The Love of Power into the Power of Love

It was inspiring this morning to read in my mail,  some words by Edgar Mitchell, one of the many astronauts who had a life changing experience upon seeing our beautiful blue planet from space. He described himself as "a pragmatic test pilot, engineer and scientist"  Yet after his "breathtaking experience of seeing planet Earth floating in the vastness of space" from Apollo 14 on the moon, he had an instant direct knowing that life in the universe is no accident.  His vision of the future reads like this :- "The union of head and heart, insight and instinct, will ensure that science comes to comprehend the non-material aspect of reality as well as it knows the material, our knowledge will become wisdom, our love of power will become the power of love, and the universal human of cosmic consciousness will emerge."

It's fascinating that so many space travellers come back changed people...and fantastic that we can now all visualise our planet from space .. and perhaps reach for that universal perspective, in whatever form it may take!

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!

I turned on the radio in the car in time to hear a well known (now retired) politician being asked what would be his favourite song. He said with no hesitation 'What a Wonderful World' by Louis Armstrong. I loved his choice and even more his reasoning!  He spoke of coming out of high powered political meetings, and seeing the daffodils in spring, the roses in summer and feeling the stability and beauty of nature .... of the value for love and friendship between people...and of making opportunity for the next generation to learn and improve ....  That, I thought was the most sensible thing I'd heard from any politician in a long time!!! And in a fast changing and often disturbing world, how important to work out what is really important in life.

What's happened to religion?

Had an email from a friend yesterday talking about a recent Dawkin's program on religion, morality and sexuality. His point was that 'religious peoples' behaviour when it came to the so called sexual 'taboos' was exactly the same as the non religious. The only difference being that 'religious' folks lied about it and felt guilty! Whilst I could see where they were coming from, it made me feel very sad to see how easily the flaws in all the major religions, where politics, power and control are often more of the driver than a simple love of God and life, so easily puts people off the idea of religion itself...that very simple  relationship between a person and that amazing intelligence which both created and maintains life, including our own!

The Human Deal

Had a get together last night with some good friends. We were discussing what is the basic deal for humans on earth - good question!  What are some of the issues that face us all, whoever we are and wherever we are born?

Some of the ones we talked around were these:-

1. We all find ourselves alive on the planet in a time which is teeming with possibilities but also full of problems.
2. We are all born  knowing nothing ... like an empty computer!
3. We start to fill up with information ...and this can either lead to a life which is refining itself or getting more crude, more course...the choice being up to us ( given personal circumstances do make this easier or harder)
4. Somewhere along the line, we decide if  life, in our view,  is a one time shot, or is this life part of a spiritual journey - and this  makes a huge difference to how we live our life and think about absolutely everything!

5. As people, no-one is an island unto themselves and to think so, is to cut ourselves off from the sense that we mix and merge with the influences of other people, different energies and influences all the time  .... and this is a fundamental part of what we are and who we become.
It was a great evening and felt really refreshing to be spending time together casting our mind over some of these really profound questions ! 
Love to hear some thoughts from other bloggers!

Collaboration, not Competition, We, not I

        
Saw another inspired TV program the other evening  (Yes,  TV?? Strange but true!!)  The hub of what was being discussed was again about finding new templates for a more humane tomorrow.... two phrases really caught me 

"Collaboration  rather than Competition"
"We, rather than I"

Those mind shifts could really make a difference!

Evolution or Extinction

I saw a fascinating program on one of the less popular TV channels the other night ...an interview with a chap called Dr Robin Wood.   The central theme of his chat was that humanity is facing a simple choice ... evolution or extinction !  I was caught by the fact that there was a TV program  bringing up such profound questions and wondered how many people around the globe also feel that not only are we are facing such a critical turning moment in history  ... but that we have a part to play in influencing the outcome.  Robin is pioneering something he calls Renaissance 2, and asks us to imagine living in a Solar Civilisation powered completely by renewable energy, with people living in resilient habitats in tune with nature, operated by enlightened enterprises, wise culture and conscious, integral leadership aligned with a full spectrum of healthy values. He believes that crisis catalyses evolution through creativity and that this is the best time ever to be alive. He likens the time we are in today to the extraordinary fertile flowering of art, literature, music, science and learning which began to blossom around five hundred years ago and is very much looking at the practicalities of new business models, new ways of living which will not only have economic success but which would incorporate the fundamental values of humanity and spirituality.

