I’m quitting my job to save the planet.

For over a year, awareness raising about conscious living has been my job. Trouble is, my awareness got so raised that it can’t be a job any more, it has to be my work. A job is what people do to live; it’s what you do when you have no option - economically. Work is what you do when you have no option - ethically and conscientiously; it’s for life, not just for christmas presents. I’m no longer sure the two can be merged and seemlessly integrated, as I’d previously hoped, and thought I was actually doing.

There’s something insidious about ‘job consciousness’; the distinguishing question being: “would you do it anyway, regardless?”. If it’s to “pay the bills”, it’s a job. And jobs don’t save the planet. Jobs are part of that time-buying conspiracy that helps us kid ourselves that we’ll do something we really want to do, or that needs to be done, when the bills have finally been paid, goals achieved and to-do lists checked.

And just as it’s immoral to apply tax before profit, it’s morally indefensible to delay the ethically inevitable. The work of the past year especially has convinced me that the planet needs saving NOw, not when I’ve sorted my lifestyle out, got rich or achieved a level of acceptable comfort.

The phrases that sum up my raison de fait (did I get that right?) are Inspirational Dissatisfaction (I found this in Rob Hopkin’s Transition Handbook, from Rob’s interview with Chris Johnstone) and Blessed Unrest (the title of Paul Hawken’s recent book on “How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming).

Sure I’ve still got bills to pay. But that cart will now go behind the horse. It can’t be any other way.

Paul Hawken and Blessed Unrest

Rob Hopkins and Transition Culture

Free Transition MP3s

What I’ve been doing for the last 12 months

It’s not an easy time to be running a magazine, especially one that avoids the unholy trinity of celebrity gossip, preying on insecurity and rampant consumerism. Just ask the folks at Common Ground - the Totnes-based eco and lifestyle mag who I understand hasn’t been able to keep its head above water after just one edition. I remember too my own efforts in publishing (Vibes! - Sheffield’s guide to positive living) that almost drove me round the bend and certainly deep into debt way back in 1994. Being Assistant Editor at Positive News was also a big insight into the perils of postive publishing and the old adage that good news is still doing up its shoelaces, while bad news has gone round the world twice.

All that said, my deepest respect and admiration therefore goes to The Source, the “first stop for inspiration and information on all the things we all care about down here in the South West … our land, our community, our spirit and above all, our plans for a sustainable and positive future”. (Read on …)

In my last post, I spoke of using today - Christmas Day - as an opportunity to birth the Christ principle in myself.

Lo (topical!) and behold, and to my surprise and delight, I watched Channel 4 TV’s alternative Christmas message as offered by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who gives a great insight into Christ-ness. (Read on …)

After three (four, if you take supplements - maybe) score years and ten, could we not have something a bit more meaningful than “grumpy old men” as the philosophical vanguard of those who go before us?

I’m new into my 40s and I want to be able to give something of worth to those coming along behind me, not whingeing frustration, dressed up as humour.

Instead of complaining about loud music, spitting and declining values, tell me something that will help me understand and enjoy life MORE. Don’t depress me with a potentially gloomy inheritance - what the hell happened to you?

  Pictured: Will (not quite feeling him-) Self - one of BBC TV’s Grumpy Old Men

You’ve been there; you’ve done it. Now say something wise based on your experience that will help us - your juniors - on our way. The hedolists especially know that life is good (even if living can be challenging at times).

Show us the way to more juice. For God’s sake lighten up and give us some glory to look forward to…

As soon as I saw Randy Gage had written this book, I had to get a copy. And believe me I wasn’t disappointed!

If you want to be free - in health, mind and wealth - “Why You’re Dumb, Sick, and Broke and How to Get Smart, Well, and Rich!” by Randy Gage is a great place to start - it’s inspiring. If you buy it and don’t like it - I’ll refund you your money!!

Enjoy!

Get it here: click

Amazon synopsis: This title adopts a no-holds-barred approach to overcoming negative beliefs to attain success.

This practical, yet inspirational book combines timeless principles of wealth-building and success with no-nonsense guidance on how to succeed in today’s complex, competitive world.

Brash, thought provoking, and always entertaining, Randy Gage explores all the issues that affect personal health, happiness, and prosperity. Holding nothing back, he takes on the educational system, organized religion, dysfunctional families, and a culture of victimhood and entitlement, revealing how all these forces conspire to keep most people dumb, sick, and broke.

Then, Gage reveals how to break the cycle with a powerful action plan that will help readers get smart, healthy, and rich. This insightful book offers solutions for eliminating negative beliefs and behaviors, and replacing them with positive thoughts and actions to br! eak the cycle of victimhood forever.

