Feel Dream Live

The last time we saw each other we were planning what to do on New Years Eve. We looked forward to toasting 2017 with a bottle of bubbly. Little did we know, that the last time was the last time. Death has no warning. It is the thief in the night. Thank you GT. RIP Tomorrow we will pop the bubbly and know you are here in our hearts. Right you are!

My son is home for the school holiday. He has been restless, talking in his sleep. This morning at breakfast I asked him what he was worried about. He said- the world. It is a mess and there is nothing I can do about it. I simply said- there is. Smile. Be at peace. Smile at everyone and be a peace with everyone. That, is how we change the world around us. Cast the smiling stone in the pond and watch it ripple. But what ever you do, be sincere about it for an insincere smile can do as much harm as a sincere smile can do good.

It said that once Pandora's box is opened it can never be closed again. Was it curiosity or nativity that lead to the box being opened? For many years I have kept silent. I realized that the creatures in Pandora's box will eventually destroy each other. The only thing that stayed in her jar was HOPE

If you could reboot earth................. What would you do, if you could reboot earth? Would you choose trees, plants, fields, mountains and rivers with clean water or would you choose concrete jungles, highways, tarmac drives, mines and polluted oceans and rivers? Would you choose humanity, where people love and respect each other regardless of race, religion, nationality, political affiliation, social status, country of origin etc? Everyday you restart your phone. tablet,computer. Everyday, you refresh your browsing history, restore you computer, set it to safe mode when required, you back up, delete obsolete files, yet we do not choose to do this in real life. We sleep less, do less to reboot our souls to a safe place, store bad memories, drag up the past, store obsolete files in our DNA, choose keep our daily browsing history by telling our stories over and over again and recall them when they no longer serve us in a positive way. What would you do if you could reboo...

Mediterranean diet More often than not people are obsessed with weight loss and diets. Recently, the Mediterranean diet has found itself as the new or renewed buzz diet. Eat fresh, use local, use olive oil ja da ja da dah! Having spent some time in the Mediterranean, I have realized that the Mediterranean diet is more than just food. It is a way of life. People in these areas still have values. Family values. They grow together, harvest together, give thanks together, cook together, eat together and share together. The key to a long life is togetherness, gratefulness combined with good food. Go be together!

Some of my most heart wrenching experiences are when clients confide in me that they wish they can commit suicide. Their pain or grief feels unbearable.To be with someone for whom the world has become such a dark place is  hard. Make eye contact and look into their soul, find the light. It is the love within ourselves that finds the light inside of him or her. It is our human duty to be the mirror of their light, no matter how faint it glows. Be a mind mirror for someone's today.  

The Peanut Butter Effect© Sometimes we slip up. We slip up on patterns of behaviour that no longer serves anything good in our lives. I love my friends who remind me of The Peanut Butter Effect© 7 days ago, I slipped back into the past of behaviour of logical overthinking and not doing! I have devised a simple remedy for this. It’s called The Peanut Butter Effect© It is a simple 7 step process: 1.        Buy a jar of crunchy and a jar of smooth peanut butter 2.        Grab the a big desert spoon 3.        If your slip up was bad, take a huge spoonful of crunchy peanut butter or if it is a little slip, take a spoon of smooth peanut butter and shove it in your mouth 4.        Go to the mirror, look at yourself while trying eating the peanut butter. Feel it stick to every bit in your mouth and swallow. 5.    ...

Being Bond I love those silly conversations with friends. This morning over coffee, I asked my friend what the fascination is with guys and James Bond. The thing is, I rarely have conversations with girlfriends where James Bond is their ideal guy. Yet, I know so many guys for who being James Bond would be the bees knees. So today I asked my friend, what the fascination is with being James Bond. I have not laughed at an answer this much for quite sometime. "Well, you get a budget to live a high life, have any girl you want for a night or two, a car with all the gadgets and more, you get to shoot he bad guys and look like a hero, you travel across the world, stay in great hotels, wine and dine on good stuff, the attention of company of beautiful women, the element of danger is exciting. In a nut shell, you can do what you want and get someone else to clean up the mess. Now compare that to a job, coming home to pay bills, have screaming kids, mow the lawn, pay a mortgage, ...

