Now that I accept that I am
part of God and that my purpose is to live, I can begin
defining ‘to live.’
I am part of God, and it goes
without saying that I recognise the fact that everything
else is part of God, and as such I should live and co-exist
in harmony with the rest of God.
The essence of living is love,
and the premise of love is loving myself.
Love is not an emotion. The word love is a verb –
a doing word - and it requires effort.
Love is in fact hard work.
In order to love effectively
it is necessary for me to incorporate all the principles
of work into my effort to love successfully.
I need to familiarise myself with and understand the concept,
then I need to equip myself with the necessary skills required,
I need to devise a plan and strategy, develop a code whereby
I will conduct my life, and then dedicate myself to doing
everything in my power to nurture the love that I have for
myself.
This becomes my personal straight
and narrow path to heaven
Once I actively and effectively
love myself, I will incorporate others into my love.
Nurturing the love that I have for myself means that I will
not do anything to in any way harm, hurt, hinder or disrespect
myself.
Incorporating others into my love means that I will co-exist
with them in the same way.
Following your own personal
straight and narrow path is rejoicing in God. This is what
glorifying God means, this is what worshipping God means,
and this is what loving God means.
The universe reacts to my action
and therefore God rewards or punishes me through my own
actions.
It is vital that I grasp this
concept completely.
My action determines my reward or punishment in the here
and now.
God is not going to reward me afterwards. Nor will God dish
out punishment afterwards.
How I live my life determines
if I am fulfilled or unfulfilled when I die.
It determines whether I die in heaven or in hell.
Forever. As far as I know, there are no second chances.
I hope
to God that at least some of you, even just one of you,
will grasp the next few lines.
God is the creator and the
judge.
I am a living, functional, complete, intelligent, responsible
and very important part of God.
There is but one God, and I will not worship false idols.
________________________________
THE SECRET
OF SUCCESS - Thursday 29 January 2008
Years ago, when I was struggling
musician, I used to communicate with world renowned pianist
Chick Corea.
Once I asked him for some advice on how to make it
as a musician.
His response was: In music,
as with everything else in life, the secret of success is
very simple. There are only two steps.
Step 1: Decide what you want to do.
Step 2: Do it
This may sound like a simple plan, but it is actually quite
complex.
Many people say ‘Deciding
is easy. It’s the doing that’s the hard part.’
This is not true.
In order to ‘Decide what
you want to do’ it is necessary to research and analyse
everything about your choice.
Chick Corea also said, ‘To
be an accomplished jazz musician, playing your instrument
should be like breathing. There is no time to think breathe
in….breathe out.’
As you think/hear the melody or phrase in your head it should
flow out of your instrument.
To do this, it is necessary
to study music at the very least up to a Grade 8 Performers
Diploma. It is also necessary to practice your instrument
for a minimum of 9 hours a day every day on top of this.
If you plan on playing original music, you need to identify
the top twenty exponents of your particular instrument in
the world, and copy every note that they have ever played,
note for note. How else would you know if your music is
original. You could practice for years only to find that
someone else had been playing the same thing for as many
years.
Step 2 “Do It’
therefore means that for a good few years you have to dedicate
up to 14 hours a day, seven days a week, to studying and
practicing your instrument.
This takes serious dedication and very hard work. It also
means sacrificing things like, amongst others, leisure,
entertainment and a social life.
Are you able to do this - and
then - are you really prepared to do this. Do you want it
badly enough?
So, when you are able to take
an informed decision as to ‘Decide what you want to
do’, Step 2 is the easier one.
What do YOU want to do?
__________________________________
FOUR FINGERED
PIANIST INSPIRES - Wednesday 28 January 2009
In yesterdays article I said
‘how you live with what you have’ will determine
who you are.
Hee Ah Lee personifies this principle perfectly.
Hee Ah Lee was born in Seoul,
Korea on July 9, 1985.
At birth she only had two fingers on each hand and no legs
below her kneecaps.
This would have been sufficient reason for most people to
give up any hope in life.
At
the age of seven Hee Ah started playing the piano.
At the time she did not dream of becoming a pianist,
and her only hope was to strengthen her fingers to
be able to hold a pencil.
As time went by, however, piano
became her strongest inspiration and best friend. By playing
the piano, she could derive a great deal of emotional stability
as well as visit many different places and meet many interesting
people.
Today, as an accomplished pianist,
her biggest goal in life is to share her experiences with
others, especially those who were born with disabilities
or are suffering from atrocities in life. With her positive
attitude and big smile, Hee Ah has been a musical ambassador
wherever she went to play the piano. She has performed in
10 countries including America, China and Malaysia. Her
repertoire includes Chopin, Beethoven, Pachelbel, and Liszt,
among other composers.
Most recently she was the
torch-carrier in Korea for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic
Games. Currently she is living in Korea with her mother.
