massive domino affect that will impact 100’s if not 1000’s of people. In turn those people will then affect 100’s or thousands of people too and so begins the process of a change within a generation. If my desire is to better myself then maybe, just maybe it will rub off onto others!

I see so many people out there who have the tools but don’t know how to use them. Some people though, genuinely don’t have the tools. The source of change is firstly insight and then choice. Many people like myself who follow a similar path first came to it through insight, the old patterns and old ways were interrupted for whatever reason, it was like an alarm clock woke us up and after the insight we made a consciouse choice to first begin the change in ourselves then show others that there is another way. I’ll make it clear, I don’t think we should all be thinking the same or doing the same things but deep down, I know we all want change in one form or another, and change is the source of the new destination we’re sailing for!

I went to a talk not so long ago and one of the speakers, Roger Hamilton said that if we take matters into our own hands, begin the change process now, then eventually there will be little left for the government to do!

And so begins my 100 days of Vision series… ;)

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Sep 13

Have you ever been in the situation where you got that feeling where you were coming down with a cold or ‘flu bug? It doesn’t feel great and before you know it you’re at the stage where you can’t do much except and wait for it to pass.

Ask any doctor and they will tell you that generally if you are in a happy state and stress free, you are less likely to get ill and your immune system will be much stronger. It doesn’t take a degree in medicine to know something as simple as this to be true. If you’re someone who suffers colds and ‘flu often then I’m willing to hazard a guess that you go through a lot of stress. Please feel free to tell me if you think differently of if your experience doesn’t concur with what I’ve said.

Naturally, if you do often get ill, one of the first things you should do is consult your doctor as there maybe something more deep routed. After getting a clean bill of health it’s worth looking at a few area’s of your life so that you stay healthy for much longer and the times when you do get ill are very few and far between!

I’m sure many bloggers have posted about what you can do nutritionally to boost your immune system and so I’m not going to talk about that here. What I am going to talk about is how you can boost your immunity, with a few simple adjustments in your psychology, that will make you more immune to minor virus’s and who knows, maybe even more serious illnesses too! One thing is for sure is that trying these things can only do you good so why not give them a try and see for yourself!

The tricky bit here, is changing years of habitual thinking. New habits are easy to form, changing old ones are not so my advice to you is to focus on creating a new habit, rather than eliminating an old one.

Think of a time most recently where you felt yourself in the initial stages of getting a virus. Now can you remember the exact moment that you first felt it coming on? In that moment what was your first reaction? If it was worrying and hoping that it doesn’t turn into a bad cold or ‘flu, then, I’m sure you can see for yourself, why it gets worse quite quickly! As soon as you start worrying or you get annoyed or stressed, about that fact that you’re coming down with something, immediately you’ve weakened your immune system considerably. Again the trick here is to form a new habit. Next time you find yourself feeling a little run down and you feel the onset of a cold or flu the first thing you have to do is put yourself into a better frame of mind. You can use any technique for this. Here’s a few suggestions:

1) At that instant that you catch yourself feeling worried about the onset of the virus, first change your physical state by sitting up right and keeping your head and eyes up. As you do that you can much more easily visualise something positive or constructive. It can be anything of your choosing. It can be turning your focus towards an exciting upcoming project. It could be just looking forward to the plans you have for the weekend….it can be absolutely anything you choose as long as it puts you into a happy frame of mind!

2) If available to you, put on your favorite comedy shows or movie, or, put on your favorite uplifting music!

3) Do anything that makes you feel good. Get a massage or go have a round of golf! If it’s a minor virus, i.e., it isn’t the kind that’s making you feel exhausted, then playing a light sport or mild exercise will do you good both mentally and physically. If it’s a strong virus, the kind that makes you ache all over, then I’d suggest to stick to point 1, 2 or 4

4) Try some self hypnosis. Hypnosis is very simple and there are plenty of resources on the internet to explain to you how you can do this. Hypnosis, in many ways, is synonymous to some forms of meditation. The processes are very similar, they will differ slightly in some areas but ultimately the outcome will be the same in that you will be more relaxed and more focused. A good technique for getting yourself into a “trance”, something which everyone on the planet can do, is find something that you find easy to focus on in a relaxed way. A simple example is imagining yourself on a beach and imagining the tide going in and out. It’s very simple, people go into trance’s several times a day and so find out what makes you go into trance very quickly and use that!