I  spend much of my time with people who are experiencing some form of disability through illness, not accidents. As a child, I had two disabled neighbours and therefore have never quite seen disabled people as different or felt uncomfortable with their disability. The openness of  one of my clients was very heartfelt. She expressed to me how hard it is when she looses the use of yet another limb. She morns each time at the loss of use and the limitations it brings. I have renewed understanding that as able people we take for granted the ease of movement every day. We rush to get up, shower, eat and go to work and it takes us 30 minutes to 1 hour. Try 3 hours to get ready because your hands, feet, arms or legs are to painful to move.

The thing about courage I love driving with my son in the car. It has somehow become a sacred place for us to communicate. We used to do anything from 40- 80mile journey daily to school and back. It was spend talking, reading books or listening to music. We came up with the name Roaby. Out name for road buddies. We enjoy travelling together. I have thou come to understand that as a young man, the journey are changing but the conversations is still powerful. I used to do this as a child with my dad. We had lovely chats while driving. There is not much that gets past my dad. I am blessed to have him as dad. I realised that again yesterday when my son and I spoke about courage. We have been through some challenging times. I remember in the midst of such a time, when I just could not find a solution to a very big challenge. I remember phoning my dad 6000 miles away and I think I sobbed so much that there was not much conversation. When I calmed down, my dad simply said:...

Sometimes we receive a message that hits straight to the heart. It's true, we cannot let past experiences influence our future interactions with people we meet. I do wonder how we reach those effected by years of mindless war in war torn countries. Young people who have seen people, family and friend killed before their eyes. I cannot imagine how their reality differs from mine. We the message is clear: we are all one. We are all equal in creation. We do have different task to do here on earth and we do all need each other. Keeping this in mind, remember If you hurt someone, you hurt yourself If you lie to someone, you lie to yourself If you love someone, you love yourself If you trust someone, you trust yourself If you save a life, you save yourself For we are one. Internet or no internet, Trust is fragile, But love is omnipresent. Feel it

Gypsies, tramps and thieves Living in different countries has taught me a great deal about acceptance. Stepping out of the comfort zone and surroundings I grew up in. Leaving behind a wealth in a support network has challenged me beyond any words can describe. I have a understanding for immigrants, refugees and groups of people not always accepted in their current place of residence. I moved away from knowing doctors, lawyers, professors, accountants, entrepreneurs and learnt about gypsies, tramps and thieves. Funny how it was the Gypsies, tramps and thieves who gave me the courage to be who I am. The honest directness and acceptance for who I am. The hard lessons with simultaneous respect. My first encounter 10 years ago started with the "knowing" in an instance of eye contact. I became friends with someone who everyone would avoid for they saw her as a "tramp". We became friends. The only person who has every seen me completely broken and completely wh...

The science of love The greatest love I have ever experienced, is the love for my son. I remember being in a state of shock finding out I was expecting. I found myself to be one of the millions of adults who did not plan a pregnancy at that very present moment. 3 months into my pregnancy, I could not stay out of baby shops! It was the best experience of my life. Feeling and knowing that a little person was growing each day. I spoke to my growing bump, sat on a bench and exposed the little bump to the sunshine, came to realize that even before babies are born they have a dislike for certain foods. His little feet would get very active around music. He is 15 now. He has a great love for science among many other things. For scientist, love gets explained through hormones - oxytocin, pheromones  etc. This morning I was sent an article on "growing" babies in an external artificial womb so we can do away with pregnancies. The sadness this article brought me manifested ...

Soldier Soldier Soldier Soldier on the wall Wondering when you may fall? Soldier Soldier Feel no fear You are in their hearts Family's near Soldier Soldier Do ask why Terror you choose to reign on high Soldier Soldier When they are near Do you feel their fear For our country For their country For who Do you do? For those who say I do? Or your country True

Living life on snooze How easy is it to press the snooze button in the morning? Too easy! Live your life without a snooze button. Get up. get ready and embrace each given moment. If you do not feel life is worth embracing, change it. Starts with one simple thing like what you eat for breakfast!

