So whats did we learn from our trip around America .

Well A LOT. But i shall keep it brief and to the point and hope you find the message in it thats for you.

1) It reminded me that every moment we live can be a life change experiment if we want it to be. (you dont have to go roaming the globe)

2) It reminded me the power of a change of scenery to give you new perspective

3) It reminded me that my fears, plans and worries are about as useful as the opinion of an amoeba on a flea on a dog in Africa.

3) It reminded me that sadly most people are still on a hamster wheel, trying to earn their way to happiness. But happily there are also many living to the beat of their own drum. Not caught up in the illusion of ‘more’.

5 It reminded me that,

• Inner peace is found in effortlessness not struggle
• That trials are usually gifts not our enemy
• That happiness is an acceptance not a pursuit
• That enlightenment is a losing not a gaining
• That purpose is now not later
• That our pains are generally caused by underlying pleasures
• That the feeling of fear is only as real as you say it is
• That life IS the destination and you cant get it wrong.

We definitely came back with an expanded sense of peace and purpose that we had never experienced before.

So at the moment Bessie and I are watching with curiosity as a new path emerges for us as things we never could have conceived of become possibilities in our life.

Over the next week or so we will fill in the details. But the lifechangeexperiment continues. This time hopefully to give others the chance of a new life we found for ourselves.

MELISSA SAYS – Hi Bessie and Geoff I am wanting to let go of a lot of my material possessions but struggling to take the initial action. What is the best way to get rid of the ‘block’?
cheers Melissa

Giving stuff away is not for everyone. Remember we didn’t do it to be nice people. We did it to break out of our rut and shift the old energy that’d been stunting our personal growth for so many years. Sure it had an amazing and unpredicted knock on effect, but the giveaway was designed to shake us up, refocus us on what really mattered and let go of old thinking.

Of course you don’t need to give stuff away to do that. However if there is stuff you can’t let go of you might want to ask, ‘How am I letting this stuff define me’.

We all like convenience and status. The two things ‘stuff’ ‘appears’ to give us. But when we REALLY want change, a new life or more from ourselves before we die, that ‘stuff’ suddenly starts to look like a chain around the neck, lulling us into a false sense of comfort, distracting our attention and stunting our growth.

So in reality I couldn’t wait to get rid of most of my stuff. Anything that was hard to give up I simply addressed what role it had in my life. What insecurity it plugged and used that as a wonderful guide as to what parts of me needed the most work. Then I got on with doing the work. Or more specifically balancing my perceptions and learning to let go.

Sure it was scary as hell at times but that was the point .

How can you truly find out who you are and who you can be, if you’re life is spent looking for ‘things’ to help you forget!

JOHN SAYS – What you have done seems kind of insane to me. Do you think its been worth it and if so why?

To be honest for us to stay where we were and continuing to patch up our sense of emptiness with more ‘’stuff’, would have been true insanity.

Was it worth it – With all my heart YES YES YES. I cant begin to tell you the oppertunity for growth and new perspective i have been given.

What have we learnt. Well here are a few things im particularly grateful to have realised

• This is not a trial run – Stop acting as if it is

• Your alive today. Plenty of others who thought they would be yesterday are not! So don’t take tomorrow for granted.

• In the end most of what we think and nothing that we collected matters in the slightest.

• Nothing is ever as bad, scary or impossible as it seems at first, if we get off our ass and take a step into the unkonwn (which pretty quickly becomes ‘known’ and completely unscary)

• Few, if any of us use anywhere near the ability we have waiting inside of us. So stop underestimating your ability to change

• A better happier life is a state of mind, not luck or a bigger bank balance, and like anything simply takes practice

• Behind every one of our worst fears is the key to our greatest victory & growth

• People are much more like you than you think – No matter how odd they may look or sound

• YOUR misery is generated by YOUR mind. Blaming others wont fix it

• The only difference between those who can, have and do, and those who can’t, have not and don’t is belief! NOT, I might add ‘facts’ but simply BELIEFE  (misguided or otherwise) As Henry Ford said ‘whether you believe you can or believe you cant you’ll always be right.

• Taking the focus off us and our problems, and onto helping others dissolves, almost miraculously, a multitude of those problems.

• Letting go is the answer to pretty much everything – If you cant let go, then let go of your need to let go.

• Perception (which is all we have) is really a bit of a cosmic joke. Misery comes from taking yours to seriously.

Realizing that within every single moments of disappointment, boredom, frustration, anger, hurt, misery, disillusionment, worry or fear there ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS lies not only a better perspective  but a deep key to my own personal growth, has probably helped the most.

Over the xmas period we are going to be in Brissy so keep an eye out for us. I get to see my twin boys who will be coming over from the US to spend 10 days with us. And we will be spending time at my mum n dads….. Ill still be facebook blogging regularly and posting pix so please stick around.

NEXT YEAR

We start phase 3 of the experiment – moving inland and back down – And putting into practice some of the weird wonderful and whacky life change and happiness techniques we have collected along the way.

I apologies for the speed at which the webesodes have been progressing. We have had some teething problems. But over the next few weeks we hope to iron them out as we post some of the wisdom people have shared with us.

