May 7
This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Weight loss and Fitness

Do you want to make changes to the way you look? Are you fed up with being overweight and deep down inside worried about people really think about you? (Even though they may not be thinking anything but in your mind they are.) Are you fed up with getting to the top of the stairs and being exhausted? Are you tired of not feeling attractive to the opposite sex?

A while back I mentioned that I wanted to started posting a series based on weight loss, fitness training, exercise for overweight people who weren’t sure how to being the process of changing their physical state and for anyone else who wanted to begin a new chapter with their physical condition.

When I began my journey just over three years ago I was in terrible shape, and that is putting it mildly, however I know that there are people in much worse shape than I was. Starting a new regime is easy and sticking to it is only the beginning of the challenge. Initially the weight drop will be fast and easy but then that will slow and plateau. Then there will be motivation issues and other temptations to contend with.

Everyone once in a while feels the surge of energy to act and make changes but that doesn’t last long if preparations aren’t made to maintain the enthusiasm for undertaking a new personal project. There are ways to combat this and I’ll share more of those a little later on. Then there things that pop up out of the blue that will also hinder your progress such as injuries and they can at times be soul destroying as you’re making such good progress it is very often at those times that injuries occur, almost as a test to your resolve.

There are many methods of weight loss and I have friends who tried varied weight loss systems that involve eating bars and shakes for breakfast lunch and dinner. Some have had success and some have had temporary success and some have had no success because sticking to those programs involves enormous amounts of will power and resistance.

I’m going to be offering you my suggestions and principles that should hopefully make the slimming down fun, easy, and gradual. If you expect massive losses consistently you’re kidding yourself. This process can take months and sometimes even years however time will become irrelevant because you’ll be enjoying what you’re doing so it will become part of your overall lifestyle rather than just something you do for a few months and then eventually give up.

The keys here are variety, enjoyment sustainability and pleasure. If you incorporate these four keys slimming down does become a breeze; something that you don’t have to even think about and something that doesn’t make you feel guilty just because you happen to miss a day!

To begin with:

1) Most people would say start by creating a goal. I say forget that for now and just make a start. The more specific goal setting can come later but for now just make your goal to start exercising whilst having some fun!

2) Find something energetic that you ENJOY doing! It can be a sport, going to the gym, walking, swimming, running etc pretty much anything you like that you like! ;-) Start doing it on a regular basis!

3) However, here is something that is extremely important and it’s a mistake most people make when undertaking a new program like this. Many people exercise until they get tired and end up having that achy feeling for the next few days. When that happens they feel reluctant to continue exercising because they’ve anchored that feeling into their body. It doesn’t last but if that happens for the first few sessions it’s what beginners remember the most and it’s that feeling which then puts them off maintaining that program.

Here’s the key: Exercise to the point where you are enjoying the exercise and stop well before the point of feeling tired! Do this for the first few months! Yes, you heard me right, the first few months especially if right now you’re classed as being ‘overweight’. This has a few objectives: i) It Anchors the feeling of enjoying exercise. ii) It gives your body the time to get used to the exercise especially for your joints. iii) You won’t be put off the exercise because you won’t have the exhausted feeling that can come from vigorous exercise.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to find something you enjoy doing. Enjoyment is the best motivation tool there is. It doesn’t matter what else you try and use as leverage on yourself; whether that be money, becoming more desirable to the opposite sex, or just to look good, nothing will beat sheer enjoyment. Let me explain what I’m talking about. When it comes to exercise badminton is my passion. If my body could allow me to play more then I would probably play 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If I had the choice between a hot date and badminton, badminton would win hands down every time! :lol:

That brings me onto my final point. Plenty of people come up to me and tell me: “Amit, I need to lose weight for the summer so I’m going to join the gym!” At this point, I debate about whether to roll around on the floor laughing for the next 15 minutes or whether to explain to them direct. The former never goes down that well so let me go ahead and explain the latter.

