Gaia: UNIVERSAL HUMAN BEING

Re: Bridges not Fences

http://sanmugan2006.gaia.com — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:08:43 GMT

There had been no fences, borders, boundaries or even walls and also no bridges in our villages.
they will just put up a log across the streams and canals. there were no tarred roads, just foot paths.
They lived harmoniously and peacefully. bridges were built on the main roadsand the house holders close by built up parapet walls.
After that we are SEARCHING FOR PEACE AND HARMONY.

Re: Bridges not Fences

http://ramonasplace.gaia.com — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:04:53 GMT

Absolutely, build bridges. Or, better yet, realize that the bridges already exist. The 'toll' is generally something as simple as a smile, an openness to communicate. We build fences (more usually walls, sometimes very high thick walls topped with barbed wire) because we tend to be so clueless about appropriate energetic boundaries. Where did we lose the awareness that we are in charge of what we take on (let in) and what we give out? So many people believe in their vulnerablity rather than their empowerment, that it leads to the walling off, which in the end, just shuts them up with their fear...

I find it interesting to observe people in different communities....the community I live in, which has a huge military base and many retired military, plus many people of what might be characterized as 'fundamentalist' orientation, is gererally not an open or inviting one. If you smile at someone on the street, they act as if you are up to something. Just up the road a bit, there is a university town. You can walk around and bike around this community and everywhere you go, folk are smiling, open to conversation and so forth. The difference is quite striking really. I persist in smiling at people in my own area, and engaging them in conversation if they don't run for the hills [ ;-) ], but I often wonder what they are so afraid of. Of course, I could move up the road, but what would this place do without me? That is facetiously offered, of course, but perhaps not so far off the mark from the larger perspective...

Re: What is Conscience?

http://Oceann.gaia.com — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:17:37 GMT

Conscience is Compassion

Compassion is a part of all of us.
We're born with it, along with feeling that we are a part of all - that Oneness with all beings that is healing, inspiring, and is the natural state of the human psyche.

We had imposed separation of the selves within the individual, in order to impose separation of the self from all other beings.
The result was the Fall from grace and the moving away from Nature, and from our true selves - We are Animals, kin to all other animal species.
To be proud to be among the animals is the first thing.
To be aware and to reawaken the spirit to the wholeness of us - the belonging once again to the world community of all animal species!

To allow the Compassion we knew so intimately as children, to become "as little children" again and to allow our hearts - which naturally long to open - to again encompass the entirety of Creation is the goal of every soul, the way to heal ourselves, our psyches, our bodies, and our planet.

See SpiritFix

Listen to your Spirit, Your Soul is speaking to you through your Conscience!
Honor it!
Choose to be Compassionate!

I'll conclude this posting with this thought - violence begets violence, and Compassion will create Compassion. If you value the concept of peace, isn't kindness what peace is made of? If you promote world peace, doesn't that need to start with oneself? With being kind ot all the other animal beings first?

"As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of other living beings he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre other animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."
-Pythagoras

How to get Power

http://vrs.gaia.com — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 06:04:35 GMT

Thu November 16, 2006 09:17:45 Robin said...

Simple truth I've learned from the best leaders I've worked with as an executive coach, professional speaker and leadership consultant: the only way to truly get power is to give it away. The more you rely/trust and believe in your team and the bigger the investment you make in getting them to their greatness, the larger will be the commitment, engagement and outright devotion they have when it comes to you.

Power doesn't come from forcing people to listen to you and coercing them to do what you say (because you have the right title). Nope, real power comes by spreading your passion, giving people a reason to climb your strategic mountaintops and given them permission to shine/grow and Lead Without Title. Be there for people and they'll be there for you. Simple stuff but I'm a simple guy.

I'll leave you with a great line from Richard Kovacevich, CEO of Wells Fargo (I had to read it a few times to get it): "it's the best five players that win the game, not the five best players." Perfect.

Don't Wait for Change

http://vrs.gaia.com — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 12:40:16 GMT

I have my strengths. And my flaws (like every human around us). One of my weaknesses is impatience. I just have this aching need to get great things done. Can't stand slow change. Need to have my impact - and spend my talents (we all have them) - now.