What is the worst that can happen Every newspaper, television station and a great many grocer store queue is talking about Brexit. Every one wants to know what will happen. How will effect them. I have recently spent 3 weeks with a 97 year young lady, Elma. She was born just after World War 1, lost her mother at the age of ten. Her father lost his wife, right arm and job. Had five children to raise by himself. Elma lived through World War 2, had three children, have 6 grandchildren and great grandchildren and is still going. Moral of the story - life goes on and even when bad things happen, there is always good along the way. Open your eyes and find the good.

The invisibility of disability Why ignore me Look me in the eye Down here What is your struggle? That my legs are in a muddle? My super power is disability Not invisibility I try to understand why able bodied people avoid eye contact with disabled people. I observe it every day. I found myself in a solicitors office with my disabled client. The receptionist ask me-" who is she here to see? " My reply was- she cannot walk, but boy, can she talk- why do you not ask her yourself. Is it that we are not able to handle how fragile life can be? I wish you can understand what you do to their soul when you choose to ignore their existence.

UK broken news   After 18 years I finally get my shot at becoming a reporter.   This month in the UK. Trump visited Scotland. It appears he is in serious talks with the Scots to rebuilt Hadrians Wall to keep all leave voters out of Scotland. In a bizarre statement, leave voters are furious because they did not realise voting LEAVE meant they were leaving the EU. They voted because the UK is after all an island. My point that idiocrasy is containable. For those who voted REMAIN, be positive. The last time they did not like a big group of people, they sent them to Australia. Australia is a thriving “island”. So pick an island of choice. Voting remain, you have already showed that you are capable and willing to live in harmony with others. Learn from America and Australia – there is no need to destroy the natives. For the leave voters: you are right. You are an island. I think we need to stop all ferries, boats, planes and blow up the Eurotunnel. This will let...

When does dishonesty become the norm?   I was having coffee with an old colleague this morning. We spoke about the rapid changes in the industry and how the level of dishonesty has grown.   After leaving the business, I applied for a job with a national company. After the interview, the interviewer aka the branch manager, turned to me and said: You are to honest for this industry.   I was shocked. Truly shocked. It made me wonder, when did dishonesty become the norm and honesty the anomaly in business?   I used to take clients on face value. I now treat all as dishonest and frankly, it is a tiring way to approach life.   I asked my colleague his thoughts about the matter.   His words were powerful and true.   "We look up to our leaders. We look to them for respect, honesty, integrity and guidance. If they behave in dishonest ways, it shows all how to behave and what is seen as acceptable behaviour."   I am wonde...

The Art of happiness Is there an art to being happy? I can sit for hours watching children play in a park. The laughter, the relentless energy of running around, climbing, jumping, making noise and just being is beautiful to witness. The same thing can be said for seeing a group of adults enjoying themselves at a dinner party. Laughing, bantering and clinking glasses. Soulful exchanges. Why do some people choose to keep their inner child and others choose to forget? Is there an art to being grateful for just laughter or is it a choice?  

It is quite today. It's cold for summer and we have perfected life by shutting out cold, noise, heat, etc. by securing our homes with double glazing. We strive for the perfect conditions where everything is just right. I felt inspired today by someone halfway across the world. In Syria. The country that has everyone talking. The country everyone has something to say about. The little country that no one really paid attention to a few years ago and now we are all experts on Syrian culture, people, religion and so on. I have a friend who many years ago travelled in Syria. If I want to know about Syria, I ask him. He has high praise for the country that he described as beautiful and friendly. What I read in the news today is so different. What really happened to this country? The common man may possibly never know and history will be written from a victors perception yet again. We all want to protect our innocent. I have come to question innocence in the last few year...

We all are familiar with the "Bucket list". The list full of things to do before we die. Are we so arrogant to know when that is? Surely everyday is it's own bucket list or if you choose to accept this mission - your "to-live-list" I started living by the F*&k It list! It took a while to realise it's importance. I had to turn from an "askhole" to a do it all. I was one of those people who would ask for advice and never take it. It cost me dearly! The one time I knew what to do, I took advice. Mistake! That made me think of 7 things I feel is essential for a F*&8 It list . 1. Say F&*k It to a dead-end job You wake up but you feel tired just thinking about walking into the office. The coffee is never strong enough to wake you up until you leave and then you stay awake all night. Your boss is never satisfied and keep reminding you that everyone is replaceable. At 23 I realised one important thing about myself. I worked ...