As I mentioned earlier, the greatest motivational force is pure enjoyment. When you enjoy something you never have to even think about getting up to do it, you just, do it! Thinking that the fact that £50 is coming out of your bank account is going to be enough of a motivator to get you to go to the gym then you’re deluding yourself. Here’s the rub: Get into the habit of exercising now without a gym. If you can do that for 3 months, then fine, go ahead and join the gym and go use the variety of equipment and classes. Until that point though firmly establish your good habits first and then decide on longer term commitments later. If you absolutely feel the need to join the gym then ask them gym if they do a trial membership for a month or so before they tie you into long contracts which you later cannot get out of.

These are the first few steps to take. Make a start now and do what I said and you’ll find that you enjoy the process of exercising and losing weight rather than feeling like it is a chore of necessity.

Part two coming soon! ;-)

Related Posts

May 6

Me and Rajiv Ouseph

On Friday I had the great priviledge of meeting and playing a game with Rajiv Ouseph who is the number 1 badminton player in England.

He came along to meet some of the kids at our club which put a huge smile on their faces as they had their pictures taken with them and he even gave them his autograph….it put a huge smile on my face too! :lol:

This week he’s off to Malaysia for the Thomas Cup (Badmintons equivalent to the Tennis’s Davis Cup) so join me in wishing him and the rest of the team all the best in the tournament!

Related Posts

Apr 27

When I was collecting stories for my radio show a few weeks ago I came across this story of how Estelle came to meet Kanye West which eventually led to them forming a collaboration and creating the number one hit ‘American Boy’.

“Estelle has revealed that she first met her musical collaborator Kanye West at Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n’ Waffles.

The pair, who are currently number one in the UK charts with the single ‘American Boy’, bumped into each other at the Hollywood soul food eatery.

She told the Daily Telegraph: “I went to Roscoe’s Chicken and bumped into Kanye.

“I was like, ‘Lord, if you’re above, I need to meet Kanye, he needs to come outside.’ Ten seconds later he came out and I went ‘Thank you, Jesus!’”

(Taken from Digital Spy)

A powerful example of not only the power of asking but also the power of gratitude too. :-D

Related Posts

Apr 21

Personal Development and the bigger picture

Whatever your perception of the world, there is an undeniable truth in that the change comes from within. Everyone will see the world in a different way, some people will choose to focus on the economic crisis, some will choose to focus on the the upheaval in Tibet,some will choose to focus on the political situation in Zimbabwe and some will focus on the rising fuel prices. Where does Personal Development fit into the the current climate?

It boils down to whether we choose to focus on the symptom or the cure. Personal Development is the cure whereas each individual problem is just the symptom of a greater underlying problem. Trying to tackle each issue one by one is kind of like masking the symptom with pain killers. It never gets to the root of the issue. The solution is understanding. A broader scale understanding that we are all one and have just this one home to share.

Do you see your family as just those around you that share a home with? Or do you see every single soul on this planet as not just an extended family but an immediate family? Try observing a stranger on the street as someone who is part of your immediate family. You will be amazed at the difference it makes to the way you feel about them. Suddenly they’re no longer a threat to you. As soon as you look at the physical differences of language or culture or skin colour or any difference, those differences can make you feel the need to arm yourself. Whereas if choose to look at the similarities instead of the differences a whole different world opens up to you.

Think of them as human just as you are. Think of them as someone who is just trying to find a purpose just as you are. Think of them as someone who is trying to make a lively hood just as you are. Think of them as someone who is creating opportunities just as you are. Think of them as someone who would like to enjoy life and experience some variety. Think of them as someone who believes they are significant just as you do yourself.

Can you feel the shift within you already?

This is where the path of Personal Development makes inroads to the relationships between all beings on this small planet. It begins with a small shift and so, if we can start with ourselves, those beliefs and attitudes spread and eventually will create mass change, especially if we educate our children this way.

Related Posts

Mar 15

Be afraid!

To put yourself into a position of fear is actually a good thing. Doing so on a regular basis is even better. Putting yourself in stressful situations is not and there is a very distinct difference!

The fear factor is wonderful! It’s the mechanism that tells us that we’re experiencing something new and something that is challenging us on every level. I had extreme fear the first time I went up to do the ‘Firewalk’ and I can in all honesty that it wasn’t the kind you associate with stress. It was a very different kind of feeling, I was very excited but scared at the same time.

