The Earth Charter
principles to live by
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Friday, 14 January 2011
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Are you Following the American Dream?
I think it is the unspoken rule, that we all must seek this dream. What bothers me about dreams is the fact, that by their very nature, dreams require you to be in sleep, in other words, with you conscious mind is turned off!
I think that is how most people operate in today world..... work hard..... earn alot......earn more ...... then earn some more..... and then retire (with the family still intact) alone, which is the inevitable outcome of years of neglect and live long supported by Pensioner Homes, pensions, drugs. You may not have the health to enjoy the benefits of your time in slavery, but at least you live a long time. Here lies the key..... if the length A pair of shoes is adequate of life is the ultimate aspiration than the quality of life .... what hope is there enjoying life.
To put in it another way.... slave.... slave.....and slave some more and if you are lucky, (when you have no economic utility, you may find your family around to enjoy the fruits for the slavery you inflicted upon yourself.
I sincerely hope that before you serve the sentence of slavery upon your children, you look deep into the benefits of your own imprisonment.
Humans need... a place to live, food to eat, and people to love them...... beyond this, everything else is superficial and not compulsory to health survival. A pair of simple shoes is adequate.... a pair of Jimmy Choos at the cost of half your salary is NOT. Designer names, brands , are the evidence that the slaves are loyal, and have this masochistic affliction to be loyal even if it means giving up his hard earned cash!!!
By any standards, this is abuse of power. The marketing agents, the designers have abused their position as guardians of privileged resources .
What is contradictory is that of course it is the slave-class that makes the products but they are the esteemed consumers of it too, and who will replicate the demand simply by upholding the myth, that the products from the designers are truly to be coveted!
STOP AND THINK......... that is my only request
I think it is the unspoken rule, that we all must seek this dream. What bothers me about dreams is the fact, that by their very nature, dreams require you to be in sleep, in other words, with you conscious mind is turned off!
I think that is how most people operate in today world..... work hard..... earn alot......earn more ...... then earn some more..... and then retire (with the family still intact) alone, which is the inevitable outcome of years of neglect and live long supported by Pensioner Homes, pensions, drugs. You may not have the health to enjoy the benefits of your time in slavery, but at least you live a long time. Here lies the key..... if the length A pair of shoes is adequate of life is the ultimate aspiration than the quality of life .... what hope is there enjoying life.
To put in it another way.... slave.... slave.....and slave some more and if you are lucky, (when you have no economic utility, you may find your family around to enjoy the fruits for the slavery you inflicted upon yourself.
I sincerely hope that before you serve the sentence of slavery upon your children, you look deep into the benefits of your own imprisonment.
Humans need... a place to live, food to eat, and people to love them...... beyond this, everything else is superficial and not compulsory to health survival. A pair of simple shoes is adequate.... a pair of Jimmy Choos at the cost of half your salary is NOT. Designer names, brands , are the evidence that the slaves are loyal, and have this masochistic affliction to be loyal even if it means giving up his hard earned cash!!!
By any standards, this is abuse of power. The marketing agents, the designers have abused their position as guardians of privileged resources .
What is contradictory is that of course it is the slave-class that makes the products but they are the esteemed consumers of it too, and who will replicate the demand simply by upholding the myth, that the products from the designers are truly to be coveted!
STOP AND THINK......... that is my only request
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Creating change is easier than you imagine once you realise that you are only responsible for you own action. You are accountable for what you do not what others do. But realise, you action can either enhance or hinder forward movement. motion has three directions not two as many assume; forwards, backwards and the movement of no movement. The last refers to the concious decision to make a choice not to make a motion.
Fortunately the wish to change the world for the better is all about regaining what rightfully belong to us. So that is an immense incentive. Furthermore, regaining what is rightly owed to us, is about avoiding scams, marketing tactics and avoiding buying into what advertisers continuously tell us to do.