Like every weakness, it's also a great source of success. I move things forward fast. Just love speed. Only results matter (I'm generalizing). Makes me think of what Clint Eastwood said in the latest issue of Best Life: "Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands." Exactly.

Sure, work with your team. Collaborate. Delegate to others who have strengths where you don't. But sometimes, you just need to be the one to drive the change when everyone else is waiting for someone else to take the first step. To me, that's courage in action. To me, that's using your life well. To me, that's leadership - and standing for being extraordinary.

Re: Bridges not Fences

http://lovejasmine.gaia.com — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 12:57:13 GMT

~

YES to Bridges

Ready Made Greatness

http://vrs.gaia.com — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:49:15 GMT

Michelangelo was asked how he created his masterpieces. He replied that he simply saw the works of art embedded within the slabs of marble and then set about chipping away at everything that wasn't of that work of art. Which brings me to you. And your ready-made-greatness.

Just maybe your job is not to become someone other than who you currently are. Just maybe, the Main Aim is to access and remember and reconnect with the best that already resides within you. In this very moment. Right here. Right now. And how can you recall your personal greatness? By starting the process of chipping away everything that is not truly you. The fears you have picked up. The limiting beliefs you have accumulated. The false assumptions that divorce you from your most authentic - and staggeringly brilliant - self.

Self-remembering (and personal leadership) is a journey. Took you many years to forget the personal greatness that you once knew as a kid (before the disappointments and negativity of the world began to blind you to the truth of your bigness). You may have been thinking you have been designed for mediocrity for 30 or 40 or 50 years. So that reconnection with your best won't happen in a week. But chip away - bit by bit- at everything that is not that work of art - day by day. You know that small, daily improvements stack into massive results over time (that idea just might transform your life so please let it linger).

The difference between a remarkable life and a mediocre one is not nearly as large as you might imagine. Nope, we all pretty much start out with the same raw stuff. Most of us are cut from the same cloth. We all can be a hero if we choose. And it just isn't that hard. Greatness comes by doing a few small and smart things each and every day. Comes from taking little steps, consistently. Comes from a making a few small chips against everything in your professional and personal life that is ordinary, so that a day eventually arrives when all that's left is The Extraordinary. Just something to think about. From a man who wants you to shine.

Worry VS. Reflection

http://vrs.gaia.com — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:18:14 GMT

Just came up with an insight that I think might be rich for you. It's about the distinction between worry and reflection. So many thought leaders counsel us to avoid living in the past. "Live in the now," they advise. "Enjoy the moment." Well, I get what they are saying. But isn't there something good about going back and delighting in the delicious moments of the journey we've arrived from?

Which brings me to worry versus reflection. Whether to revisit the past - in my mind - depends on your intention. If your intention and reason to go back into your past is to dwell on bad things and to worry over things you cannot change and to rehash painful times, then I suggest it's an unhealthy act. But, if your intention - in going back in time - is to reflect on the lessons events have taught you and to grow in wisdom and to savor the precious memories that you were blessed enough to experience well then I think it's good.

I guess what I'm inviting you to consider is that it's a waste of time to fret and regret over things you've done that cannot be changed. But that it's a fantastic use of time to bask in the good times, feel gratitude for them and use your past to serve your future rise.

Re: Bridges not Fences

http://2getherwestand.gaia.com — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:26:17 GMT

There's a riddlefor many people, fences, borders and walls = security

Then bridges and things that make connections = insecurity

However there is a deeper truth...We are all one with each other and with God, or whatever name you give the higher self, the gut, buddha, Allah, the Spirits

Now the question is how do we flip the saying?

Look at the EU, I'd say. The Schengen Treaty says it all. There are really no borders in Europe only lines of custom.

Re: Team Play

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:17:24 GMT

Reading this post I was reminded of a picture I saw recently, about how people work together in situations where survival depends upon teamwork. :):)

Where TeamWork wins all the way around................

