Give everything to your work
Give everything to your Soul
Live as nature intended
Love what you do
No matter what it is - at this moment
And then your heart will stay open
For goodness and health
Make no compromise
Listen to no doubt
Give everything to your work
Whatever that is at any moment in time
Give everything to your soul
Live as nature intended
Turn up for life

http://www.cstthegate.com/davetrott/2013/04/regret-is-worse-than-embarrassment/


Tilly Smith was ten years old.

Tilly, her little sister Holly, and her mum and dad, were all on holiday.

They’d gone to a sunny place called Maikhao Beach.

They got up early and walked along the beach in the sun.

As they were walking, Tilly noticed the tide had gone out.

A very, very long way out.

She also noticed that the water was frothy, just like a pint of beer.

She stopped dead.

This was exactly like the newsreel film her geography teacher had shown her back at school in Surrey.

Mr Kearney had shown her class some old black and white footage of Hawaii in 1946.

It was the only film anyone had ever seen of a tsunami.

In fact most people hadn’t even heard the word tsunami.

But Tilly was convinced that was happening right now.

She tried to explain to her mum what she thought was happening.

Her mum wasn’t convinced, obviously.

No one had heard of a tsunami.

No one on the beach, including the life guards, was taking any notice.

So this probably happened all the time.

How could a ten year old girl from Surrey know more than the people who lived and worked here?

Tilly started to yell at her dad.

She was positive this was the thing Mr Kearney had shown them two weeks before.

Her dad had a difficult choice.

Listen to his ten year old daughter, who was getting hysterical.

And maybe cause panic on the beach.

Or ignore it and just take his daughter back to the hotel until she calmed down.

But what if she was right?

All these families, all these children, would die and he’d be responsible.

For an Englishman, embarrassment is the worst thing of all.

But he decided he had to take a chance.

He told the security guards, who told the lifeguards.

The beach was cleared and everyone went back to the hotel and climbed to the third floor.

And waited.

They didn’t have to wait long.

In less than a minute the first of three giant waves struck.

In fact giant waves struck beaches all over South East Asia that morning.

It was the Boxing Day, 2004.

In a few hours everyone in the world knew what a tsunami was.

Because that tsunami killed a quarter of a million people on beaches in thirteen different countries.

But there was one beach where no one died.

Maikhao Beach.

The beach Tilly Smith had been on.

That was the beach everyone left before the wave struck.

Because ten year old Tilly refused to shut up.

She wasn’t old enough to be silenced by crushing embarrassment.

She was still young enough to know she was right, and not allow herself to be quietened down.

Later, she was taken to the United Nations, where she was publicly congratulated by Bill Clinton.

Because Tilly saved the lives of over a hundred people.

Men women and children.

By being unreasonable.

By insisting on being heard.

Instead of wishing she’d spoken up after it was too late.

That’s something we could all do with learning.

Regret is worse than embarrassment.

Article From Daily OM
Raising Our Consciousness
Stepping out from Where We Were
by Madisyn Taylor 


We cannot gain a sense of power in our lives while identifying ourselves as a victim.
Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it. We must learn to see the world anew.” A Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein’s scientific theories transformed the world’s understanding of the universe and its workings, so we can believe that these words come from his personal experience and helped him to explore both science and life itself. He offered us an example of what can be learned by looking deeply into nature to reach a deeper understanding of all life and by following our ideas to their logical conclusions in our minds before acting upon them in the world. 

When we apply this quote to our lives, we can see that we cannot create abundance by staying in a consciousness of poverty, nor can we gain a sense of power in our lives while identifying ourselves as a victim. Situations begun from anger or fear can have little chance of reaching a state of peace and trust unless someone involved can conceive of that possibility and act upon it. We need to find ways to step outside of our limited understanding in order to seek a bigger picture. One way to do this is to shift our perspective to see the situation from another’s point of view and ideally the perspective of all others involved. Even if we can’t truly know another’s motivations, by imagining what they might be, we open ourselves up to numerous possibilities and an expanded vision. This alone can shift our feelings of anger to compassion and the desire for a positive solution for all involved. 

Once we have opened our mind to greater possibilities, we can connect to our higher self for inspired solutions. From the peace at our center, we gain distance from our emotions to connect to intuitive wisdom that offers us understanding of the underlying causes and the inspiration needed to guide our steps in a new direction. Albert Einstein showed us the impact that can be made when we raise our consciousness and allow ourselves to imagine the possibilities.

The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

- Robert Byrne

 
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

- Mark Twain

 
The first thing to do in life is to do with purpose what one proposes to do.

- Pablo Casals


To reach a port, we must sail - sail, not tie at anchor, sail not drift.

- Franklin D. Roosevelt


We are not in a position in which we have nothing to work with. We already have capacities, talents, direction, missions, callings.