Readers will discover how to turn motivation into action, think like the rich, and understand the virtue of selfishness. The modern world conspires to keep us dumb, sick, and broke; Gage offers straight talk on how to escape mediocrity and seize greatness! Randy Gage (Miami Beach, FL) has been dubbed “the Millionaire Messiah,” because he believes it is a sin to be poor, and you are meant to be rich.

His own experience rising from a high school dropout to a multi-millionaire uniquely qualifies him to share this message of abundance.

Get your copy here: click

OK, it’s not an obviously health-related question, but if you bear with me, I’m sure you’ll end up agreeing that television does have a deep impact on our wellbeing.

It’s come up as an issue because I have just discovered that the average American home has more TVs than people. One of my great heroes of health, Dr Joseph Mercola reported on his website this week that “taking into account the epidemic of obesity along with the frightening exercise debt that’s harming America’s health, it’s no surprise to me, based on data reported by Nielsen Media Research, the typical home has 2.55 people and 2.73 TV sets.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I like watching TV, even though I don’t have one at the moment. (I’m like the telly-less kid who becomes an anti-social moron when at a friend’s house – instantly attracted to the hypnotic, moving pictures in the corner of the room). But this interesting statistic inspired me to take a deeper look.

In my research, I spoke to an American acquaintance, Kathy Westphal who created www.trashyourtv.com - a website that urges you to “Trash your TV for a happier, healthier life!” She told me that the average American watches over four and a half hours of TV a day. Now as Brits, we’re sure to be catching up and I sincerely hope we never reach the complementary statistic she shared that Yanks spend only 38 minutes in “meaningful conversation with children”.

It really looks like the ‘one-eyed childminder’ could do with some careful scrutiny. The aforementioned Nielsen Media Research report tells us that the 4 hours and 35 minutes per day, up three minutes from last year, add up to 31½ hours every week - almost a second job for most people.

That works out at 5½ days per month, more than two whole months every year and by age 70 we’ll have spent over 13 years watching television!
“Aren’t there more important things you would rather be doing with this time?” asks Kathy, who holds a view supported by the TV-Turnoff Network who back an international annual TV-Turnoff Week. They claim: “television cuts into family time, harms our children’s ability to read and succeed in school, and contributes to unhealthy lifestyles and obesity.”
“On average, children in the US will spend more time in front of the television (1,023 hours) than in school this year (900 hours),” they report, adding that “Forty percent of Americans frequently or always watch television during dinner.”
US Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher said at the Kick Off of TV-Turnoff Week 2001, “We are raising the most overweight generation of youngsters in American history…This week is about saving lives.”
Of course it’s your choice. But where America leads, we tend to follow. It’s undoubtedly a health issue – if not physical, then mental – subjected, as you are to tens of thousands of adverts a year, let alone mind-numbing actual programming. I say no one can face that lot uninfluenced.
If you want to take action try Kathy’s “TV Free System” – TV rehab if you like. More at: https://paydotcom.com/r/6301/carlmunson/371966/
To join the debate about TV try: http://holisticlocal.co.uk/forums/topics/view/313

A few months ago my marriage broke down (again) and I moved out of the family home. With newfound freedom and more time on my hands, I put myself about, made some new friends and explored a few new experiences and possibilities.

The concept of cosmic ordering came up in conversations and at around the same time I came across a great new film – ‘The Secret’ and finally saw ‘What the bleep do we know?’ – both of which revealed and promote the fact that we create our realities and that we are ‘at cause’ in our lives.

These weren’t new ideas to me, but it was certainly inspiring and refreshing to see the concepts re-packaged and presented so well. They arrived on time for me in my new circumstances.

In the weeks that have followed, the cosmic ordering concept just hasn’t gone away and I’m surrounded by people actively trying to change their realities, lead more fulfilling lives and bring about positive change in this way – there’s no escape!

Only a couple of weeks ago, I heard ‘the worlds’ most trusted astrologer’ Jonathan Cainer talking to BBC Radio 2’s Johnnie Walker about his new book called ‘Cosmic Ordering (how to make your dreams come true)’.

And just today saw TV personality Noel Edmonds, on UK Channel 4’s Richard and Judy show, talking about his new book on cosmic ordering and how he claims the success of his recent smash hit TV show (Deal or no deal) is all down to a cosmic order he placed when down on his luck a while ago.

There really is no escape from this ‘new worldwide phenomenon’, but I feel there is something more to be said about it – especially the stuff that everyone’s thinking, but not daring to ask (presumably in case it screws up their chances of successful cosmic ordering).

I’m asking the question:

What can you try when you think you’ve tried everything to get what you want and nothing seems to work - even cosmic ordering?

And I’m offering a few answers too…

Let’s get one thing straight - cosmic ordering is nothing new. As long as there have been humans, there’s been cosmic ordering.