Peggy J

Team Play

http://vrs.gaia.com — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 06:58:50 GMT

Wed October 18, 2006 07:35:56 Robin said...
Your Team's Only As Good As You

Watched a road crew at work this morning while walking to a meeting. The team leader was having a bad day. A bus driver was hitting her horn because a traffic barricade was in her way. The team leader yelled, threw a fist into the air and then kicked over the barricade. One angry man.

Then he started yelling at his crew. Mocking them. Spitting out his venom. They looked down at the ground and kept on working. I sense they felt humiliated by the public spectacle. But the team leader continued his rant. Pouring his toxic waste out onto the busy street. Tonight he'll blame his crew for a low-performance day.

The big idea: your team will never be greater than you are (even if you are not the team leader). You set the level of how high you all can fly. Each finger affects the strength of the hand. When organizations bring me in to help teams get to world-class performance and results, I gently remind everyone in the room that everything begins with you. Forget blaming others - that's just excusing yourself. And it all begins with your inner world. External leadership begins with internal mastery. You can't help in the building of an extraordinary organization until you commit to becoming an extraordinary person.

That team leader on the street might want to look in the mirror. Might want to clean up his own messes. Deal with his personal anger. Work on his limiting beliefs. Develop his own character. "Soft stuff Robin." Nope - I don't think so. It's hard stuff. The stuff that ultimately drives better business results. Boosts bottom line. Gets organizations to greatness. And did I mention that it all starts with you? Because it does.

Bridges not Fences

http://vrs.gaia.com — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:54:36 GMT

Had a conversation with a VIP today (very interesting person). 32 years old. Grew up in the Caribbean. Builds fences for a living. A philosopher at heart.

Told me how everyone is so into building fences these days. To block out their neighbors. To insulate themselves. To maintain privacy and foster separateness. "I grew up in the Caribbean. On our little island, we were like one big family. Everyone talked to each other. People cared about each other. We were part of each others lives - a real community."

Community. Nice word. Every single one of us has a deep psychological need for it. We all crave to belong. To know we are part of a larger whole. Gives us a sense of security. And safety. And happiness. The best organizations foster community and build workplaces where people feel safe to be themselves. The best families do the same thing-cherishing each other and creating rich shared moments.

So maybe we should stop worrying so much about building fences. And start creating real security - by building bridges.

Re: Courage to do Inevitable

http://epiphanytiffany.gaia.com — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:49:58 GMT

This is so uplifting and encouraging. A few years ago I went to a talent and modelling convention in Atlanta, GA. I did my best while I was there but was one of few that didn't receive a call-back. I was deeply saddened and disappointed. Many people told me they really liked my song and I pulled off the monologue no problem. So what was it? I asked myself that I didn't have. The answer: courage. Although I did well at the convention, I held back. I didn't put my all into it.

Even though I have been an entertainer for years, I find it frightening to perform solo. My palms sweat (heck everything sweats), I get nauseous, and my throat and chest tighten up. the emotion of helplessness sinks in and I'm terrified. I don't let go, b/c I'm afraid that if I give it my all and no one likes it, I will be a failure.

After that convention I decided to never "waste" my money on something like that again. From then on, I backed down from theater auditions and talent agencies afraid of failure.

About 6 months ago I changed my mind. I went to a call for a modelling and talent agency in a nearby city and was accepted. A week ago I was accepted to go to another convention which will have over 50 agencies, casting agents for tv shows and print, and many more attending to find their next talent. I feel like I'm being given a second chance and that my fear is losing its grip. What will I do if I don't get a call-back? Tread on. I cannot blame anyone else for my lost time and lost dreams except myself. If I do not use my talents and invest them in good work then I will lose them and forever regret it.

Courage is not void of failure, but pushes through it to find triumph!

A World - Class Listener

http://vrs.gaia.com — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 08:08:41 GMT


		Wed October 11, 2006 08:08:35 Robin said...