That kind of fear is good for us; it’s when you do the thing that was giving you fear in the first place that you experience growth!

Stress based fear is very different and more often that not comes from being unprepared. You cannot be prepared for everything but you can prepare for most things that you know are coming your way and hence eliminate the majority, if not all, the forthcoming stress. Being prepared is probably the main key to the this and planning ahead also plays a big role.

You can also change your mindset and covert the stress into the healthy kind of fear by simply remembering that it is a challenge that is going to make you grow. It can be for anything too; like buying your first house or going for a job interview.

Also read...

Jan 18

The internal dialogue that we have with ourselves is the force that guides our focus. Sometimes it’s not the questions we ask but tone with which we ask it.

If you were to ask yourself: “What else is left for me in this world to do?” with a tone of hopelessness then it’s unlikely that you’ll receive a good answer. If you were to change the tone of that question to one of energised inquiry you will be astounded with the results!

So next time you hear yourself asking a good question but the tone isn’t all it could be, change the tone of the question and ask the question again!

Related Posts: Start FAFing around

Also read...

Jan 17

My dear friend Arvind has written a truly inspiring post about compassion, which was inspired from, all the compassion that was showed, to him after the passing of his father, from his close friends. Please do drop by and have a read, it’s so uplifting and heartwarming!

You can read the article here.

Also read...

Jan 8

Troy aka Mr Wendal…

About two months ago I was in the west end of London and I decided to visit one of my favorite shops; Waterstones book store on Piccadilly which is the largest book shop in Europe. When I was there and I decided to purchase four books; one was a book to help me with my stand-up comedy and the other three were all books by Esther and Jerry Hicks.

It was a cold night, I had my gloves, scarf and thick winter jacket all on to keep me nice and toasty. As I left the book shop, I was walking back towards my car and I came across a homeless person who was sitting on his bum with his legs outstretched before him. He had taken his shoes off also. I nearly walked past him but he called out to me and asked me for some spare change. I didn’t give him any money straight away but I sat down next to him and decided to have a conversation with this poor soul.

His name was Troy and he was out on the street because his relationship with his partner had broken down and things for him went from bad to worse. We continued talking for about 10 minutes after which I decided to give him money and then I left. If a homeless person asks me for money I always give them something. Many people have criticized me for that and they say things like: “what if he spends it on alcohol?” My response is simply that it’s not my money and it’s not my place to judge them and what they might spend it on. My only concern is doing what I choose to do and doing it with a grateful heart and giving it with love.

After I left him, something pulled me back towards him; I was already close to my car but something deep down inside me told me to go back to him and give him an additional gift. I realised that I had more than just money to give Troy; I had knowledge, a true priceless gift. So I went back and I sat back down next to Troy and asked him: “Do you enjoy reading?” He said he loved reading but naturally at this moment in time he didn’t have much to read. I reached down into my bag and pulled out one of the books that I had just bought; the one in particular I pulled out was called: “The Law of Attraction”. As soon as I pulled it out “THE SECRET!” he exclaimed! As it turned out, about two weeks before our meeting a friend of his took him to his flat and showed him the dvd “The Secret”. After seeing The Secret he wished for some more knowledge about the Law of Attraction and now it had come to him.

I was thrilled that he knew what it was and suddenly he seemed like he didn’t have a care in the world. He was over the moon and extremely grateful. I left again but I learned something incredible, I wasn’t the one that gave a gift to Troy; he gave a gift to me!

What was it that drew me back to him? Was it his intention or my choosing? Something to ponder over but in my mind the answer is simple, it was perfect amalgamation of the two. A perfect demonstration of the deeper workings of the Universe in which we live.

I didn’t have to go over and talk to him; but I chose to. I didn’t have to return to him; but I chose to listen to something that runs that little bit deeper in all of us. Take a bit of time out and listen to those inner callings. Those intuitions and feelings that pull on our heart strings from time to time to guide us through our chosen journeys!

The next day, I was back at the radio station and I decided to play a special song for Troy; Mr Wendal by Arrested Development. A song that I’ve always found to be deeply spiritual and meaningful. If you’ve never heard it, get a copy or take a look at the lyrics and you’ll know what I mean.