She is attending Korea’s National College of Rehabilitation
& Welfare and is busy performing, recording, and sharing
her experiences with other people.
____________________________
THE SCIENCE
OF HAPPINESS - Monday 26 January 2009
Somewhere in THE
PLEASURE CRUISE TO HEAVEN I have to include a section
on happiness.
Defining happiness, exploring happiness and attaining happiness
will all have to be covered.
I am not ready to write that
section, but I have started thinking about it, and I suspect
that one could probably write a whole book on the subject.
For now, I am just wondering aloud, and you are welcome
to come along for the ride.
For example, did you know that
mood and temperament are partially determined by genes?
Until today, I did not know this.
But, your genes are just another one of the many things
that you have. They may play a partial role in your ability
to be happy, but they do not determine it.
It’s how you live with it that counts.
Authentic happiness, or subjective
well-being, depends little on the so-called ‘good
things in life’ such as wealth, health, good looks
or social status, or the lack thereof.
True happiness relates more to how you live your life with
what you have.
How you live with what you
have, including poverty or wealth will determine your happiness.
If you allow poverty to consume everything else in your
life you will be constantly unhappy. It will stop you from
enjoying the simple things in your life, like spending time
with your loved ones, appreciating nature or just simply
relaxing.
It will interfere with your performance at work, your relationships
and your health.
In the same way wealth, and
especially sudden wealth, can consume your life. It will
interfere with all of the above.
And hence the saying money can’t buy happiness, which
incidentally had to originate from a very wealthy person.
How would a poor person know this?
I am not trying to bullshit
you, or myself for that matter.
Money makes the world go round. It is a necessity in today's
world and it would be wonderful
to have an abundance of it. It would be much better than
poverty, but I am not convinced that it would be easier
to attain authentic happiness with wealth than it would
be with poverty.
Statistics show that 95% of
all big lottery winners return to their previous level of
happiness after one year. 70% of them are also broke after
one year.
I have so much more to say
on the subject of happiness, but this is an online article,
and research shows that if it contains anything more than
500 words, people get bored and leave the page.
Are you still here?
______________________________________
THE PLEASURE
CRUISE TO HEAVEN - Friday 23 January 2009
Based on personal experience,
I am writing a series of articles on personal growth towards
a balanced, fulfilled and happy life, for the simple man.
Ultimately I will compile the
articles into an E-Book that I hope to eventually sell online.
In the meantime, I will regularly post excerpts from the
work, The Pleasure Cruise to Heaven on the site, where you
can peruse them free of charge!
The two articles that I posted
under the heading Hello God is part of this work and has
already generated quite a stir.
I welcome comments - positive or negative – so please
feel free to make use of the ‘Make a Comment’
module at the bottom of the page.
There are many books on the
subject of Self Improvement and Personal Growth out there
– and I have read quite a few.
The content of these books are largely similar, and the
majority of them include a chapter on religion and God.
These inclusions are usually towards the end of the book,
where the author praises and thanks God for his grace.
It would normally take the form of ‘Without who’s
wisdom this book and the insights therein would not have
been possible’ – ‘Above all I thank God
for guiding me and giving me the inspiration….’,
or something like that.
I contend that addressing the
issue of God is the premise of a balanced, fulfilled and
happy life, and to that end I will start this work by doing
just that.
This is by no means a religious chapter.
Merriam-Webster defines the word religious as:
- relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged
ultimate reality or deity.
I do not claim that this work is ‘an acknowledged
ultimate reality’, I am not seeking your ‘faithful
devotion’, and I am certainly not a ‘deity.’
(one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful)
Nowhere does anyone disclaim
that the books of the great religions is a patchwork put
together many years after the actual events.
I believe that over millennia these noble attempts at establishing
a code for co-existence have been distorted and manipulated
to where today it does not hold any water.
I also believe that such a
moral code is essential to co-existence, and it is certainly
paramount to living a balanced, fulfilled and happy life.
In this work I am simply sharing
my experiences, observations, opinions and deductions along
this path
______________________________
WhY
DO WE LIE - Wednesday 21 January 2009
In order to
talk about honesty and truthfulness, it is necessary to
explore the opposite.
Telling the truth certainly requires much less effort and
skill than lying does, so why do people lie?
At a very early
age, our social conditioning taught us that lying was an
easy option to avoid punishment for doing something wrong.
As we progress through life and if left to its own devices,
this practice blossoms to include many other reasons for,
and forms of lying.
We have all
encountered the person who exaggerates or twists the truth
for effect. He or she will lie about their income or wealth,
maybe following this through by getting into debt to appear
to have more than others. There are those who pretend to
know more about a lot of things, claiming superior knowledge,
or even qualifications. Or the girl who tells everyone she
has several boyfriends, when in fact, she has none, like
the boys who claim to have had sex with many partners, but
have little or no sexual experience.