Here are few names and aliases that you might recognize that are really the same thing:

· Prayer
· Creative visualisation
· Positive thinking
· Wishful thinking
· Worry
· Desire
· Thinking

All human thought revolves around personal issues and longings.

If you want to arrive somewhere on time, that’s a cosmic order.

If you want to get really, really rich that’s also a cosmic order.

If you don’t want to get sick, that’s a cosmic order.

If you want someone else to get sick or have bad luck, that too is a cosmic order.

Cosmic ordering is as old as the hills. Probably older.

But why did I say cosmic ordering doesn’t work?

Well, you know from your own experience it sometimes doesn’t work, because what you hope for doesn’t always happen.

The success of cosmic ordering books therefore lies in the suggestion that if you do it right, you’ll get exactly what you want – and who wouldn’t buy a book that seemed to carry a guarantee like that?

The truth is however, that cosmic ordering works when it works and there’s a lot more to it than a formula (as your own experience again tells you).

You know that most of the time it doesn’t work – especially when you raise the stakes and ask for loads of money, more sex and fewer worries.

The intelligent question therefore must be what is happening when I put in a cosmic order (i.e. think, worry, pray or hope for something) and it comes good.

Here are my ten reasons why cosmic ordering works when it does (and therefore doesn’t work when it doesn’t)

1. Detachment / attachment
Have you noticed that the more attached you are to an outcome the less likely it is to go your way. And even if it does, you’ve killed all the enjoyment of your desire with tension and stress? Ask and then go lightly!

2. Action / inertia
If you want something you have to go get it – even a glass of water requires you to get off your butt, grab a glass and turn on the tap. Most people do less than that it takes to quench their thirst in the pursuit of their so-called ‘deepest desires’. Get off your ass and go for it

3. Means / end
People who get what they want tend not to get caught up in the detail. They focus on the long-term goal not the maens to the end. If you focus on your destination, you can always change your route if things get tricky.

4. Right people / wrong people
Get good support; don’t cast your pearls before swine. Really good friends empower you in your dreams – they don’t have a hidden agenda to keep you where you are to suit their own inadequacies. Don’t be afraid to ‘lose’ people and withhold information from family members who are unsupportive.

5. You are serious / you really aren’t that bothered
Weak wishes don’t bear fruit. And it’s OK not to be ambitious. Be clear that any desire is really your own and that you re not wasting time with other people’s imposed ideas of success; create and manifest your own heart-felt dreams; they stand the best chance of genuine success.

6. Worthy / unworthy
It’s easier to realise a cosmic order you feel worthy of. A 5% pay rise, for example, can be a cinch compared to a lottery win that you feel you don’t deserve. Goals that are ‘unselfish’ or that are ‘for the greater good’ can be easier to achieve because you can blame others for your success.

7. Good soil / bad soil
Good soils create the best plants, so make sure your circumstances and environment support your aims. Untidiness, inefficiency and unhelpful people will block your flow to freedom. Organise yourself and simplify your surroundings

8. Create space / get lost in the rush
Perhaps the most useful insight is to understand that everybody’s combined cosmic orders or thought energies create a massive soup of collected intentions that makeup this crazy world of ours. Create space in which your dreams can grow away from the bad vibes and conflicting thoughts of others.

9. A game / a matter of life and death
Cosmic ordering and getting your heat’s desire is a game to play at not a matter of life or death. If it’s a game you can enjoy it. You might win; you might not. If you take it too seriously, rapid ageing, ill health and premature death are your likely results. Is it really worth taking so seriously?

10. It’s not what you want; it’s where you’re at
See that ‘where you are at’ is more important than want you want. If you can get the conditions (and your conditioning) right, your desires are more likely to manifest – free from the negative influences of your self and others with negative energies or intentions.

Here’s hoping (or ‘cosmic ordering’) that – armed with these insights – you’ll have better ‘luck’ in the future…

Footnote:

Everyday I meet people who have unfulfilled dreams and “quiet lives of desperation”, not because they don’t know what they want, but because they have something, some things or even many things in the way of receiving their cosmic orders.

It’s not wrong to not get what you want - it’s just a plain fact that you didn’t get what you wanted, which leads us on to the real secret…

What you - and everyone - really wants is a basic happiness, freedom, peace and ease in this crazy world.

Your best bet is to learn how to be happy now - regardless of ‘what might be’ or what cosmic orders you’ve got lined up.

All that you truly require is available to you right now if only you knew how to access it. It’s yours regardless of anyone else’s negative agenda or conflicting cosmic order.

It’s the moment that matters – wouldn’t it be a shame to be run over by a bus because you got distracted thinking about your next cosmic order?

Be grateful (not about specifics, although counting your blessings may help to get you in the habit) and learn how to be at peace, and in awe, in the moment. That’s God’s gift which needs no ordering – it’s yours; for free, forever.