Advertisers and Marketing Professional by their definition must insist that you need their products. It is their job to make you feel inadequate, unfulfilled and worthless. The message they send is, "without their magical product" we can and never will feel fulfilled, adequate and worthy. The L'oreal Advert represents all that there is devious about the media. Their slogan " You're worth it" implies ,without their eight pound mascara you are not valuing yourself: you are not worth even eight pounds! To the unsuspecting consumer, this is hard message to take. In defiance, we shout " of course we are worth more than eight pounds" hence the sale is thus completed. The consumer in loyalty to themselves ,will insist on buying that mascara, if only to prove the advertisers wrong.
To get a good understanding of human behaviour in the modern world, it only takes a glance at the popular adverts displayed. We have an illness of affluence or "Affluenza" as the authors of this aptly named book would suggest. Economists were initially commissioned to organise and structure the national economy to proved the needs of the community. However this is not the reality in the modern day economy. The modern communities are structured to monetise every layer, heir-achy, level and every member of its society. Economist have little value for their philanthropy. They are however useful as Financial Consultants/analysts advocate maximising profits on behalf of corporations.
Fortunately the wish to change the world for the better is all about regaining what rightfully belong to us. So that is an immense incentive. Furthermore, regaining what is rightly owed to us, is about avoiding scams, marketing tactics and avoiding buying into what advertisers continuously tell us to do.
Advertisers and Marketing Professional by their definition must insist that you need their products. It is their job to make you feel inadequate, unfulfilled and worthless. The message they send is, "without their magical product" we can and never will feel fulfilled, adequate and worthy. The L'oreal Advert represents all that there is devious about the media. Their slogan " You're worth it" implies ,without their eight pound mascara you are not valuing yourself: you are not worth even eight pounds! To the unsuspecting consumer, this is hard message to take. In defiance, we shout " of course we are worth more than eight pounds" hence the sale is thus completed. The consumer in loyalty to themselves ,will insist on buying that mascara, if only to prove the advertisers wrong.
To get a good understanding of human behaviour in the modern world, it only takes a glance at the popular adverts displayed. We have an illness of affluence or "Affluenza" as the authors of this aptly named book would suggest. Economists were initially commissioned to organise and structure the national economy to proved the needs of the community. However this is not the reality in the modern day economy. The modern communities are structured to monetise every layer, heir-achy, level and every member of its society. Economist have little value for their philanthropy. They are however useful as Financial Consultants/analysts advocate maximising profits on behalf of corporations.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
“Poverty is like punishment for a crime you didn’t commit” — Eli Khamarov
I have no real interest in Politics, but Politics interests me. It is something which I don't believe we have an option about. I would be happy tending to my little world of food-shelter-self development, but this cosy world is continuously being interrupted by unbelievably ignorant politicians. Yes many of them have studied in elite universities, gained a world of experience that I could never afford, but their privileged status have isolated them and therefore gives them no authority to speak on my behalf. More importantly they have no right to make decisions on my behalf. So to my dismay...i cannot stay cosy in my little world.
I like the observations in the film Fight Club on capitalism, the most powerful, most destructive force that man has ever dealt with....
"I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables . . . slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war . . . our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact." Fight Club
For these very observations
I feel it is imperative that Politics interest me, even if I may not choose to be. Else I may end up being ruled by someone less capable than myself.
To me the Ultimate test on whether capitalism has succeed is simple.... there are more people living below poverty than when it started.... NO ARGUMENT!! ( and I am pretty certain Adam Smith is turning in his grave to be associated with so much grief, suffering and terror)
Poverty is rampant. more than 80% of the world live in it... not just in countries in Africa......but even on our own doorstep.
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Menu-Planning
If I had to suggest one action that could totally transform your habits, if you genuinely kept to the principles, I would suggest basing you life around a Diary. A diary is both easy and useful. It is a planning tool to construct a framework for your time. It is an agenda, with a with a chronology for your social and professional activities. If you have a Menu Planner in your Diary like mine, then your Diary is the basis of organising your finances. This particular feature allows me to control all my activities in one small little black book. Menu Planning is something I have done for years and years, and with three children, work and studies, it is tool I use to the optimum. It is the basis of my weekly shopping, and the point of reference for my financial planning. Most Institutions where some form of catering is used rely and depend on Menu planning to be efficient . Applying the same logic to your life is not only sensible, but essential in becoming more efficient .The added bonus is of course you can save a lot of money in the process
Here are a few examples of Menu planning templates . There are many free templates available over the internet, so feel free to research and find the one that will incorporate all the aspects in your life.