People lie
for various reasons like;
- to avoid prosecution or other consequence
- to avoid rejection
- to enhance social acceptance and the preservation of reputation
- to avoid a truth they think might hurt another's feelings
There are many
other reasons why people lie, but the above reasons have
their roots in fear.
Fear of punishment or consequence, fear of rejection or
failure, and fear of social perception.
This fear is
directly relative to your self-esteem, and in order to explore
the joyous path of truth and honesty, we need to work on
our esteem.
If you ask
your best friend for an opinion on the doubtful new outfit
that you had just bought and she said truthfully ‘You
look ridiculous.’
Would you;
- punish her (call her a malicious bitch)
- reject her (never talk to her again)
- destroy her social reputation (tell everyone else she’s
a malicious bitch)
Wouldn’t
it hurt your feelings much more if she said ‘You look
gorgeous’ and then you wore the outfit in public and
a hundred people thought ‘She looks ridiculous.’
FOOTNOTE
There are people out there who lie to further their own
needs, but they are an entirely different breed and do not
warrant inclusion here.
IN
DEFENSE OF PATHOLOGICAL LIARS
Pathological liars are said to have 22% more white matter
in their prefrontal cortex than "normal" people.
They cannot help themselves, and are said to be the most
believable liars, because they actually believe their own
lies.
Now that sounds like fun!
___________________________________
THE ESSENCE
OF PERSONAL GROWTH - Tuesday 20 January 2009
Lets get right
into it.
A balanced lifestyle includes gossip, scandal, partying
and being attracted to the opposite - sometimes same - sex.
We are all human and there is no sense in pretending to
be perfect. Besides, perfect would be absolutely boring.
The key is to find your personal balance. You and you alone
decides what that balance is.
The only requisite
is that you use the special and unique gift that humans
possess.
Think.
If after thinking
it through carefully, you decide that you are happy with
having a job, partying as often as possible, being seen
as fashionable, drinking, drugging and humping and then
going to mosque on Friday, Synagogue on Saturday or Church
on Sunday to cover your tracks, then so be it.
This site is no longer for you. Yes. I am repeating myself!
If you want
a little more out of life and you are in search of true
happiness, then read on.
Aspects of
personal growth that this site will explore include
Truth:
To rid your life of falsehood and denial Love: To develop your ability to connect
with yourself and others Power: To motivate and discipline yourself
to create the life you desire Authority: To take command of your life,
and learn to make clear decisions Courage: To summon the inner strength to
take action in spite of fear Intelligence: To live authentically, and
express your genuine essence
Achieving happiness
and fulfillment is hard work, but the rewards are infinite.
And, with practice, you will start really enjoying it, and
the process itself becomes the biggest reward.
____________________________________
THE TRUTH
ABOUT DETOX - Monday 19 January 2009
Over the holiday
season we have abused our bodies by taking in excessive
amounts of toxins in the form of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine,
tannin and excess sugar.
Now we feel a distinct need to detox.
The corporate
hype machine depends on our gullibility to keep them in
business and even before the season is over we are bombarded
with ads for the very latest products that we need in order
to detoxify our bodies.
Read More…..
But, do they
really work, and do we need them?
The answer from the experts is a resounding no.
The latest
product being advertised on TV is Detox Foot Pads, and the
ad tells us that we can actually see proof that the pads
work, because they turn black overnight from all the toxins
that they absorb from the body.
The American
FDA tested this product years ago, and found that the pads
turn black even when they are exposed to distilled water.
The truth is
that is no detox medication actually helps, and the body
does not need help in the first place.
Your liver
is a major detoxification organ as it renders the poisons
that enter your body harmless. It is often congested from
overwork. The liver changes toxic substances into harmless
matter that your blood would carry to your kidneys, or through
the bile into the intestines. Your entire body helps in
the detox process as waste leaves your body through the
sweat, your skin being your largest detoxification organ.
Water is required in all these processes so drink at least
eight to ten large glasses of water daily.
The only process
that may require a bit of help is getting rid of the gunk
that sticks to your colon.
Simply eat more yoghurt, fresh fruit and vegetables and
fiber and save the money you would have spent on the pills,
herbs and pads for something useful.
_____________________________
WHY RUSSIAN
WOMEN SEEK PARTNERS ABROAD
Friday
16 January 2009
Ever wonder why Russian women actively seek partners from
abroad?
Russian women do not choose between Russian men and foreign
men. They choose between staying single for life and having
their own family.
There is a
simple reason for this.
There are 10 million more women than men in Russia!
The ladies
below are all currently listed on www.russianbrides.com
The inherent
cultural notion for a Russian woman is to get married and
have a family, and a Russian woman will never be seen as
successful if she is not married.
This is why even successful career women feel unfulfilled
if they don't have a husband and family, and some of them
use search for a partner abroad as an option.