Even a few minutes of any of the above will be extremely beneficial to you. The longer you do it and the more you practice it that stronger your immune system will become and the faster the virus or illness will be eliminated from your body.

There reason there is no cure for the common cold or few is because there are so many varieties and neither is this a cure but what this one method will do is allow the for the virus to be eliminated from your system much quicker because your immune system is in better shape and functioning properly.

The reason I decided to write this article was because at the beginning of the year I was getting a cold or flu at least once a month and it was getting so frustrating! Using the methods I’ve described, I have cold and flu free for the past 7 months and in the last couple of weeks I felt the onset of a cold but using the methods I’ve described above I can quite happily say that it passed without it becoming “bad” so to speak or without it disrupting my life in any way.

Naturally, what I’ve written above is an additional technique you can apply for maintaining your good health! For even better results make sure you take a good look at what you’re eating that that you’re incorporating plenty of water, fresh fruit and veg into you diet!

I would love to hear your thoughts, comments, or results on this so please let me know what you’ve got to say! :-)

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Aug 18

It can be quite easy to get overcome by someone’s negative energy when you’re in their presence. What it will be worth doing on your part is instead of focusing on their negative energy, focus on your positive energy and then what you will find is that your positive energy will envelope and transform them.

This may sound like a bit of new age mumbo jumbo but try it for yourself and see. If you notice someone, a friend or stranger, being totally negative and only sharing their stories of what’s wrong in their life, stop them in their tracks!! Then, don’t talk about what’s good in your life but rather find out what they like or enjoy and then fully participate with them in that enjoyment, show interest and ask questions to get them excited. You’ll see for yourself how fast the energy and dynamic of their persona will change!

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Aug 15

StuHis passion is music (although he would argue it is chocolate!). His voice, so deliberate yet strategically subtle, gentle teasing you into submission for the message he brings. A winning combination to the lyrics, which are layered like a rich tapestry of life experience, higher learning, faith, goals and love. It’s like the poetic murmurings of a beautifully sung prayer – it touch’s your heart and leaves light in your soul!

Read the following in depth interview to uncover why this inspiring new artist is promoting the one thought “the human solution is a divine evolution” and why he has decided to donate his profits to a charity close to his heart.

So Stu, when and why did you start playing guitar, and when did you discover you had the talent to sing?

I asked for a guitar on my 16th birthday, as soon as I knew a few chords I started writing my own songs. A few months later I made my own studio by lashing together my ghetto blaster to my girlfriend’s dad’s stereo.
I knew I could sing as a child because I could imitate all the songs I liked, but I was v shy.

What are your fondest musical memories?

Playing my old Walt Disney record, yes vinyl! My favourite “I wanna be like you” over & over. Still know it word for word & every monkey noise.
Then my next favourite memory is when I was 17 & went to Dingwalls Jazz club on a Sunday afternoon. Giles Peterson was playing frenetic but musical 60’s bebop & two guys (I think maybe “brothers in Jazz”) were dancing, the floor just cleared for them. I can’t describe in words how I felt, the sound & the sight just moved me to tears as I stared, it was a v deep experience. They had such style, grace & physicality, the rhythm, joy & energy was shinning from them, the sound … it was a high that no drugs could come close too.
That experience got me into dancing, so I went every week to these Sunday afternoon jazz clubs, even on my own, it was so cool. Never packed & always full of interesting souls struttin n stepping, expressing their thing. You can see a person s soul through the eyes & how they move to rhythm.

So who are your influences?

The person who is the single biggest influence on me musically is my music teacher, Professor TV Gopalakrishnan, a master of Classical Indian music.

Who are your favorite musicians? Groups?