There is a lot one could debate about this, but there was one feature which I found very significant...which is that thoughts and ideas which began as philosophical and perhaps a little flowery, idealistic and very 'fringe' back in the sixties are now being translated  into very practical ideas about pioneering a new culture - a new civilisation. Only 50 years later!  It made me ponder just what does it really take, to make that next evolutionary leap and just what might be achieved in another fifty years ! 

Third Vector

I'm working at the moment on a small video about Aboriginal Culture for our Templates for Change You tube Channel.     I was really struck by a quote from one of the Aboriginal Elders when asked about reconciliation with the current state of affairs and population in Australia.  They said that it was impossible to talk about reconciliation when there had never been any agreement in the first place...the one implied the other.
I found that really profound ... and in many ways it applies to so many of the stand-offs in the world today, whether it be in politics or religion.
They went on to say that the way all the Australians could come together, was through a common healing and purpose ..and the way that could happen was through a shared concern and nurturing of the planet..which would in turn look after, heal and bring them all together.  What  a gem of wisdom !  Perhaps, it is in the finding of that 'third vector' - rising into the  the bigger picture, shared values and  importances  ... that the reasons behind old  battles could be left behind and a better future forged.

Crop Circles

I had dinner with friends on Saturday and one of the many subjects that came up was Crop Circles ... one of those modern day phenomena which seem to keep happening  .....and with increasingly  detailed artwork and beauty  .. they sent me a link this morning with beautiful shots by Steven Alexander, taken over a few years in the south of England....and the photos really are quite extraordinary! The one attached is from July this year in Wiltshire. We all know that some crop circles are hoaxes  ....  but even if 10% were genuine, they still present us with a great and rather inspiring mystery!  
Of course, many people dismiss them all as human  hoaxes  and I can understand that in some ways. . .  they are pretty unbelievable ....and yet the growing intricacy and sheer beauty of them makes it more unlikely that anyone could produce them overnight! And if they are man made pranks, then how come with all the satellites around the planet, that the authorities who have access to satellite photos, do not expose them as such? Others like myself, recognise them as intriguing and mind provoking . . and one big question, of course, is where do they come from ?  Could it actually be some kind of non human intelligence making contact with us? As one person put it "a fax from the universe" !!  If so, could they be looking for our response, to gauge how we  respond to their 'communications' ?

I thought twice about whether to blog about this  ...  crop circles seem to be so 'out there', left field and whacky !!   Yet, they do keep appearing ... and having looked at hundreds of photos of them today, I honestly can't dismiss the possibility they do come from 'elsewhere'...wonder what other people think about them?  Wonder what they really are?

Lifting the Clouds of Limitation

In Sebastian Coe's closing speech at the  Paralympics he spoke of how the games had  "lifted the cloud of limitation"  I loved that language and thought that the Paralympic  athletes had set us a great inspiring example.   The impossible becomes possible, with imagination, dedication, bravery, determination and a lot of hard work. 
And of course, behind the clouds, the sky is always blue !

Throw Away Attitude

Over the weekend, I found myself looking around the house at the amount of plastic based items in my home.  Once again, it caused me to reflect on how so many items around me have a short term life...a built in obsolescence. It is so much part of today's reality, that mostly once doesn't give it much thought.    At the risk of sounding decidedly like one of the older generation, I scanned back to the period I was growing up..in the fifties and sixties and how very different things were then. From white goods, to crockery, cutlery,  furniture, curtains, clothes,  shopping bags  .. you name it ...   everything was expected to last for for a good number of years and maybe even decades ... and  especially in the fifties, the amount of plastic and man made materials was minimal compared to today. If we go back a hundred or two hundred years, then things lasted even longer .... as I often marvel at, when visiting older national trust properties.

And with that longer term life span, I think everything was more valued, better looked after ... I wondered to what extent that throw away attitude has permeated our psyche ....where even people, relationships, marriages are also influenced by that way of thinking.  