There is also
some truth in the myth that Russian men do not make good
husbands.
Infidelity
is common in Russia.
Besides having all those women around, in Russian culture
sleeping around is a kind of honor for a man.
And finally,
one of the most prominent Russian traditions is hard drinking.
We all know
the effect that hard drinking can have on monogamy where
the men are concerned, but apparently the women drink just
as much.
Imagine how frustrated they must get.
___________________________________________
HELLO
GOD: PART ONE
Thursday
15 January 2009 hello god
it’s so nice to finally meet you
i’ve heard so much about you
finally i can put a face to the name
you
don’t look anything
like the picture that I had in my mind
I’m
so happy
to have you as a friend
i can’t wait to introduce you
to some of my other friends
Ancient Hindu
legend has it that at one time all men on earth were gods.
Man abused his privilege and destroyed his right to enjoy
his Divine Heritage.
The Brahma God, God of all Gods, then decided to remove
the Godhead from man.
He was very much puzzled as to what to do with it.
He wanted to hide it where man himself would be unable to
find it.
Rather than
assume this great responsibility, the Brahma God decided
to call a meeting of all the other Gods to help him decide
where to hide man's Godhead.
The Brahma
God asked for suggestions.
One God suggested that the Godhead be removed from man and
placed on the highest mountain peak.
The Brahma God said: "No, do not hide it there. Man
will climb the mountains and he will scan its highest peaks
and find it."
Another God
suggested that the Godhead be buried down deep in the ground.
The Brahma God said: "No, do not hide it in the ground.
Man will dig in the ground searching for gold, silver and
other precious metals, and there he will find it."
Another God
suggested that they sink it in the deepest part of the ocean.
The Brahma God said: "No, do not hide it in the bottom
of the ocean. Man will dive and search out the bottom of
the seas and there he will find it."
Finally, the
God of Wisdom said: "Then, let us hide the Godhead
deep down in Man himself." "Yes," the Brahma
God said, "we will hide it there, because Man will
never think to look for it within himself."
It is still
there, and mostly Man is constantly digging, climbing, searching,
looking for it everywhere but in the right place.
This
is the first of a series of articles on this broad subject
that will be continued at intervals
__________________________________
THE
ORIGINS OF THE F-WORD
Wednesday
14 January 2009
Ever wondered where the f-word comes from?
Urban Legend and folklore offer two variations.
The
first is that in ancient Britain (early 1200s), fornication
was forbidden unless you had consent from the king.
When a couple wanted to have a baby they had to apply
for permission from the king.
If approved, the
king would give them an official placard to hang over
their door.
The placard read...
Fornication
Under Consent of
the King
The second
version claims that during colonial times, when someone
was found guilty of prostitution they would be punished
by being placed in the stocks and beaten.
The letters F.U.C.K would be
scrawled on the stocks, because the offense
For Unlawful Carnal
Knowledge was too long to fit on
the planks.
Experts dismiss both these
claims as being imaginative bullshit, but they do contend
that these variations could prove that half of the English
are sons of bitches.
They claim that the word
fuck is derived from the Pseudo-Latin fuccant,
meaning 'they fornicate'.
Come to think
of it, fuccant may also be the origin of the word
cunt? _________________________________
ZUMA
RULING: GOOD OR BAD
Tuesday
13 January 2009
“We like Zuma because he is like us,’ said Lungelwa,
my once-a-week executive housekeeper.
She clarified ‘like us’ by saying ‘He
is not educated.’
Lungelwa represents the masses, and it is the vote of the
masses that wins elections.
Note her intentional
choice of words ‘not educated’ as opposed to
‘uneducated.’
The masses perceive being called uneducated as being called
stupid, and an insult.
They do agree though, and lately with a degree of pride,
that they are not educated.
The pride stems from the fact that the President of the
ruling party, and possibly the next president of their country
is ‘like us.’
The masses
relate more easily to individuals than to political parties.
They are followers and followers need a leader.
The fact that their leader is making empty promises about
jobs, housing, land reform, free healthcare and better education
matters not to them.
They are not really listening.
The fact that these promises have been made before and promptly
forgotten after elections does not matter to them.
They are not really listening.
All they care about is that he is ‘like us.’
They will vote for him, and indeed worship him, because
they believe that he is one of them.
Zuma has, intentionally
or unintentially, become a very powerful man in South Africa.
What then does the Supreme Court ruling in favour of the
NPA re-charging him mean for South Africa?
The masses
not only win elections, they also fight wars and cause civil
unrest.
If ‘the system’ prevents their hero from being
their leader, I suspect that it won’t take much to
incite them to embark on anarchy and unrest.
The Supreme
Court judgement was fair and just, but I am afraid it’s
a little too late to repair the damage caused by Judge Nicholson’s
ruling.
