June 2015 - Survive to Alive

26th June 2015

From the Manifesto

Wars are started on assumptions. Assumptions are dangerous things that creep in during the night and that are left alone in the corner of your mind and heart. Assumptions like I am okay; you are okay.

Perhaps it’s time to question some assumptions like I am okay or you are okay. Just because you can walk and talk like the rest of us hardly means you are okay. We just assume people are okay when we pass them in the street and perhaps they assume the same about us.

The hard work lies within – we have to go from surviving (because we rarely dig deep) to truly living today!

Download the Alive Today! manifesto here

22nd June 2015

Alive Today! – Survive to Alive Manifesto Launch

The big day is finally here!

A big thank you to friends, family and supporters who have challenged me and contributed to the launch of the manifesto. No person, idea or movement happens in isolation and this manifesto is testament to this.

Head over to downloads and click on the manifesto image for your free copy today!

Share with friends and family and join the movement of going from survive to alive every day.

19th June 2015

From Personal Growth to the Growth of a Nation

As previously discussed in the defining growth post I promised to link personal growth to national growth. So here goes…

There is normally much debate around how to uplift a nation and the split is usually between the conservatives and the liberals. On the one hand the conservative will tell you that the focus is on the person – work harder, greater moral development, discipline, etc. and on the other hand you have the liberal that says you need to change the system, create opportunity and put safety nets in place in order to level the playing field. Conservatives therefore focus on the personal or interior and the liberals on the system or exterior aspects.

All of this is quite good but the fact of the matter is that we are measuring specific things that are indicative of growth – we value certain things. As you may well know, globally we use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the main indicator of a nation’s growth. Have you ever thought about this measurement? Is it a good one? What exactly does it measure? What is excluded? Can it be improved?

Without going into too much detail I can say with certainty that there are definitely better ways to measure our progress as society that includes other very important aspects and starts to bridge the gap between interior and exterior. One of the new approaches includes much broader aspects such as foundations of well-being and if you are interested to learn more go over to TED and see what Michael Green and the Social Progress Index is all about.

There are also many more movements, too many to mention right now, maybe more later, that are focusing on the development of the interior person and how this relates the development and growth of our exterior world. Once again many thinkers, writers and scholars are making some very important progress. There are different ways of looking at the challenge but the bottom line is that our inner condition is most certainly part of the cause as I wrote in Fix the Hole.

It doesn’t help we change a system, build a school or produce more cars and never ask why! Sometimes we can do exactly the same thing but with a very different why – a very different purpose that emanates from a transformed interior.

Now that is going from just surviving on this planet to really living!

P.S. Alive Today! manifesto launch is on Monday – sign up for email notifications!

12th June 2015

Just Inspiration

No real post this week. I’ve been rather serious lately and if you feel like reflecting you can always go back and have a look at how to define value or even how do you define growth.

No, I am not too busy or I don’t have anything else to say – quite the opposite. Sometimes it is simply good to pause and take stock. We are almost in the middle of the year and I thought all I want to do is be inspired and inspire.

So, this weekend if there is one thing you do take a deep breathe an live. Know yourself and those around you. Look to beauty and consider the magnificence which is life.

Know that you are a valuable person that can grow every day and become the person you are destined to become. See this beauty in yourself and see it in those around you.

Live!

12th June 2015

Just Inspiration

No real post this week. I’ve been rather serious lately and if you feel like reflecting you can always go back and have a look at how to define value or even how do you define growth.

So, this weekend if there is one thing you do take a deep breathe an live. Know yourself and those around you. Look to beauty and consider the magnificence which is life.

Know that you are a valuable person that can grow every day and become the person you are destined to become. See this beauty in yourself and see it in those around you.

Live!

5th June 2015

Defining Growth

Following on from my previous post on defining value I thought I should continue on the same path… So down the rabbit hole we go – hold on!
In the previous post I referred to personal growth as valuable, or rather the depth of connection that it brought as valuable. In this regard I also highlighted the importance of protecting it. So let’s look a little closer at the value of growth.

Revan’s axiom on growth is simple: In any instance where your rate of learning is equal to or greater than the challenge/change at hand you are able to grow. If I translate it for myself it reads: Through pain lies the path but only the brave will commit.

‘Nature shows that with the growth of intelligence comes increased capacity for pain, and it is only with the highest degree of intelligence that suffering reaches its supreme point.’ ~ Arthur Schopenhauer

So you’ve got to increase your intelligence and your ability to learn… I would like to further define intelligence not only as IQ but as emotional intelligence and spiritual intelligence (among others). Few however like to walk this path especially in current times when what we value is not a deeper, richer path defined more by the intangible but rather the pleasure-filled emotional intensity of a energy drink infused society that is obsessed with material possessions, celebrity chefs and sex.
Another obsession is knowledge and superior intellect. We forget to relate through emotional intelligence as well as align our lives to our greatest spiritual intelligence that motivates an existence based on the understanding of greater purpose.

In other words pain is the greatest teacher but few want to be its student. It is evident in society that we focus on fleeting short term pleasure instead of redefining our pleasure in line with much more lasting reward. No, this is not for us – it is too hard; too painful!

Perhaps, but the long term pain that we bring upon ourselves because of the avoidance of short term pain is immeasurable. So we are happy to avoid pain and simply survive on this planet from day to day. Just surviving, but not really living. How about you – are you shifting your definition of pleasure and aligning to valuable personal growth by facing the pain and becoming victorious? Are you surviving or are you alive?

Next week I will link personal growth to the growth of a nation! So spread the word to be brave, face the pain and live!

P.S. Don’t forget to follow survivetoalive.com via email if you haven’t done so yet and keep an eye out for the manifesto launch – only 17 days to go!

5th June 2015

Defining Growth

Next week I will link personal growth to the growth of a nation! So spread the word to be brave, face the pain and live!

P.S. Don’t forget to follow survivetoalive.com via email if you haven’t done so yet and keep an eye out for the manifesto launch – only 17 days to go!