I just made a mental note to myself, to watch my own thought processes ..to make sure I value the people and surroundings in my life ... and not be overly influenced by that 'throwaway' attitude.

Sense of belonging

It's been fascinating listening to people talking about the effects of the Olympics in London this summer. I listened to a radio program on the way to work this morning

Several aspects really caught me.
One was how inspired the two volunteers were from their recent experience . They loved working with other people, helping because they wanted to ..and  had volunteered to do so.  And there was a lovely sense of team-ship - a sense of belonging.  It struck me how very natural and healthy these feelings are for humanity. The move , particularly  in  the big cities, towards  insularity and a self serving way of life, doesn't make for the happiest of life styles!  The interviewer  made a wry comment about people being nice to each other and even talking with each other in the streets in London - surprise, surprise ! Long may it continue!! 
Wouldn't it be great if that sense of team-ship, didn't need an event to galvanise it..but sprang from being part of the one human family? And that very natural urge to help and improve the collective as well as the individual quality of life,  had many outlets for us  to volunteer into ?

Purple Sky

Just been re-watching that magic series by Iain Stewart on 'How to Grow a Planet' It is so amazing to hear of the growth, stage by stage, of the appearances  which have lead to the incredible bio-diversity we have today. Imagine a time way back in history prior to the birth of the first green bacteria which lead to the appearance of all our green vegetation .....instead of a blue sky..we had a purple sky ..and from the air our lovely blue planet would have been the purple planet!!




Imagine a planet without trees...without flowers ....with no creatures on the land  ..... what a journey back in time !!  Watching the programme with  friends, it was good to remind ourselves, our planet is constantly moving and changing ....and aren't we the lucky generation to be able to witness not only the evidence of the past but also the changes happening in our own life time.

Ethics of Tomorrow

The Dalai Lama recently said 










 "The time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics, that is beyond religion" 
I totally  agree with this - isn't it true that although, theoretically, most religions value similar moral principles, when it comes to practice, the religious bias so often leads to conflict and strife rather than harmony between people? Perhaps part of the way forward is a more individual approach. For each person to take guidance from their education and backgrounds, but  individually to come to their own values and principles which then become like an internal spiritual compass  - orientating a person from the inside.  
At the same time as this more individual 'hands on' approach, there are so many fundamental issues which are totally relevant to all people....like why are we here on earth? Is there a deeper reason for life beyond the obvious?  ....perhaps it is under this larger 'humanity' umbrella that is beyond nation or creed,  that we can find the real importances, that provide a solid foundation for a kinder, more compassionate way forward?
So, first research and discover the collective issues, then take an individual stance?

Plant Life in Danger of Extinctions

     
I saw a fascinating program about an expedition by a chap working at Kew Gardens to Kenya. The purpose of the trip was to gather seeds. One of the rather gripping and concerning issues being raised was that it is estimated that 25 % of ALL plants on the planet are currently in danger of extinction. Whilst there is quite a high public awareness of endangered animals like the tiger or panda, not so many people are aware of the situation in the plant kingdom. In particular, seeds were being gathered from a variety of plants which had the capacity to withstand extreme temperatures,both hot and cold, as a preparation for the impact climate change could  have on plants upon which we currently now depend.  One example of this was in the gathering of seeds from a variety of wild rice.... thought was being given today as to how to avert possible future problems.

I found the fact about the expected extinctions a little shocking, but was encouraged by the practical preparations being made today in readiness for what the future might need.  As awareness of our changing times grows, it is just this conscious pioneering of the needs of tomorrow, that, to me, is a brilliant mind set to develop ..... rather than worry over much about the problems, seek to understand the situation as thoroughly as possible, and then volunteer to be part of the solution in whatever practical ways we can !!