- Abraham Maslow

 
I have brought myself by long meditation to the conviction that a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and that nothing can resist a will which will stake even existence upon its fulfillment.

- Benjamin Disraeli

 
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

- Margaret Mead

 
I'm sure you have a theme: the theme of your life. You can embellish it or desecrate it, but it's your theme, and as long as you follow it, you will experience harmony and peace of mind.

- Agatha Christie

 
A soul without a high aim is like a ship without a rudder.

- Eileen Caddy


Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose.

- Albert Einstein

 
The aim of life is self-development, to realize one's nature perfectly.

- Oscar Wilde

 

If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is nature's way.

- Aristotle


The very first condition of lasting happiness is that a life should be full of purpose, aiming at something outside self.

- Hugh Black


I know that I have found fulfillment. I have an object in life, a task ... a passion.

- George Sand

 
Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.

 - Washington Irving

 
Figure out what your purpose is in life, what you really and truly want to do with your time and your life; then be willing to sacrifice everything and then some to achieve it. If you are not willing to make the sacrifice, then keep searching.

- Quintina Ragnacci


This is true joy in life -- being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as mighty.

- George Bernard Shaw


No man or woman is an island. To exist just for yourself is meaningless. You can achieve the most satisfaction when you feel related to some greater purpose in life, something greater than yourself.

- Dennis Waitley

Challenges

My passions were all gathered together like fingers that made a fist. Drive is considered aggression today; I knew it then as purpose.

- Bette Davis


Effort and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.

- John F. Kennedy


If Heaven made him - earth can find some use for him. 

- Chinese Proverb


If you know with a complete absence of doubt that what you are doing is consistent with your own purpose and that you are involved in accomplishing a great affair, then you are at peace with yourself and in harmony with your own heroic mission.

- Dr. Wayne Dyer


The secret of success is consistency of purpose.

- Benjamin Disraeli


Purpose is the quality we choose to shape our lives around.

- Richard J. Leider

Work Life balance is an often used term that suggests we use life to balance work. I'm of the opinion that this is a relic from the 50's and 60's where Dad used come home wounded and basically the house revolved around getting him ready to go back into battle (work) the next day... Certainly my home was like that. We'd tiptoe around Dad's moods, and routines, he'd be served what he hoped would be an edible meal (my step mom was an alcoholic and prone to burning everything she cooked), and quarrels between my brother and I would be halted with the harsh words "can't you see your father is exhausted from working to put food on the table?" which of course was guilt ridden.

Work life balance sends fatigue home. Yesterday I went into Sydney CBD for a meeting and watched people leave their offices. Sure, it's a few days into the new working year and many people are suffering post holiday blues, but the looks on people's faces told a huge story. They were exhausted and were on their way to "balance" that exhaustion at home.

One client said "my partner is not the person I married. They come home so tired from the day there's nothing left for us. Sure they play with the kids but their mood and emotional temprament is all fragile and sensitive. We have to walk on egg shells to prevent a blow out" I think he's not alone in this complaint.

Asking your family to pay their dues for your work exhaustion is understandable. You want credit for the effort you put in to "put bread on the table" but really guys, really? Is that the best way to help your family appreciate the effort you put into your work. Exhaustion and emotional compensation? I'm a bit skeptical that this is the best angle you've got.

Lets look at an alternative I've been proposing for the last 20 years. "Come home from work with more energy than you left home with. Mentally and Physically" Is it possible? I'd say 70% of the time absolutely, 20% of the time it's marginal and 10% no... 

How?
1.  Change the model of work from work life balance to WORK WORK balance... balance your time at work with recuperation. 
2. Get as much exposure to nature as possible during, before and after work... sit under a tree for lunch, have meetings outdoors, put nature screen savers on your computer screen (Apple do this already)... it's important.
3. Take micro breaks you don't need much more than 60 seconds every hour to check in with yourself. If you find you are stressed, tired, hyper, or depressed use the Inspiration Wheel to get "Back on Track." Don't work fatigue or emotion on top of fatigue and emotion. The cost increases exponentially.
4. Use team and partner agreements at work to allow others to give you early warning interventions. Agree with team mates at work that if you show signs of fatigue or emotional turbulence they can give you a heads up, simply using a hand signal. And, if necessary engage in helping you clear it before it compounds.
5. Exercise every day... not just for weight control or for training for a marathon, exercise for looking and feeling right. That means, in my opinion, morning exercise is not fatiguing, is 20 minutes of awareness, soul food and stamina building with a "corpse pose" relaxation for ten minutes afterward. Do any heavy training for weight control and event preparation at other times (afternoon at 3pm is ideal).

More about this on video at Huffington Post http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/doctors-need-more-sleep/50e5b46102a760730400080f

So, they are just a few ideas. If you have more, I'd love to hear from you in the comments below...