Musicians & influence is such an enormous question for me; so here goes. My musical training came from listening, first to the radio, with whatever caught my ear. As a young teenager I loved rock n roll, especially Little Richard, but the radio is so diverse & so my taste has always been diverse, but generally its Black music in its many forms. Growing older I could afford records: I loved the songs Prince did, up until about 90’s, loved hip hop beats, conscious lyrics of KRS1 & Chuck D, but the best flow was Big Daddy Kane. At that time you were either an indie kid or hip hop, I was the odd ball, I did like both, though I could only dance to hip hop. Indie songs, bands I appreciated. The breaks in hip hop got me into funk, JB being the obvious, but then the breaks began to get more obscure, jazz influenced & soon my record collection was well over 10,000; gospel, jazz, funk, soul etc.
No one name really stands out, but sooo many songs & artists have influenced me.

So how do you handle mistakes during a performance and do you ever get nervous before a performance?

Mistakes, if u don’t make a big deal of it, other people won’t either. When buskin on the underground I would actually be trying things out, writing, working ideas. True performance art ! the energy & vibe of all those people would become part of the creation. Busker’s do 2 hour slots, its all v official, sometimes for those 2 hours I’d work on 1 song, but people only hear 10 seconds of it so it cool. Any way if I didn’t make “mistakes” I wouldn’t get ideas. Of course I got nervous. The mind is such a trickster. Some days u listen to its crap more than others.

Do you work with other artists, If so who? and why?

Yeah, I got into doing my own stuff by working with others. My first single “Money” by Coco & the Bean, I did the rap for it. These guys did hip hop in their bedroom so this inspired me to do likewise. Currently I’m working with Sali, a Carnatic (south Indian classical) singer on an innovative dance track, also an RnB singer called Kavita, she’s great but keeps burping like Barney (Simpson’s) after a great vocal take.

Ha ha, very funny – I’ll get you back for that!
So, tell us about the REAL Stu?

Big question eh? I’m special, there’s no one quite like me. Then we are all unique & special so I guess I’m ordinarily special. I’m very blessed, I’ve had the opportunity to experience a “western” & “eastern” family life. I’m v healthy. Funny, well I laugh at myself. V positive, love life, especially people, but I think our potential is nowhere near reached. I’m also blessed with many talents, musical creations being the primary. But the more I witness people struggling with themselves, religion, God etc the more I realize that my most treasured blessing is having a direct communication with the divine. I always feel truly at ease with my personal faith & this actually also makes me feel at ease with any religious faith. Religious texts are words but the wisdom is woven between the words, interpretation depends on the heart & mind of the reader. The essence of love is universal, humanity is corrupted by ego. Music transcends all this political egotistical crap because its feeling comes not from words but the movement of notes. Like love it has its universal law. I study Carnatic music because the “laws” that define this music have evolved over thousands of years & its focus is more internal, it has more culture, not to say its better, but it has a different emphasis. It will be many more years before I will master this art but its influence will permeate into my creations.

Why do you want to record and release your own music?

I make one big assumption in life: if I like something, other people will also like it, not everyone, but then not everyone likes Thai red curry, but I do.
“I admit, this rhyme is not mine, it’s inspired, divine….” That’s a quote from “Beats n Love” but it reflects my music. I feel that my music will inspire other people, whether it’s a social or political comment or whether its lust or love, my tunes are varied, but whatever the message & emotion that combination of notes conveys, other people will share & appreciate hearing it.
I feel I have a “product” which is not eclectic, cliquey but has a wide appeal. I want to get “mass” appeal, that will mean more influence, power & of course money. With those ingredients I stand a chance of creating a school for deprived kids.

How do you describe your music to people?

It depends who I’m talking to. Music is a science, its full of maths, symmetry, structure, its incredibly beautiful. Its nature & nature is not as crazy & abstract as many people think. If you are not aware of the fundamentals of it, then how can it be discussed? If u wanna chat like a critic then its all about your perspective, your interpretation & feeling. Many people may share that feeling but not everyone so its not really a discussion.
My music is natural, so without trying it has a structure, symmetry, flow etc. its natural because its inspired: by the millions of songs, rhythms & nature, by life, energy & love.

Out of the songs that you have written so far, which one is your favorite and why?

