Human Beings or Human Doings?

Human existence can be considered a house of four rooms, the rooms of 1.the body, 2.the mind, 3.the emotions and 4. spirituality. Which rooms do you favour or leave unattended?

THE EMPTY BOAT

Suppose a boat is crossing a river and another boat, an empty one, is about to collide with it. Even an irritable man would not lose his temper.

But suppose there was someone in the second boat. Then the occupant of the first would shout to him to keep clear. And if he did not hear the first time, nor even when called to three times, bad language would inevitably follow.

In the first case there was no anger, in the second there was-because in the first case the boat was empty, in the second it was occupied.

And so it is with man. If he could only pass empty through life, who would be able to injure him.

It's Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

Darkness at the break of noon Shadows even the silver spoon The handmade blade, the child's balloon Eclipses both the sun and moon To understand you know too soon There is no sense in trying. Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn Suicide remarks are torn From the fool's gold mouthpiece The hollow horn plays wasted words Proves to warn That he not busy being born Is busy dying. Temptation's page flies out the door You follow, find yourself at war Watch waterfalls of pity roar You feel to moan but unlike before You discover That you'd just be One more person crying. So don't fear if you hear A foreign sound to your ear It's alright, ma, I’m only sighing. As some warn victory, some downfall Private reasons great or small Can be seen in the eyes of those that call To make all that should be killed to crawl While others say don't hate nothing at all Except hatred. Disillusioned words like bullets bark As human gods aim for their mark Made everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It's easy to see without looking too far That not much Is really sacred. While preachers preach of evil fates Teachers teach that knowledge waits Can lead to hundred-dollar plates Goodness hides behind its gates But even the president of the united states Sometimes must have To stand naked. An' though the rules of the road have been lodged It's only people's games that you got to dodge And it's alright, ma, I can make it. Advertising signs that con you Into thinking you're the one That can do what's never been done That can win what's never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you. You lose yourself, you reappear You suddenly find you got nothing to fear Alone you stand with nobody near When a trembling distant voice, unclear Startles your sleeping ears to hear That somebody thinks They really found you. A question in your nerves is lit Yet you know there is no answer fit to satisfy Insure you not to quit To keep it in your mind and not forget That it is not he or she or them or it That you belong to. Although the masters make the rules For the wise men and the fools I got nothing, ma, to live up to. For them that must obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Cultivate their flowers to be Nothing more than something They invest in. While some on principles baptized To strict party platform ties Social clubs in drag disguise Outsiders they can freely criticize Tell nothing except who to idolize And then say god bless him. While one who sings with his tongue on fire Gargles in the rat race choir Bent out of shape from society's pliers Cares not to come up any higher But rather get you down in the hole That he's in. But I mean no harm nor put fault On anyone that lives in a vault But it's alright, ma, if I can't please him. Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare While money doesn't talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares propaganda, all is phony. While them that defend what they cannot see With a killer's pride, security It blows the minds most bitterly For them that think death's honesty Won't fall upon them naturally Life sometimes Must get lonely. My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards False gods, I scuff At pettiness which plays so rough Walk upside-down inside handcuffs Kick my legs to crash it off Say okay, I have had enough What else can you show me? And if my thought-dreams could be seen They'd probably put my head in a guillotine But it's alright, ma, it's life, and life only.

The eye of the beholder.

Our Sun is to the Universe what a Grain of Sand is to all the Beaches on Earth. From the Perspective of the Universe,

Man does not exist.

Smile

This will prevent my Karma from running over your Dogma.

Be Real!

Image…Appearance…Perception…Impression…Acceptance! That’s the game of life, how we look to the world and what message we send out to those who are watching. People spend exorbitant amounts of time and money to create their image. Plastic surgeons will vouch for this as will credit card companies. People want to make a good impression. There’s nothing wrong with making a good impression, but when it covers up your real Self, that’s a problem.

People get themselves in a financial mess because they want to keep up with the Jones’. How many times have you heard a child say, “well, so in so got it so why can’t I have it too?” We are programmed to go into debt to keep up appearances. That puts a great deal of stress in our lives that is unnecessary. I did it and I ended up with physical challenges all because I wanted to appear a certain way. I bet you know the routine!