Friends often criticise, and say that menu planning can make you regimented, but I feel the opposite is true. Menu Planning ensures I cater for all my family needs and activities needs over a period of time. There is plenty of scope and flexibility to give you the option to be spontaneous on the occasion .
![[menuplan_screenshot_sm.png]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCmCRyRLpSr8288s3HtWdyTRx0EqeriyDjJ6z2yVsW3-anJUG68_eKuAt4_jA97TUqz7CImzvFx96KlqO_0bJaEgdQalqX2tZbJj7QAMxx3o4fF-CyRCgt9agMovbAZmt6a4C_4fG8Ks/s1600/menuplan_screenshot_sm.png)
This is just a sample of one menu. There are hundreds, and you can adapt and design you own using free menu planning software . For more ideas on organising your home click the link
Here are a few examples of Menu planning templates . There are many free templates available over the internet, so feel free to research and find the one that will incorporate all the aspects in your life.
Friends often criticise, and say that menu planning can make you regimented, but I feel the opposite is true. Menu Planning ensures I cater for all my family needs and activities needs over a period of time. There is plenty of scope and flexibility to give you the option to be spontaneous on the occasion .
This is just a sample of one menu. There are hundreds, and you can adapt and design you own using free menu planning software . For more ideas on organising your home click the link
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Action 2
My New Year resolution apart from trying to loose weight is to read a book a week. I love reading, but not always had time, or so that has been the excuse I say to myself. The time on the commute to work, college, time waiting at doctors surgeries etc are all opportunities to read and further knowledge.
Reading is the window to world that we do not have time to experience. It is the wise person medium to learn and gain insight into things without having to experience it physical. Most of us know that reading is beneficial to us, but most of us lack the motivation, incentive to actually sit down with a book. Particularly ,with easily available information in the internet, reading is sidelined as tedious and time consuming.
It was not when I realised that books can offer a more detailed account of what is readily available on the internet that I made the turn around.
I will regularly be update books titles I have read and which i have found inspiring on the book list . It is my hope that you might find some interesting enough to read yourself
The books I intend to read over the next few weeks are
State of the World 2010
The Chalice and the Blade
Reading is the window to world that we do not have time to experience. It is the wise person medium to learn and gain insight into things without having to experience it physical. Most of us know that reading is beneficial to us, but most of us lack the motivation, incentive to actually sit down with a book. Particularly ,with easily available information in the internet, reading is sidelined as tedious and time consuming.
It was not when I realised that books can offer a more detailed account of what is readily available on the internet that I made the turn around.
I will regularly be update books titles I have read and which i have found inspiring on the book list . It is my hope that you might find some interesting enough to read yourself
The books I intend to read over the next few weeks are
State of the World 2010
The Chalice and the Blade
Friday, 31 December 2010
ACTION 1
NEW YEARS DAY- what better day to begin our pledge to create hope.
Many of us start off the reflective, thinking back on their achievements in the past , other are future forward and anticipate new beginnings. I have always believed that the first moments of any occasion set the tone for the remaining. It directs our attitude and guides our opinions, so it makes sense to start off any new venture on a positive and optimistic framework. So the first action that I will be doing today is to make set an objective. Something I hope to achieve by the end of this year. It is really not important to me if I practically achieve this, what is important to me is that I have given myself every possibility and opportunity to attain it. My objectives are the goals I have , the aspirations, the ideal. They direct , measure but not control.
Goal setting is part of a range of other activities which I consider to be the housekeeping, the domestics of my life. Activities which may not be exciting, interesting but are essential and necessary because once completed allow to to focus your energy on the interesting activities and possibly more important actions. So if I want to crate hope in the world; I must ensure my own focus and mindset is clear to do so. Setting my own objectives for the new year helps me focus
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