“On my way” seems to be a big favorite, I like it cos its catchy & has a great positive message. Its not my personal favorite. My favorites are some of my earlier tracks which wont be released till I’m in a position of having a great studio & engineer to do them justice. The sound scape of them is amazing, I would spend sometimes up to 4 months on one track. Now I spend about 4 weeks.
What challenges have you had to face in order to pursue music?
Time has been the biggest challenge. I’ve needed a lot of time to be ready for this release. Physically, spiritually, mentally as well as musically. I’ve practiced yoga for 15 years, studied martial arts, Sufiism, Carnatic music, ayervedic medicine, dance, all to get a balance in my life. I trained to become a school teacher, its all part of the BIG plan, its starting to come together. My drive has pushed me through some v tough times, fate has continually pulled me along. I’m ready now.

Why have you decided to donate your profits to charity and why have you chosen this charity?

The Parry Charitable foundation is a small independent charity that provides a loving home for handicapped children. It’s standard of care is high & there is a big waiting list. Every penny from donation goes into helping the kids NOT on administration. ALL the workers are volunteer, most charities 70% of your donation goes into paying their admin costs.
I know this charity & sometimes work there myself, for these reasons I donate to them.
In the long term I want to set up my own school for deprived children. I’m a qualified school teacher, yoga teacher & scientist as well as many other “life” skills. From a young age I would talk to God. When I was 12 years old I received instructions to help deprived children. This goal is my purpose, music is the vehicle to propel me there.

OK, finally what does “the human solution is a divine evolution” really mean?

It’s from the track ‘On my way’….
Ok this small phrase has a big meaning, & rather like a sutra in yoga text, a surah in the Holy Qur’an or verse from the Holy bible its open to interpretation. Unlike those wonderful books of wisdom the writer is fortunately for me still around. So here’s the intended meaning: evolution; this word is kicking up a big fuss lately, in America some schools are refuting the scientific evidence & claiming the “literal” bible version of evolution. Well books of ancient wisdom such as the Old Testament were written with hidden meaning & depth that belies a superficial surface. The true value of the words lie in studying those hidden meanings. The Darwin theory of evolution & the scientific evidence is compatible with religion in fact it’s magnitude & beauty reinforces a divinity & creation. However this is not the platform for this debate & as I said before, interpretation is dependant on perspective. What’s important is that evolution is not HISTORICAL its continuous. We are still evolving & compared to the history of the world we have just climbed down from the trees. If you look at how we behave we are still as ruthless as we ever were as beasts. Capitalism is the law of the jungle but applied to the City. “Only the strong survive. “ Fortunately this is not the whole story. All over the world people are silently working, giving unconditional love to those who are in need or weaker. I believe that right now, historically, we are at a cross roads of evolution. Technology is changing our lives & the global communication phenomena can & is spreading a message of love. It’s mixed up with violence & sex but Its harder to get any more violent than we are, its impossible to take off any more clothes, but the message of love is limitless & individuals & groups everywhere are able to contribute & unify in a way even the hippies never dreamed off. I read in a Sufi book once (can’t remember which one, sorry). “When we act like animals we are worse than the animals but when we act like angels we are better than the angels.”
Its just a case of time. When will we choose the path of love?

Thank you to Stu for sharing his work with us and giving us the time for this interview, and thank YOU for reading the article.

Peace and Love

If you would like to know more about this artist, then please check out his website WWW.STUSOUNDS.COM

Special thanks to the designer of the website: Pj (www.websitedesignz.net) and Phil (www.macpips.com)

Article written by: Kavita Sohanta - I DO NOT burp in between songs! :)

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Aug 13

There are always exceptions to the rule. Those who find the exceptions to the rules of life are the ones who will live it to the full! In essence, become the exception to the rule if you truly want to shape this world into a better place.

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Jun 29

Virtually anything can become a spiritual act or a meditation when you embed 3 things into your consciousness. It could be singing, dancing, rapping, climbing, golf, tennis, painting, writing, driving, playing, sex, bathing, yes, absolutely anything at all!! All you have to do is practise these 3 mantras converting them into an inner dialogue or script that gives you some fire in your belly! They are:

1) Remember that you have a wonderful gift, a body through which to experience and perform action through so that may experience emotion and action. You were given the gift of your 5 senses so that you could process, colour, contrast, smells, tastes, make tactile contact, make love or scream according to whatever emotion you choose to experience!