Next time you feel a calling, will you listen to it?

Related Posts:

When you walk past a beggar…

Also read...

Oct 1

My heart is sensitive and romantic and I believe that everyone in this world has that one special soul who they connect with. However recently, life has illuminated the reality of love, and essentially compartmentalised it into a ‘black and white’ order. I have been granted a brief look into the eyes of others around me, who see love as the manifestation of hormones, lust and desire. Where love has nothing to do with your heart or higher self’s purpose, but more of an indication of what other parts of the body are pulling you to do. The stark realisation of this fact aggrieves me; even though I have known it for years and am no stranger to its concept, I never the less find it a difficult and painful awareness to accept.

Have we as humans become so disconnected that even love has lost its mysterious potency? It has been handed over to our bodies and we are but slaves to its satisfaction.

The more I cling onto the thought that love is a beautiful, transformative, uplifting journey for your soul, the more I am forced to witness its corrupt expression.

However being a firm believer in the teachings of Abraham, I know that my thoughts are the powerful engines which shape my reality, therefore I understand that this moment in time serves me well to uphold my firm beliefs in love and what I REALLY want from the love of another.

Why should I bow down to an unnatural concept when my heart craves to experience the power of my creator through the love of another soul. Do I compromise my hearts calling for the sake of conforming to a lifestyle that is accepted by everyone else around me?

As I transmit my intention of love to others I am consistently made to feel guilty for asking for a love that is innocent and sweet, looked upon as though I have a warped, archaic perception of love. Have I always been the human dreaming of being the butterfly, who is now lost in the psychosis?

As you can see, my internal battle and quest to eliminate this loneliness brings pain, doubt and fear. However even though the world around me adopts such a view, I wish to live in my fantasy and hold on to my concept that this person who I fall in love with, will also have the view that love is a soul connection, and not just the result of chemicals and hormones surging around the body.

If this view is indeed a result of years of misconstrued understanding where the barrier between the dream world and real world has been breached, then I wish to allow this to grow within me. It gives me ‘hope’ and paints a picture of a world I ‘choose’ to live in, albeit a reverie.

So with this in mind, I allow the tears in my heart to dry and hold firm my views in the face of harsh truth and with god’s grace breathe in life and wait for the day when my fairy tale romance becomes my reality. I wish to be saturated in its magic, to bathe in its sweet aroma and to taste its intoxicating essence upon my lips!

Follow your dreams in the face of adversity – no matter what the cost!

Peace and Blessings – From a slightly broken heart, but i know i will heal! Kavi xxx

Also read...

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! :-)

Also read...

Sep 10

Woooohooooo! :-D

The 100 day mark has arrived. For me this is a true milestone. When I first began this “100 days…” project it just started out as a little idea to keep me blogging regularly. Now I can see that it has the potential to go much further, who knows what else I can achieve with this idea. It’s just the beginning and I know it will go much further. Very shortly I will be begin a new “100 days…” project and it will have a slightly different theme. One thing is for sure, I’d like to make it more challenging for myself.

Throughout this wonderful journey, I’ve leanred many new and exciting things. Each day has brought with it a new adventure and a new understanding in how to live a more purposeful, spiritual life. Spirituality is everything that we do and if you can do it with a spiritual mindset, you will love every moment of life, no matter how challenging it maybe!

Always keep the relativity paradox in mind, you cannot know happiness without sorrow, you cannot know love without fear, you cannot know light without darkness. These things were created to so that we might know what it means to be loved and what it means to recieve it. We enjoy that feeling because we know it’s counterpart!

There are 10 things I want to share that will ehance the quality of your life, remember and use these 10 things and I promise that you will life will be more happy, enjoyable and fulfilled!!

1) Have fun with life! Don’t let your first response to people be about how stressed out or how depressed you are or about how busy you are. Always start you interactions on a positive note. If during your interaction you need to talk about your challenges then do so, then finish where you started, on a happy and light note, sharing what you’ve learned through that encounter, or just share a joke!