Facebook has interesting post. Post are often shared by family and friends. Recently I looked at a post that had a bucket list. The idea was to copy and paste it and tick off the ones you have completed.   In doing to, I realised how much I have done and viewed the things I have not done.   There was an interesting timeline of repeating behaviour in viewing this! The sacrifice of my dreams to facilitate someone else's dreams or bucket list.   That's when I started my f@ckit list!  

I feel my heart ache for you. In 7 days and in more that 7 ways, you have touched my soul.  Your so called friends are to eager to tell me how difficult you are; tell me about your self sabotage and yet they turn up at your home in the name of friendship, only  to share these indiscretions with me, a complete stranger. I wonder! I truly wonder! Siting gently in my arm and sharing with me how you were an unwanted war time child,  a only child. Late in life you found love for a short time. Left broken hearted by "death do you part", you express cancer as a cruel part of life. 45 years you relentlessly served patients in as many as 8 hospitals at once; secretly hoping that one day you may receive the same care. At 93 all you ask for is understanding, compassion, a caring heart and companionship  and all you receive is judgement and care that comes a cost. Sitting in my arm, resting your head on my ...

We all have stories to tell. We end up telling our story when a moment triggers a memory. Reflective people find the life lessons in memories.   Sitting on the sofa with Lone Ranger last week, such a memory sparked.   A few years ago we took part in a white water raft competition. On our second run, we capsized spectacularly. All 6 in the white water. Only one made it to the bank. The other 5 ended up on the same safety rope with the rescuer on the river bank.     For a second I had a chance to view the situation. I saw all 5 of us on the rope and the safety guy struggling against the water to get us to shore.   I made a decision. I let go! I noticed a second safety rope further down stream. No need to put pressure on the safety guy.   It was at that moment, I was taken under the water, my lungs not quite full of air. The water kept me under and did not want to let me go. I stayed calm and prayed that I wi...

The true sophistication of simplicity is merely stated as: I know what I like!

Some friends you see once in a while, but somehow it does not matter. There is something invisible that connects us. Something the eye can never see, but the soul is always aware of.   I love nature. It speaks without words . A few weeks ago I met with a friend. We had tea, a chat- as we tend to do every six months for the past 5 and a half years. What struck me was his words- there must be somebody out there that would understand him, his life style and be suitable for him. I bit my lip as I have a habit of being so direct with him and the bluntness is sometimes brutal. But what I wanted to say was - you keep on occupying yourself with unsuitable people because you fall in love with a nationality and therefor "the person stays a "somebody" instead of ever having a name! I did not say it. He asked where I was heading. I said home. He asked where home was these days. I shrugged my shoulders. For once I chose to keep quiet and left. I t...

Flaws Flaws for some is seen as a character that is not so inspiring or  something to be kept out of sight. My usual text banter with "Space geek" had just such an admission. We were joking about flaws. He wrote: There are flaws we never want people to be aware of. My reply was simply: We share those flaws with a trusted few. Those souls who have learnt and truly understand, that to care is never to judge! I am a great lover of flaws. The most beautiful pieces of art have a unique signature which for mass production is a flaw. It is the subtle flaws that makes it special, unique and sought after. A true collectors item. There is a collector for each of our flaws. For it is the  people who identify with each of our flaws that in  time becomes our closest friends!

Shortly before Christmas I received a message: Dear Mia, I just wanted to let you know mom passed away on Monday. It was very sudden and unexpected. It was strange as that particular day, I was thinking and talking about her so much. I wrote about Firecracker aka Her majesty The Pea Princess  in my post 16 February 2015: Life after death Her death may have been untimely for her family, but it has been an epiphany for me. I am standing on the doorstep of a universe. One step forward and I can make my "dreams come true by reaching a goal I have worked on for sometime" or one step back and I have the life I longed for since I can remember. The battle between head and heart. Either choice will have a sacrifice ! It was however with that text message, that reminded me of our 3am conversations. It was a strong reminder of choices we make when we are young and what we come to value as we stand in front of the pearly gates of eternity. See, the ...