From the heart of Chris

The group that may benefit the most from regular time in natural areas is our kids. Researchers studying the differences between kids who spend all their time in front of video games and TV and those who regularly get outside have found a long list of differences.

Kids who get outdoors regularly have longer attention spans, play more creatively and cooperatively together, are less prone to obesity, and have a better ability to focus. Unfortunately, a recent U.S. study found that only 6% of six to nine-year-old children play outside regularly. Many researchers are now linking this lack of outdoor time with surging rates of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the prescribing of anti-depressants for children.

Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods”, asks “Could it be that the huge increase in kids on anti-depressants is be- cause we took away the calming effect of natural experience?”

In fact, researchers are finding that the calming effect of nature can be a valuable therapy for kids with ADHD. A 2004 study found that “Green outdoor activities reduced symptoms signif- icantly more than activities conducted in other settings did, 

Even when activities were matched across settings. Findings were consistent across age, gender, and income groups; community types; geographic regions; and diagnoses.”

Putting natural experiences back into children’s lives is im- portant for all kids. For example, students attending schools that incorporate hands-on experience with nature produce significantly better results in social studies, science, language arts and math. In one California study, students at a school that incorporated outdoor learning scored 27% higher on science exams than those in schools that did not. And getting outside keeps kids active, which is a great antidote to the health prob- lems caused by obesity in our increasingly couch-potato society.

Keeping kids inside, Richard Louv believes, threatens “their independent judgment and value of place” and does real dam- age to “their ability to feel awe and wonder, [and] to their sense of stewardship for the Earth.” In other words, kids who rarely venture past the front door except to go to the mall are

Why does it hurt? ... it hurts because whatever we feel produces pleasure creates a dopamine association in the mind and when that association is broken dopamine stops and that's painful..

When a person eats too much and becomes obese is the problem the food they eat or is the real problem what needs they are having met by food? 

Without doubt food is a temptation but if nurturing, self love, self respect and belief in ourselves is furnished through the temporary satisfaction of eating a hamburger, don't blame the food giant. Deal with the cause.

There's a link between dopamine (happy body chemical) and the root source of fulfilment. If we lose dopamine triggers from everyday life we then gravitate down to sex, food, drugs, alcohol, sport, greed and spirituality. These are not wrong it's just that they produce dopamine but lead us off track from the soul purpose of our life. The pain of regret outweighs the pain of discipline and yet, the lack of dopamine leads to the feeling of depression. Nobody enjoys that feeling ....

Dopamine is the feel good drug the body produces... it is triggered most when a person's highest values are met... The trouble is that there are two sides to everything and although we might think our values are being met by one association (like a boyfriend and winning lotto) there's a counter balance to that association we also have to deal with. A boyfriend might occupy time, have different ideas, be rude, or dirty and suddenly there's dopamine sometimes and no dopamine (depression) at others. This creates head spin.

If we are all born with a purpose for our life then the ultimate dopamine hit is living it. That's quite a cool idea because purpose never changes, purpose is unachievable (its a journey not a destination) and purpose can be linked to everything from going to the bathroom to leading Virgin Airlines. Purpose is the ultimate dopamine hit... WHY? because everything that happens in your life can be linked to it for a real feel good experience.

Although many people talk about calm and inner peace they very often leave out the fact that inner peace and calm depend very much on how your higher values are being supported.

Lets say you are in a relationship in and your higher value includes your career and wealth but your partner’s higher value is children and social life. If you start to run your career and wealth based on your partner’s recommendation you will become conservative and security conscious. You will be miserable because your higher value is wealth creation not conservation. However, your partner might be delighted. 

Your partner might be delighted to have their values met until your disempowerment starts to impact their impression of you. As you lose your VIP - you mojo, your partner will start looking for others with mojo. All this because you decided to be kind and submit to their values as the dominant criteria for your life.

Anything that you perceive as supporting your higher values you label as good, or terrific. It elates you and warms you up. Anything you perceive as challenging your higher values you label as bad, or terrible. It depresses you and cools you down. 

The art of communicating your values in terms of other people’s values is called “caring” when it is applied inside a close relationships and “selling” when it applied outside close relationships. So, it is better to control your higher values but do so in the language of your close relationships or clients - I.e Meet their values and thereby, meet your own.

This can be a tricky business. It sort of feels like we are surrendering our power to meet other people’s values but that is not the case. We hold our values secret and we serve others by meeting theirs.

When you feel betrayed it is because you expected others to follow your values. This is self aggrandisement. You hear yourself say “you’ve got to … or you should or ought to” this is expecting others to live your values. To the opposite you might hear others say “you should or you’ve got to do it this way” then they are expecting to to follow their values.

You can only trust someone to live according to what they feel will fulfil their highest values. 

I've written an extended article on the benefits of following a cycle of life preparation rather than cherry picking pain relief and training programs. I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.chriswalker.com.au/chris-process.html