Animals Intelligence and Sensitivity

I seem to be receiving a lot of emails and links recently from friends about the sensitivity and intelligence of animals.  One which particularly caught me was of a monkey rescuing a puppy from high flood water ..as shown here...sorry for the quality of photo but isn't it amazing ?  Another was of a video showing one dog risking its own life to pull another dog off a busy motorway and onto the verge after an accident. It makes me ponder to what degree we under-value the sensitivity and intelligence of the non human lives of the planet. Not that this is a new idea..about 2500 years ago, Pythagoras said "Animals share with us the privilege of having a soul"
It feels like a really important part of building a  more humane society, to develop a greater value for the fauna life and to appreciate their lives for what they are in themselves, and not just for what they do for us. 

Gender Balance

I had a fascinating conversation with an old friend recently. He had just returned from Bahrain, where he had been working intermittently over a number of years.

I asked him what was his take on the Arab Spring from his own experience in Bahrain.
He said that he felt nothing could really change long term in the governments unless things changed within families and the gender balance....that the masculine influence was too strong & dominant...the feminine influence too absent.    Intrigued, I asked further and he went on to explain that his experience was that  behind closed doors, even amongst some of his educated colleagues, the man of the family was a bit of a tyrant...viewing both the women and children as his to do with, as he chose, and that physical violence was still not that uncommon. The autocratic governments which we have seen in the Middle East, he felt, are a like a large scale reflection of this family pattern.

This gave me food for thought....as it demonstrates how change at the ground level, could  influence  society. So often people feel they personally cannot make a difference, but in fact everybody can and does contribute to the status quo ...either by confirming or changing it.  Perhaps part of our changing  times is the breakdown of this 'top down' kind of influence and the appearance of much more personal responsibility from individuals....as well of course as a natural and balanced working partnership between the genders.

You become what you think about !

I saw this post on one of my friend's Facebook yesterday
(thanks Russell!) and absolutely loved it! 









 It seems that one of the important features of life today is the growing recognition  of the unseen  worlds of energy, and their enormous influence on every aspect of living.  Even a few decades ago, it was seen to be a bit  'flakey' and 'alternative' to be talking  about that side of life and yet it holds the most profound of clues  to living a progressive and conscious life.  As Einstein says here, it's not philosophy, it's physics!! What a great encouragement to know that if we put ourselves on the frequency of what we want, it will become reality. I think this is maybe another way of saying that we become what we think about !

Nelson Mandela

One of my colleagues from Templates for Change recently visited South Africa. (New U-tube about this appearing on TFC soon on the Human Heritage Series ! )http://www.templatesforchange.org/discovery-zone/human-heritage/ 

He told a couple of stories about Nelson Mandela on his return. One was from the day Mandela was released from prison after 27 year's incarceration. He apparently looked back at the prison on Robben Island and realised that if he didn't let go his anger and negative feelings, then, whether freed or not,  in reality  he would spend the rest of his life in prison ...WOW!!!!  What a very inspired realization...to be a big enough person to let go the negative, and then go on to make the extraordinary difference he has in our fast changing world is so uplifting and inspiring !  What an example !

The other was a quote from him on Resentment which is so profound and so deeply  intelligent.   "Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies"

More on Elephants

Talking to one of my friends about the previous blog, she told me another amazing tale about her daughter working with elephants. Having recently taken a job with elephants, she was warned about a particular large bull called Max who had been cruelly treated. She was told to be careful because his behaviour, not surprisingly in the face of his history , could be dangerous and unpredictable. Ignoring the warning, her daughter was drawn to this elephant and stood close to him stroking the elephant's trunk. He then stroked the girl's shoulder with his trunk. The two stood close  together looking into each other's eyes.

 The girl said she felt such intense hurt and pain coming from Max that it caused her to start crying ... at the same time, she said she felt an extraordinary healing energy surrounding them both. At this point the elephant too began crying ..and both stood with tears pouring down their faces for some time. She said she felt the elephant was being healed of all the hurt and pain that had been inflicted upon him.

After this experience, Max was, in her words, like a little lamb who followed her around - no trouble at all !  This story again made me reflect, not only on how sentient and sensitive elephants can be ...but also how amazing that there are  such healing energies which can soothe and heal some of the ghastly amount of hurt and pain there is in the world....and of course the magic of this story also evokes how that energy can be attracted by a person sensing the need and taking the time and care.