2) Challenges don’t disappear, they change form. Notice I say challenges and not problems. Problems are barriers, challenges are hurdles, hurdles can be leapt, it takes a leap of faith. Barries need to be broken down and take much more energy! It may appear to you that other people don’t face challenges, or that their challenges are not as challenging as the ones you face. That’s your own mind creating a story to hold you back from being where it is you want to be. Running away will not take away your challenges, changing jobs because you have a horrible boss won’t take your challenges away, they will change form. When challenges arise, face them head on!

3) Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs, don’t hold so tightly to them so to you nothing else is true. Keep and open mind and listen to others when they share. Everyone’s point is valid and there is truth in every way of thinking as it all comes down to perception! There’s no need to challenge anyone else’s beliefs either, respect them, appreciate them, and share yours with spiritual pride. Views are not there to be converted, they’re there to be enjoyed and appreciated.

4) Our childrens education is not just dependent on the teachers. I consider every single child on this planet as my children and I make it my responsibility to educate them. Education doesn’t necessarily have to be of an academic nature, in fact, most often that’s not real education. Real education comes from what children see us do and then, in turn, emulate. Whether we like it or not, we have a responsibility to them as they will always follow our actions. They will adopt our attitudes and they will look to our actions to shed light where for them, there is none. Make it your responsibility to educate every child on this planet. The more we educate them, they more they will be prepared to deal with the challenges they will inevitably face.

5) Learn NLP! NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) has some pretty impressive, no nonsense, tools that you can use for improving your life. It will be one the best investments of your time and money that you can make. You don’t have to become an expert, even learning the basics from any “off the shelf book” and acquiring a basic understanding will improve the quality of your life and your relationships. It will enhance your skills no matter what profession you’re in, whether you’re a house husband, a lawyer, a high powered business woman, it will benefit you!

6) Even if your life is going amazingly well, get a Life Coach! I’m not being biased in this because I am one! :P In fact, when you’re life is going amazing is the best time to get one because they will be able work with you to enhance your performance! If your life isn’t going so great, get one and you’ll be amazed at the results. They don’t perform magic, they just know how to ellicit the best from people!

7) I’ve said it before many times and I’ll say it again! Follow the 5 a day rule! Make sure that you incorporate these 5 things into your day, every day! 1) Meditate, 2) Smile, 3) Laugh, 4) Give, 5) Appreciate! They don’t have to follow any particular order but if I were to say one was mandatory, it would number 5, to appreciate and have gratitude for everything in your life! If you can do that one consistently and regularly then the other 4 will pretty much come naturally!

8 ) If you’re not sure what to do with your life the sure fire way of getting out of that rut is to put yourself out there and try different things. Watching Eastenders, even at the best of times, isn’t going to improve the quality of your life. What will is being social, interactive and experimenting with various activities like a sport or doing some charity work! Activities like that will enhance your focus and give you some clearer purpose and direction. The rule of thumb is to do something that completely takes you away from what you would normally do. If you’re normally on a computer or games console, then get out there and try a new sport or go speed dating! Anything that challenges who you are is worth trying once!

9) So often these days the first thing a person will tell me about is how tired they are! I’m no doc but one of the main reasons why people get so tired is because we’re so used to cars and junk food and living a lazy lifestyle it’s no surprise that lethargy sets in. We’re no longer use to physical exertion! When you feel tired is the precise moment you should get up and do some physical activity, push your body beyond what it’s used to and soon you’ll start feeling less tired! Another reason it lack of “good quality” sleep. Even if you’re consuming small amounts of caffeine, your sleep will be affected. Cut out as much caffeine as possible and was your quality of sleep jump from 3/10 to a 8/10 and you’ll feel more fresh and rejuvenated. You’ll actually wake up feeling like you’ve had enough sleep and be ready for your day!

10) Last but not least, tip 10 is read my blog and make it part of your daily spiritual digest! :lol: Ok that was a joke! You are valuable and important, make sure you make time for yourself on a regular basis. Whether that be 20 minutes a day to have some quiet time or whether you take 1 whole day a month and dedicate it to yourself is up to you but make it a regular ritual! We dedicate so much time to everyone else and unless we take the time to look after ourselves and nuture our well being that any pleasures in life will be short lived. The more you make time for yourself and take a step out of your life and become a spectator with an attitude of gratitude the more you will feel naturally happy and the more you will enjoy life.