2) Whatever it is that you’re doing, when done in a powerful frame of mind, can enhance not only your experience, but your result too. The stronger and more focused your level of thinking will assist in giving you the greatest result. I was reminded recently of a strength test you can do whilst varying your state of mind. You will always find that you will be stronger while in a positive state than when you’re stressed or feeling low.

3) No matter the activity, think of it as “my time to grow”. It’s important to have fun but the fun expires quickly unless you’re learning and growing. So consciously tell the unconscious that through this activity you will now get better and have fun whilst learning. This act is spiritual because it is contributing to my spirit becoming immersed in the experience of now. It is in the now that truly pleasure lies.

Remember to try different things too. There is never any harm in trying something new and more than likely you going to make new friends and discover something about yourself that you never knew! ;)

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Jun 17

I love meditating, in some ways I exploit it to my advantage because I know that it carries with it some amazing power! (I’ve made it sound evil, but truly it’s not! :P)

Here are some of the perks of meditation that I’ve found over the 15 years I’ve been a practitioner.

1) Traffic jams and queues appear to move much much quicker! - This is so true and anyone who does this will know exactly what I’m talking about! When I’ve been caught in a major traffic jam or a long queue I, more often then not, meditate! It is the perfect time, because, lets face it, what else can I do? But if I get sucked into the emotions of stress and frustration I always feel like the queue or traffic jam takes 10 times longer and I get tired, I start to yawn, I slouch in my chair, I get back ache etc! However if I take control of my state, do some relaxing meditation, I find that the queue or jam almost vanishes in no time at all!

The type of meditation doesn’t matter. I vary it according to what I feel like doing. Sometimes I just focus on my breathing make sure I’m fully oxygenating my body. Obviously though, I would not do this method if it was a hot day stuck in a traffic jam as all I would be doing is breathing in harmal toxic emissions. If that were the case I would do some commentary style self talk internally and just do some visualising or just uplifting self talk. It truly doesn’t matter what type you do, but that focus will take your mind away from the situation and hand and your perception of time will change.

I also suggest that if you’re driving that you don’t close your eyes. You can meditate just as effectively with your eyes open just as well as when your eyes are closed. In fact, open eye meditation will improve your ability to focus in the long run and will give you the power to meditate anytime, anywhere!

2) People will be much more naturally attracted to you! - Scientfic studies have shown that meditation not only has beneficial positive effects on the body but on the mind too. When I’ve had powerful meditation, or even if I’m still in a meditative state while walking or carrying on with my day to day tasks, I find that people naturally get attracted to me and want to talk to me. Not only that but I find I get twice as many smiles and people are just much more responsive and friendly! Who knows what the true reasons for this are but all I know is because people are so much more responsive to me, it allows me to then share valuable information with people, such as the work I do or even tell them about meditation. Sometimes it even just ends up being a brief encouter with us both walking away with a smile! :-D

I suggest you try this for yourself, do some meditation every morning first thing when you wake up, any type you wish; commentary, chanting, breathing, or visualising. Watch the wonderful amazing effects unfold! You will find people smiling at you and greeting you even if they don’t know you! You will find that you have more of a reason to smile and that in turn will make more people smile at you and in turn your day will go much more smoothly!

3) It takes away the awkwardness of being alone! - I personally love alone time, but I know not everyone does. Lets say you’re in a restaurant with a friend or you partner and they have to visit the bathroom or they get called away by an important phone call. Now you can choose to pass away that time feeling uncomfortable alone or you can choose to be constructive with that time to yourself. If you choose the latter and yes, you’ve guessed, I’m gonna suggest meditation! :lol: In this particular scenario, I would suggest some creative visualisation or deep breathing, however, go for chanting if you have the confidence! ;)

Just like point 1, the time will fly by much quicker but you can be proud of yourself that you’ve done something very constructive with that time!

4) You will deal with the curve balls much more efficiently! - Meditation has the added side effect of giving you much more “inner strength.” You will find that generally you will be much more well equipped to deal with the unexpected curves in the road of life. You may be dumped by your partner, you may be given the sack at work, you may be diagnosed with a terminal illness. Somehow, because you have now made meditation a part of your life, these calamities will not seem as big as they once did. You will be emotionally more stable and generally find that you feel more happy for no reason! You will look these events square in the eye and say….”thank you” because you know that these events have come to you to make you grow. You will then be in a position to help others and share the wonder of meditation with those that need it the most!