The Elephant Whisperer

I read one of the most intriguing and inspiring of stories just recently about the death of Lawrence Anthony, the conservationist known as the 'elephant whisperer'. Shortly after he died in early February, two herds of wild South African elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush ..walking for  12 hours  ....until they reached the house of the late author. The formerly violent, rogue elephants, who would have been shot a few years ago as pests, were rescued and rehabilitated by Anthony, who had grown up in the South African bush. Lawrence's  family were amazed to see this long procession of elephants standing  outside their home 'paying their respects' ... all the more so as they hadn't even been at this property for more than a year and a half.

Doesn't it raise all sorts of questions like....

How did they know he had died ? Did they see him 'in the spirit'
What sort of finesse of emotion and sentiment would prompt the elephants to respond in such a way?
Just how conscious and intelligent are elephants? 
And if true of elephants what about other animals ? 
What does it say about the interconnected web of life?

And not so much  questions ..but isn't life  beautiful, intimate and marvellous? Aren't the mysteries a gateway to a deeper awe and appreciation of life itself?  Aren't we human beings lucky to be conscious players in this great game?

Inspiration from Ghandi

I heard a great inspiring story about Ghandi ...

A mother brought her child to Ghandi and asked if he would tell her boy to stop eating sweets as it was rotting his teeth. Ghandi replied, please bring the boy back in four months time.

The mother did as suggested and brought her son back to Ghandi and said again the boy's  teeth are rotting because he is still eating too many sweets.

Ghandi bent down and looked at the boy and said to stop eating sweets..it is rotting your teeth.

The mother was puzzled and asked Ghandi why he could not have said this four months previously.

He replied

" Four months ago, I was still eating sugar !"

Taking a Position and Making a Difference

I had a fascinating series of conversations with some friends at the weekend about all sorts of things. One was about the callousness and self interest one sees at play in world politics. ....One of my friends began to talk about our inability to make a difference on that bigger world scene...another disagreed radically and said that each person could actually make a difference by talking a position in themselves about the very things we do not want to see in the bigger picture. 

So, what were they really saying ?  In the example above, they were suggesting that if we allow ourselves to become callous, for example, even in small, we were basically playing for the same team as the politicians who were practising callousness on a large and visible scale. In other words, we in our small way add to the growth of callousness in the world. Or if we allow our lives to become governed purely by self interest, then we add to that influence in the world too.

In the light of quantum discoveries,( as well of course as age-old spiritual understandings!)  each of us humans influences the whole of humanity ....so each person's contribution ..even in small..truly makes a difference.

When you add to that,  when a decision is made consciously, deliberately and repetitively, it perhaps holds more transmitting strength than when something happens unconsciously....well, it gives a more positive and hopeful situation in which we all can take a position which can help make the world a kinder place to be.

Are we already evolving into a new species?

Just listened to a Radio 4 program on the way into work this morning about an archaeological dig in Somerset, England. They were talking about discovering evidence of cannibalism in the neanderthals who were living here about 60, 000 years ago and their apparent use of hollowed out skulls as a kind of ritual drinking bowl. Well, not very British, is it !!!

The paleoanthropologist, Chris Stringer, was asked a question about the value of discovering about the past. As well as highlighting how we can learn from the past about what we do NOT want in the future, he said it also makes him wonder if humans will still be here in 100, 000 years time , and finished on a rather stunning comment about wondering whether we are already evolving into a new species!

Great contemplation for the day !

A Lost Generation ?

Listening to the news last night, some figures were being given of youth unemployment. With over 50% in Spain, 47% in Greece and 30% in Italy...these were really sad figures...and no doubt other countries in Europe have similar problems .... but what was more shocking was the comment from the newsreader. People are asking is this 'a lost generation'?
I felt this was a dreadful comment to throw in, in such an off hand, almost casual way....and to my ears, a callous comment Once again it reflects the level of breakdown in sensible society. Not only because of the figures, which are stark, but because governments are allowing this to happen. How can they not take this in hand, find ways to help, educate and train youth in a viable productive way ? And one way or another, create situations where the young can feel a useful and productive part of society?
Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders...and surely this has to be a five star priority issue.