	Next Level Listening People ache for great listening. Do you give it to them? I so passionately believe that one of the single best things you can do to get your relationships (both professional and personal) to world-class is to become alarmingly good at listening. Yup-alarmingly good is the standard I'm pressing you to reach. As a young lawyer, I worked with a senior litigator who was just "insanely great" (Steve Jobs term) at making people feel heard. It wasn't forced. It wasn't faked. It wasn't artificial. Just a truckload of masterful, heartfelt listening every time I was with him. And guess what, that was the best professional relationship I had at that office. I'd do anything for him. He had my respect. And my loyalty. And my outright friendship. Because I knew (versus believed) he cared. Listening's like that. Seems like simple stuff, this listening business. But it's outrageously hard in a world where we can be so self-centered. And in a world where we all suffer from collective ADD. So hard to focus. So hard to concentrate. So hard to listen. But no organization can get to extraordinary without excited, engaged and enthusiastic people. And no human being can ever find authentic success without the help of people. And people need listening. Crave it. Hunger for it. More than you may imagine. Oh the way it feels when someone gives you the listening you need. It's so very rare isn't it? And yet so exceptionally powerful. I know you want to reach your mountaintop. I know you know you've been enlisted for greatness. I know you are one of the rare breed that is doing special things. And one of the most special of all is being a brilliant listener. Get to your Next Level of Listening. Master that art. It'll rock your world.

Stop Working Harder

http://vrs.gaia.com — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 08:06:52 GMT

You are Your Greatest Gift

Too many of us wish we were someone else. Someone smarter, better looking or fitter. However, you rarely see the best of the best doing that. You never hear Madonna say, "Gee, I wish that I was a civil engineer." Of course not, Madonna's life journey has been about being more Madonna. More daring. More creative. More obsessed with detail. And her fans and the marketplace rewarded her. She is truly a superstar.

Who are you? What makes you unique? What energizes you? What do you do that amazes your friends? That is your greatest gift. And when you develop that gift you can deliver more and more value to your clients, your employer and your team.

So here are some tactics for becoming more you:

1. Find. Figure out what you are great at. Review your past successes, especially unexpected ones. Find out what unique talents you used to realize that success.

2. Develop. Once you have identified your top two or three talents refine them. Read books (30 minutes a day), take classes or find a mentor. Spend all your personal development energy on these three talents. Don't waste your time on your weaknesses. They are not the path to greatness.

3. Collaborate. Now that you know what you are brilliant at find people whose talents support yours. Create a team of geniuses. This may mean hiring different people, switching departments or looking for new work. Yes, the change may be difficult. However, your greatest life is worth it.

Re: Make Your Mark

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:46:19 GMT

Hummmmmmm.

Many decades ago I was walking along the railroad tracks humming a tune and day-dreaming a bit when I stepped away from the tracks a scant five steps and the train blasted the air as it rolled by.

Calm as the cocoon before the butterfly enters new life, I turned and looked at the tracks and said, Hummmmm. So that's the way it happens. One moment we are here and the next we simply end this life, leave the body for someone else to take care of. And then I walked on down the hillside towards home humming my song.

To think about legacy is important, offering up a contribution to humanity is wise and caring. But I admit that I have been selfish and simply focused on getting my own life as right as I can and doing all I can to not be a burden to others.

These are some of the things I have done:

1) Completed an Advanced Medical Form and gave it to my doctor. In this way I am a bit closer to having my own wishes carried out in case of accident or illness and I am unable to make medical decisions later. I had this done long before the Terry Shiavo event.

2) Selected and paid for my cremation. Why should someone else have to pay for that for me, and again, by doing this I am a tad closer to having my wishes carried out.

3) I keep important papers, contracts all in one place and organized and easily accessible to those who would need them.

4) I have, in the past, spent time meditating on death and writing about death, and have experienced the 'losses' of dear ones, death is not the enemy our culture has taught many of us. death is like the butterfly leaving the cocoon.

5) My legacy? I am still working on that! I just adopted a homeless kitty last month, I volunteer at a homeless program, and I choose every day to be as aware and as helpful as I can be.