There we have it folks, my top 10 tips and learnings from the 100 days of wisdom! Thank you so much to all of you who have left me messages, comments, sent me emails of blessing and well wishes! I truly hope this has been something you’ve not only enjoyed but something that you’ve got use out of too! Stay tuned for the next 100 days series! :-D

With love,

Also read...

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!

Also read...

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! :)

Also read...

Jul 9

When you climb to the top of a hill or mountain, you stand back in awe of the fabulous view. How is the view itself different from being a part of the view? You will always be a part of the landscape but just remember to climb the mountain once in a while and enjoy the stunning view!

Also read...

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! ;)

Also read...

Jun 27

Just as overt aggression doesn’t achieve much in the long run, the same goes for being passive. The most beneficial place to be is one where you know how to assert yourself where it is needed and then take a step back and let others share when they need to be heard.

Firstly, assertiveness comes from knowing that what you have to say is important and it counts. If you believe that your ideas don’t mean much and no one will want to listen to them, you’ll go straight into passive mode and afterwards, the chances are, you’ll end up regretting it. Thoughts like: “Nah, that’s stupid, if I say that people will think I’m silly!” Will naturally cause you to pull back and regress into yourself. So the next time you notice yourself doing that you’ve got to break that habit and say to yourself: “I’m going to share my thoughts and ideas because I count and they are great ideas!”

Validate yourself, thought and ideas on a regular basis to get yourself into the habit of creating a more assertive thought pattern and hence becoming more assertive in your day to day situations.

Also read...

Jun 26

Hi Everyone, it feels good to be back and I must say I had an magnificent time at UPW. I’ll be posting my stories up a little later on.
—

I want you to take a good look at yourself and your thoughts and ask yourself to what degree are you a self critic and to what degree are you self constructive? If you spend much of your engaged in self critical inner chat then it’s unlikely you will ever be able to get the results in life you truly want. Whereas if you were to engage in a more healthy inner dialogue of constructive evaluation and then ask yourself “what can I change to do things better?” Then you will begin to automatically make changes to your actions without even realising it. You will begin to become more proactive and take the necessary steps towards your goals. Its a form of self coaching whereby you are not too soft on yourself and neither are you too harsh on yourself but you find the balance in getting the right kind of self talk to enhance the quality of your life.

Also read...

Jun 19

On my 100 days of wisdom project. :-)

I can’t believe I’m already nearing day 50 and I’ve haven’t even exhausted 1/10th of my ideas as yet…not even close!!

I decided to begin this out of the blue because I wanted to find a good way of channelling all the ideas I have that go through my head. I love blogging, but before I started the 100 days project I was only blogging about once a week and I was struggling because I didn’t have focus. The 100 days project gave me something to focus on and I absolutely love doing it! Either at the beginning of the day or just before I go to bed, I go up to my computer and let the ideas roll in and I base my wisdom post on usually the first idea or thought of wisdom that comes to mind.

I would love to hear whatever feedback you have to offer me regarding the 100 days of wisdom. Do you enjoy the posts? Are you a regular reader? Do you think they’re a waste of time? Any feedback will be received gratefully.

I have to say though, I’m truly enjoying doing it and once I’ve finished this 100 days of wisdom, I was thinking of starting a new 100 days of ???? project. I have some ideas already:

1) 100 days of meditation
2) 100 days of the driving ‘ologies - (Also a book I’m writing)
3) 100 days of my stories
4) 100 days of SOS’s (Simple Obvious Strategies)
5) 100 days of inspiring acronyms
6) 100 days of poems (This one will be a challenge)
7) 100 days of love
8) 100 days of zen
9) 100 days of spiritual humour (So will this one!)
10) 100 days of cosmic ordering

I know some of these are bizarre, some would be a big challenge, some would be fun to try. Some I may even fail on and might not be able to carry on for the whole 100 days. Who knows though, the possibilities are endless, some I may even turn into best selling books! :P

I would love to hear from you though, so please, if you’ve never posted before, introduce yourself and give me the gift of your feedback.

In gratitude,

Also read...

Jun 17