Stop and think about your own actions. In a new relationship of any kind – work related, romance, friend or community – you present yourself the best you can. If you go for a job interview you dress in your business best to impress the interviewer. Perhaps you wine and dine a client, go on a first date, meet future in-laws, and you’re on your best behavior. But once the mask is taken off your real personality emerges, and it may not be quite the same as it was in the beginning; the divorce rate now-a-days is a prime example. Remember the old saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover?” Exactly, you can’t!

Many times individuals agree with another person to win their approval in some way, even when they aren’t really sharing the same thoughts. Sometimes it happens because you don’t stop long enough to realize your own beliefs. This is sad because you do not know who you are.

As I jumped out of my box a few years ago I was forced into seeing myself in raw reality, naked if you will. I didn’t like everything I saw and understood why I had tried to hide these things. But when I came face to face with them and realized what was real, I was glad I finally took off the rose-colored glasses so I could see who I am. I then proceeded to change whatever didn’t serve my highest good. I was free for the first time in my life, and it felt incredibly wonderful.

Being real allows your spirit to bring your truth to the surface. It’s not about anyone or anything but you. When you are being real with yourself you don’t need anyone’s approval or validation because you’ve already given it to yourself. You are free to think, believe, dress, eat, and be as you wish. Society has not been taught this, it has been taught to conform and to seek approval or acceptance from others, especially if success in business or life is a goal.

Now I’m not saying we can be heartless, unkind, unfair, or any other action that is fear-based. I’m saying that if you come from a loving place, loving yourself first and foremost, you have the birthright to be you, whatever that means to you. It means taking off your mask, baring your soul and heart, becoming vulnerable, accepting yourself as you are and then making changes it you wish. It means saying “no” if that’s what you want to say instead of sucking up to someone by saying “yes.” It also means letting go of anyone or anything you are attached to because any attachment is bondage. Being real is freedom.

Know that the only real moment you have, the only time you can be real, is in the present moment. The past is over and cannot be again. The future isn’t here yet so is not reality, only a dream. The only place in which there is realness is in this very moment, right now. Learn to live in the present moment. Here you can love fully, expand fully, create the future fully and be in the fullness of life.

So listen to your heart, hear your inner guidance and pay attention, honoring your own beliefs even if they differ from everyone else. Stand in your truth regardless of the crowd and value yourself as a divine being whose birthright says you are worthy and deserve all that’s good. Most of all, truly love yourself because without this self-love you have no love to give to anyone else. This is where you are real, in your heart where love abides, and love is the positive power in your life to heal everything. And so it is…