Blessings,
Peggy J

Re: Make Your Mark

http://Oceann.gaia.com — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 23:26:28 GMT

i had just been thinking of this yesterday.
about the oblivion- of being soon swallowed up by time, regardless our notoriiety, and about what has changed upon the planet because we have lived, each individual.
and then i thought about my own legacy.
i'm not sure how it will read, but i know we all face oblivion - will one day rejoin the endless oneness that constitutes All, will transform into other states, our bodies, and how we hope our souls will recombine.
we have no power over what will be.
we only have power over our own lives, and only partially over that.
to follow what we know is right, that is to treat every fellow sentient being, every other animal, with respect and kindness, and to help to save our planet and to help individuals of all species, to lead with compassion, to do no harm, to help the innocents, and to tread lightly on our planet, ecoizing, sharing our gifts, realizing all comes from the Great Spirit, is obviously the way to live.
without compassion - true compassion - honest, open, appreciation that every other being feels, thinks, deserves kindness - life is neither kind nor meaningful to the soul. without compassion to every fellow animal, every being, religiosity is merely a mask for evil, an excuse for wrong-doing.
without true compassion, extending to every single being, then speaking of spirituality is false.
Compassion for all animals is everything. We are one family.All .

Be a Visionary

http://vrs.gaia.com — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 12:31:23 GMT


		Fri October 06, 2006 11:46:12 Robin said...

	Be a Visionary God I love the dreamers amongst us. Get this: a company called MetroNaps is selling $14 power naps in cities like NYC and Vancouver to overworked/overstressed corporate warriors. You lie down in their state-of-the-art pod, get a mini-massage and listen to soothing music. The company plans to roll out the concept across the planet soon. Arthur Schopenhauer said: "talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see." The world belongs to the visionaries. Women and men who refuse to accept what is because they are so obsessed with what can be. People - like you and me - who refuse to succumb to complacency and ordinary and good enough - when they know great lives just around the next corner. We need more in our club. Let's find them.

Symbols of Glory

http://vrs.gaia.com — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:45:16 GMT


		Thu October 05, 2006 08:07:21 Robin said...

	Symbols of Glory Walking to school with the kids today. Breathtaking Autumn morning here in my hometown. Fall colors, fresh air, crisp temperatures. My favorite time of the year. So Colby tells me that one of his buddies has a rubber turtle in his car. Said it reminds his parents to drive slowly and respect the lives of others on the road. I love it. Made me think about the importance of symbolic reminders - tokens we can strategically put at the important places of our lives to help us remember what's most important. What matters. What we want to stand for. One of the simplest tactics I suggest to clients at my leadership workshops is to put your 3 most important commitments on a 3 X 5 card that gets posted on your bathroom mirror so you see them first thing in the morning. This little maneuver affects your awareness. Your awareness shapes your choices. And your choices shape your results. World-class people are dramatically focused on the best To Dos. It's all they think, talk and dream about. And so they get to where they need to be. With fewer detours. So what Symbols of Glory might you use to keep you in your finest form? What tokens of excellence can you find that will quickly help you get back to your priorities when the crush of daily events clamor for your attention? You deserve to live an extraordinary life. Start by finding your symbols. Of the person you are ready to become.

Focus on Value

http://vrs.gaia.com — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 08:45:02 GMT


		Wed October 04, 2006 12:51:56 Robin said...

	Focus on Adding Value Old line is still true: you can get whatever you want so long as you help enough people get what they want. All of your most highly cherished dreams can become reality as long as you help enough of those around you get to their personal mountaintops. Shift from me to we and watch your career - and your life - become shockingly successful. Be a Value Creator - for every stakeholder in the world you inhabit. I'm here at a Starbucks. Want to share the quote on my cup with you. Comes from a Starbucks customer (Steve Rouse). He says: "The problem with society today is that people are too focused on themselves to care about the needs of others. Great change is brought about by ordinary people filling ordinary needs." Today, look for ordinary ways to be extraordinary (that's a big formula for success). Do the little things with unimaginable passion and off-the-scales excellence. Give your best - and then go farther - to each of today's pursuits. Because the more value you can create for others, the more value they will return to you.