The Illuminated Life

  The world is becoming smaller through advancing technology. Much more of the world is visible thanks to a multi-media landscape that invites us to become global citizens. Some step cautiously and others bound in to capture intriguing new information. Religion, politics and culture have often been the protagonists separating one country from another. Highly ridged beliefs do not allow the freedom to meet people of other cultures without a sense of distrust! We share this magnificent planet but are still working through the differences that divide us. Empathy and awareness are needed to see that most people around the world want the same thing; a place to live in safety, food on the table, the love of a family, a purpose to their life and a healthy future. Access to information has been limited over the centuries, of course there have been libraries for numerous centuries, but many could not read or did not have access. Now there is up to the minute updates from around the ...

  The shared experience is something that connects people in a subliminal way. Depending on the situation, a meeting that takes less than an hour could connect you indefinitely. You could be friends, strangers or mild acquaintances, but now you are forever linked and have a special understanding of the time in question. This may have been a planned occasion or some unseen force that delivered a special synchronicity, either way the bonds of the shared experience are strong.   If you asked someone what their strangest meeting of a friend was, you will find some interesting answers. Though many are bonded through their education or workplace, others meet at festivals, expos, sporting events, gymnasiums, museums, classes, nightclubs, cafes, tourist attractions, in ques, at funerals, by photocopy machines at libraries and so on. The timing is right and you have information, empathy and wisdom to share, but there is even more than that! You feel as if you already know this ...

  We come from the country, desert, forest, coast, mountains and frozen lands. We live in towns, cities, rural communities and remote homesteads. We are humanity and we have given ourselves the governorship of this magnificent planet. If you could step back and observe this planet with honesty and compassion, what would you see? Could you spend thirty minutes on this exploration, either in contemplation, observation or meditation? Could you record the vision before you so future generations could absorb your discoveries? It is time to see the totality of our grand and magnificent planet, with all its hardships, inequality, imbalance and unsound political systems and extreme beliefs. This is the age of emergence – where we see the distorted and misguided egotistical commentaries with sharp clarity. Those who can recognise the signs of disharmony can stride forth and shatter the mirage. Those that come next can inform the masses. Then reconstruction can emerge in a way that b...

   The mind is a virtuoso of swift connections zipping in and around the brain.     This genius governs communication and action in the body. The mind is a central computer sending constant messages out, so we can function quickly and achieve our goals. In an instant the mind conjures images of far off lands, memories and scenarios that may or may not eventuate. The speed of the mind is baffling considering the words we sometime have trouble expressing. Couple this with societal etiquette and the need to talk at a speed everyone can understand, and our words and expression can be slightly fragmented. If you are a quiet or shy person it might be even harder to speak in a clear manner. Could it be that the connection between the mind and words is still developing? We can all get a bit tongue tied at times or have so much going on in our heads that we don’t know what point to make next, or get totally distracted with the sounds and visions of daily life. Vocal expre...

  At some point in life people discover the true essence of who they are! A calm and satisfying sense of joy comes with this realization. The shadows disperse leaving a sense of purpose and strength to proceed without hindrance. After some dedicated pursuit levels of knowledge and understanding are reached and this may be noticed by others. The student has become the teacher because she/he displays the strength to lead. Leadership is a quality of inner-strength, wisdom and patience that can see you and your charges through difficult or frustrating situations. It means you are willing to stand firm in the face of injustice, but also know when to try different tactics to reach a good conclusion. No one can do this without caring for the wellbeing of others. No one can do this without love. Leadership shows a selfless courage spilling out to get you through hard times.  Lead because you have something to do and places to be. Lead because you are on a quest of mystery in...

Humanity treasures the ancient texts that have survived the ravages of intolerance, wars, natural disasters and decay. When these books are of spiritual significance they take on even greater esteem. Finding new works is marvellous to some and abhorrent to others if they feel it alters their established beliefs. This begs the question: are religious and spiritual organisations focused more on dogma, culture or faith? A quick look may reveal your personal beliefs, but is there any room for adjustment?   Some revered books and manuscripts where written between 1000 CE and 2000 BCE, which can create a clash for those in contemporary society. These holy books are rich with wisdom, though there may be a few things that don’t fit into modern living. Present day culture has come a long way so we must take what is relevant to us from these precious books and leave the archaic. Beliefs that were the standard within society 2000 years ago or even in the middle ages do not fit ea...

  If you look carefully at the world you will find a multitude of restrictive human-made boundaries. Trying to achieve even the simplest and natural things can be difficult if there are a set of hurdles to jump over. Has bureaucracy reached a point of madness and have people accepted the limitations stacked before them? At some point people lost their confidence and no matter how proficient they are – some semi-conscious person tells them they are not qualified and need years of training. There seems to be people who set up all kinds of things that are revenue raising and bogged down in time wasting hierarchical systems. There may even be a few charlatans ready to test your resolve. Ask yourself if the certificate or end result is worth it and if it is recognised. Give yourself time to think and you’ll know if it’s right for you. It’s one thing to do an apprenticeship or course of learning that has some real content, but also acknowledge that you have acquired wisdom and inte...