Fruppertunity beckons - Thanx Peter

Fruppertunity beckons It's so easy to become enmeshed in the changes in South Africa, and to see a dark conspiracy behind each new piece of legislation, or to see our individual futures threatened. And while it may well be that for some of us life is getting more challenging - how much more challenging to have a B&B in New Orleans right now, or a hotel in Pakistan, or to have a struggling tourist business in Sumatra? Life is about change, and it's dealing with that change that keeps us growing. I would much rather be dealing with these challenges while sitting on a sunny beach with a pina colada in hand, than suspiciously scoping out every bearded foreigner on the London underground while trying to evaluate the impact of the macro-economic situation on my small business. Wherever there is change, there is opportunity. The more change, the more opportunity. So why are we so constantly focused on the negative aspect of change, rather than on the immense wealth of opportunity that we now face? In fact, if there is a 'problem' it lies in having to choose one opportunity at the expense of another. The mere fact that we have a choice stymies most of us. What if we choose the wrong one? What if the other choice turns out to have been better? What will my mates/mother/maiden think of me if I choose this one? What if I fail? What if I lose money? What if the government doesn't like it? Who should I ask for permission? Hey! This is Africa. It's better to ask forgiveness later than to wait for permission now. I fear that we may be using all the changes as an excuse to wait until things get better. In the meantime, we think, "I'll start working on getting some qualifications. After all, how can I sell something in this arena without the proper credentials?" Think again. These are the best times we've ever had. And, as for the credentials, lets put that into perspective. When last did you ask a supplier to prove to you that he was qualified? Doctor? Dentist? Plumber? Programmer? We don't ask. We assume that you have the skills you're professing to have. (Hint: pretending to be a medical professional without having the appropriate credentials is illegal. This is one of the very few cases where it's better to get permission first - preferably via the traditional technique of studying for 5 years, rather than the modern SA technique of purchasing the certificate over the counter!) Right now, sitting right where you are Michiel, if you have enough technical smarts to read this email - you have all that it takes to be hugely successful as a small business operator in this country. Even if you're already in your own business, have a crack at the following simple exercise. Step 1.------What frustrates YOU. What bothers YOU every time you see it, or you can't get it, or it breaks, or you don't see it? What frustrates YOU so much that you'd be happy to spend money fixing it? [Make a list of all of these frustrations that you can think of.] For now, focus only on the stuff that hassles you. Step 2.------For each item on your list - how many other folk does it bother? Don't worry about fixing it just yet. We need to establish if there might be a 'market' - enough people prepared to spend money on fixing it. At the end of this step you will have a few 'winners' - things that hassle you and a bunch of other folk enough to warrant further attention. Step 3.------Find/develop/create some solutions that YOU would be happy with to kill these frustrations. Start by using Google/Yahoo/Amazon/Ananzi or any of the 10,000 web search engines to see if anyone else anywhere else in the world has solved it. If they have, can you copy, franchise, buy, or improve their solution for yourself and your market? Step 4.------At this point you almost have a business. And SA is so full of fruppertunities right now that there are a zillion businesses waiting to be created. Every business on earth exists to solve a frustration of some size. For example, your motor vehicle's starter motor was invented by a guy who's friend was killed while trying to start an engine with a crank handle. None of the above steps requires massive capital unless you choose to do your thinking with a bottle of Meerlust Rubicon 1979. And if you start your research early in the day with such alcoholic stimulation, chances are that you will indeed have to ask forgiveness later as you stagger home. The above steps reflect an extremely simplistic view of market research, but I have never had to go beyond this in order to see whether a business model will work or not. If the idea cannot pass these 4 steps, it's not going to pass at all. And on that note, have some fun. And if this inspires you to be the next Shuttleworth, Branson, or Gates - then I'd welcome a bottle of Meerlust when you race past that first million. October 12th, 2005 - Umhlanga RocksPeter Carruthers - Business Warrior

Success

True success is…..

Eventually having your bank manager end up in your company as an employee of yours. Mike van Niekerk

Survival in a Sick world

If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest. — Benjamin Franklin, American statesman, philosopher and inventor

Neither a borrower or lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. — William Shakespeare; "Hamlet"

Do not be made a beggar by banqueting upon borrow, when thou hast nothing in thy purse: for thou shall lie in wait for thine own life, and be talked on. — Apocrypha, (Ecclesiasticus 18:33)

A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain. — Robert Frost, American poet

Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt. — Henrik Ibsen; "A Doll's House"

The surest way to ruin a man who doesn't know how to handle money is to give him some. — George Barnard Shaw; "Heartbreak House"

Dreading that climax of all human ills, The inflammation of one's weekly bills. — George Gordon, Lord Byron, English Poet

Who goeth a borrowing Goeth a sorrowing. — Thomas Tusser; "The Farmer's Daily Diet"

Getting rid of debt is like getting rid of an illness. First you have to recognize the symptoms and then you have to provide an immediate remedy. If you wait too long before treating the problem, the situation will get worst and it will take longer to recover. If your procrastinate on treating the problem it may cause long-term pain and discomfort that eventually escalates into a more severe illness, which requires a more drastic cure. If the illness progresses too far, if could turn into a chronic condition. Similarly, failure to acknowledge financial problems can escalate into more severe problems that are costly to recover from and require drastic solutions that may damage credit worthiness. — Road To Debt Freedom

The human species, according to the best theory I can form of it, is composed of two distinct races, the men who borrow and the men who lend. — Charles Lamb; Essays of Elias, "The Two Races of Men"

It is very iniquitous to make me pay my debts; you have no idea of the pain it gives one. — Lord Bryon; Byrons' "Letters and Journals"

A creditor is worse than a slave-owner; for the master owns only your person, but a creditor owns your dignity, and can command it. — Victor Hugo; Marius, in "Les Miserables"

Beautiful credit! The foundation of modern society. Who shall say that this is not the golden age of mutual trust, of unlimited reliance upon human promises? That is a peculiar condition of society which enables a whole nation to instantly recognize point and meaning in the familiar newspaper anecdote, which puts into the mouth of a distinguished speculator in lands and mines this remark: "I wasn't worth a cent two years ago, and now I owe two millions of dollars." — Mark Twain; "The Gilded Age"

---

Victim Mentality

Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.