The Gene Code

Just had a fascinating conversation with a good friend whose grand daughters had just been visiting for the weekend. We were talking about the trend in many of the young using less and less grammar in their speech and the increase in 'text speech'. She told me of one of her relatives, who had an au pair come over from Sweden to learn English but found it impossible because the family with whom she was staying was using so little of English syntax! I told her that I had heard that in a couple of American States, they were stopping teaching the written language as part of the main curriculum and issuing laptops instead.

Then the conversation took a very interesting turn where we began to talk about recent research in genetics where they discovered that there is a specific gene to do with grammar. We posed the question whether the fall away in grammar is a 'retro' move in terms of our using our expressive capacity as human beings? Obviously it must have represented a huge step forward at some time in our genetic evolution. Whilst pondering that, we also asked ourselves the question whether there was an aspect in current communications that we miss altogether because it is so easy to see the down side of it?My friend said one thing she had observed in her grand daughters was a much more expressive use of body language as part of their listening to 'rap' Many of the words had an accompanying body movement which was somehow very 'inclusive' and 'communicative'...it seemed to bring the mind and body together more than perhaps formal verbal communication ...fascinating !

I found this quite a gripping conversation and feel it is an area that deserves a lot of consideration and much more research! It feels very important to be watching the trends and be open about what it all might indicate...to be constantly reaching for more intelligence and consciousness about what is going on in our world.

Galactic Plane

There is a lot of hype at the moment about the solar system going through the galactic plane on 21st December 2012 and the possible cataclysmic consequences of that for the planet and all life on her.

Of course, it sounds dramatic and catches people's attention. However when one researches it a little, it becomes clear that it is not only misleading to talk in those terms, but also damaging because it brings with it a blind 'end of the world' sort of fear.

Alongside that, when the facts come out, it then leaves people thinking it was all a load of rubbish anyway, so inclines a person to dismiss the more subtle and intriguing changes which are going on within the universe...and that is very sad when one considers the massive opportunity there is in this window of history, for a progression in consciousness and new human possibility.

What's Happening to Time?

One of the most frequent conversations I seem to be having right now is about time! So many people are fascinated by the way time seems to have speeded up.

And what's curious is, it is people of all ages and from many different backgrounds and circumstances who are talking about it!

From Xmas dinners, to coffee with friends to visits to the hairdressers, this topic is coming up again and again. Some folks are just puzzled about it, others intrigued, whilst some try to explain it away one way or another. One of the Xmas conversations went down the track that we are doing so many more things in the day, there is just not time to fit it all in. At work, someone suggested that as one gets older, each year is a smaller percentage of one's life, so seems shorter and therefore passes more quickly!

But for me, the conversation which intrigued me most was when my hairdresser asked "Has time itself actually changed?"

What a great question! And one which I'd love to hear what others might think about.

It reminded me of an article I had read in Australia in 1992 where some of the aborginal elders
had published an article saying they had come to the end of their old 'dreamtime' and had now entered a 'new dreamtime' One in which, it was important to let go of the past, forgive the wrongful aspects of their history, and find new more positive ways forward to build a more harmonious future between all the people in Australia and between people and the planet. Intriguingly in the very same week, I also received an article from one of the leading thinkers of the 20th century, Leo Armin, also writing about us having entered 'Newtime'.

All very intriguing !!

2012 ...endings and beginnings

I 've been at the hairdressers this morning...always a great place for girl chat and was absolutely astonsished in talking to the young girl who works there to discover how widely known is the idea that 2012 is thought by many to be some kind of significant year in world history! What was rather sad was that all the reference that she and her friends had was in relation to it being the 'end of the world'! the lady doing my hair confirmed that, that too, was what her daughter had told her...a young very bright law student of 19.

Having been aware for many years that some cultures such as the Mayan, had their ancient calenders come to an end in 2012...it was a surprise to me to find how popular that knowledge has become but what a shame that there seemed to be no awarenes of the parallel idea that whilst we are in the time of 'endings' we are also in the time of brand new beginnings...new possiblilties, new evolutions .....with a whole new page in history to write.

It was fun and energising having a conversation with this young lady about that consciousness and I came home and thought yes, definitely time to start the blog again !!!