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Jun 14

If you were to ever listen to a Tony Robbins or a Deepak Chopra tape or CD regarding to time, you will hear them say things like time is emotion or time is a perceptual construct of the mind. I’ve been told some weird and wacky stories about time to corroborate those theories and I even have a few of my own to tell. The more and more I think about time, the more I realise that I have total and absolute control over my experience of it.

My bizarre paradoxical thought with regards to time is this, the more I realise I have time, the less I want it! I’ve realised that sometimes in order to appreciate things, sometimes you have to tell yourself there is a scarcity! How often do you appreciate the things you have in abundance? How often do you appreciate the things that are scarce? When this thought first occurred to me I had trouble accepting it. But I realised that appreciating while there is abundance is actually a greater challenge than appreciating while there is scarcity. Doing so will ensure that you never lack and through it you will attract more and more.

For me, time is an exception though. I’m a firm believer in reincarnation but I try and forget the fact that I will reincarnate after I die. The reason I do is because I try and convince myself that this is my one and only chance to make my mark in this world! THIS is my one shot to have an impact in the greatest possible way I can imagine! There may be an abundance of time for all of us but what greatness comes from thinking that you always get a second chance or third chance? What if I were to think: “I only get one shot and one shot only!” The pressure is immense but I’ve always done well under pressure so why not make it into and effective strategy to get the best from myself? Thinking about my future lives almost makes me want to procrastinate this life away with thoughts like: “I can always do it later!”

The sad thing is many people go beyond their prime years before they have this kind of realisation. Some people manage to regain their youth and turn their lives into something amazing but many die with regrets and much pain in their hearts!

I have no idea if I will die tomorrow or live to be 100! So based on this thought, not in a depressing way, but in an inspired way: “How can I make my mark today?” If I only have a very short time to achieve something then let me begin today! Let me make the time, this moment, right now! Let me be daring and take a few chances here and there to truly change the lives of many for the better! You can make this attitude habitual as doing so will give you energy even when you thought you’d used it all up! It will be the prime driving force for your day to day actions and will carry you through when the waves are rocking your boat in all directions!

There is a disclaimer though! This isn’t an excuse to go and abuse your body with drugs and alcohol just because of the scarcity of time! No, no! You can live life to the full without any of those things! In fact, abusing your body with drugs or junk will make your last moments and memories hellish! Have you not heard the stories of those who have only a short time to live and yet the somehow find the strength to go and do amazing things? I choose to be in that category of person!

No matter what your experience of time may be, find some way of appreciating the here and the now and you will find that your quality of life enhanced exponentially. Live as if this was your only life and live it as if it is short!

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Jun 7

HUGGIES!!!

For me, there is no greater feeling than a warming embrace from a close friend! However, that’s not to say that I don’t enjoy dishing out or receiving hugs and from total strangers too! ;) (Maybe with the exception of Borat!) :lol:

Amongst the youth of today it is part and parcel of the culture to greet and depart with a hug. I for one, upon seeing my close friends, always begin the encounter with a hug! There is something about a hug which is not only has a spiritual power, but is comforting and always puts a smile on my face!

I’ve been told that I give the best hugs in the world as I often pick people up as I hug them! However I personally give that crown to two of my very close personal friends and give them joint first place! Mukti and Shagobi both give outstanding hugs! When they hug you they make you feel like at that moment you’re the only person in the world! They embrace with full intensity and emotion and they don’t hold back! This post is dedicated to you two as I always look forward to hugs from you both and in fact, they are amongst my favorite things in the whole wide world! Sometimes, when you give me a hug, I just don’t want to let go! :)

Thank you for giving me so much love through your hugs!

There are no rules for hugs, my only suggestions would be to give as many possible and receive as many as you can! When you give your hugs don’t keep your distance and reach your arms around the person!! Embrace fully and feel that connection that you have with the soul that you’re hugging!

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I was also looking around to see what other people in the past have said about hugs and I found a great article by Michelle Morovaty posted over at ezinearticles.com and thought I would share it with you!

Have a great day and make sure you give your best hugs away!

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