I am really excited about this New Year. It will truly be a year of change no matter what happens. I hope you take the opportunity to make the most of the fresh energy this time of year always brings with it.

Im hoping more of you will post favorite videos, links or any other inspirational book reviews or similar that you think the rest of us might find useful. This site is really a team effort. A place anyone can come to for free, to gleean that little bit extra inspiration they might need to change, or deal with something in their life.     http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLifeChangeEx

YOUTUBE

At last we have the webisodes on youtube. Please pass them along so we can collect as many like minded people as possible on this journey to share their pieces of the puzzle.

THE ILLUSION

In the spirit of being totally honest I have had a bit of a bad few weeks. Unable to shake an overwhelming sense of despair and frustration. Of course I’m well aware its my unconscious holding on to its beliefs that things should be other than what they are. Better, smoother, less hassle, more successful, more fun, easier, more fulfilling etc

I think talking to so many people about this topic and learning so much, I have had some of my illusions firmly shattered. Which ultimately is a good thing, but has made me feel quite out of whack. Curiously all the old habits and distractions I used to pep me up or dull the pain back in Sydney, have ceased to work, much to my surprise.

I guess that means those deep internal voids we create and then spend the rest of our lives trying to fill, are shifting. All I can do its accept, let go of the need to fix things and listen to my body. It’s very definitely telling me to use it more, so im going to go with my intuition and do just that

Its really become clear to me that our body and how we look after it sets the tone or foundations for the quality of our thoughts. Feeling as drained as I do the last thing I want to do is go on a punishing health kick, so instead ill just make tiny little alterations and let my body adjust one neron and muscle fiber at a time.

LESS IS MORE :-WHATS YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTION – Why not try making them really small this year and actually sticking to them. Remember 1 drop at a time can ware away mountains. Alternalty maybe this year is the one to DROP THE BOMB and join us in shattering the old you. Either way let us know what you are doing and how its going

We hope you all have a GREAT Christmas and look forward to some fantastic new updates on the site in the new year  courtesy of our friends at Neon Pictures

A strange thing happened, that I thought was worth passing on in the spirit of listening to the universes ‘hints’ and sharing the wisdom.

A few days ago my good friend Karen Longhurst gave me some cd’s by Buddhist monk Rebina Courtin. I listened to them on the way down to Coffs for our Winnebago xmas bash.

I was quite inspired by her down to earth perspective, but she said something that really got my attention.

She explained that if we went to the gym and did a big workout we would come home exhausted bedraggled, sweating and sore all over. We would then proceed to have a warm bath and sit with a grin on our face. The pain being the marker of a job well done.

Being an ex bodybuilder I related to this image totally, remembering times when I would relish literally not being able to stand up the next day, and would compete with the other guys in the gym to see who could throw up from exertion or crumple from pain first.

Rebina went on to challenge why we didn’t see our emotional pains in the same positive light. As emotional or spiritual growing pains, to be relished as potential for growth, rather than lamented, pushed away, buried or ignored.

She went on to explained that all our emotional pains are simply our mind trying desperately to bring us back into balance with the reality of what IS. (in a similar way i mentioned in my piece on depression a few weeks ago)

Think about the pain of depression, sadness, guilt, hurt or anger as a mental alarm trying to ground you to the fact that your view of the world is a fantasy .

When someone leaves you. The pain forces you to bring your imagination of what the relationship was, in line with ther REALITY of what IS. The second your thoughts become genuinely congruent with what IS, the pain miraculously disappears.

The next day I decided to get back into some much missed research and reading. But rather than start something new I thought I would catch up  on the raft of New Scientist and American Scientist Mind Magazines that had finally caught up to me from our old postal address. As well as re delve into a couple of books I had put down mid flow, about the time we first hit the road.

As I settled into bed surrounded by all this wonderful wisdom (yes im a closet nerd) I quite by chance turned straight to the page on the latest research into the placebo effect on pain. This hard core science article went onto totally back up what rabina had explained Buddha was teaching some 2500 of years ago.

I was a little shocked at the coincidence of finding this article amongst the thousands that lay beside me, but put it down to chance, picking up next a book I had left half read about a year ago.

As I turned the page to the crease mark I had left (yes it’s a bad habit, but since I scribble notes on most of my books I figure a few corner creases hardly makes a difference), I realized the very next unread chapter, after the one I had stopped at, was  by Milton Ward on “The Brilliant Function of Pain” reiterating EXACTLY what these other 2 sources had spoken about.

Finally, a little shocked at the ‘coincidence’ I decided to end the night with something more gentle on the soul, and turned to another half read book by Dr Wayne Dyer. And blow me down with a feather, the chapter I had stopped at in this book months ago, was the beginning of the one on emotional pain and our brains ability to see it as a positive force.

So I get the hint!! I am now applying this to any aspect of discomfort, embarrassment, worry, annoyance or pain that pops into my head.

Welcoming it as a teacher. Sitting with it fully and learning from it, rather than trying to dull or ignore it – Sometimes this is hard when you realize a pain is due to your own childish fear or stubbornness. But I truly DO see this like the pain of a work out now. Re building my soul one  OUCH at a time.

I tell you what – It paints my day a whole hell of a lot better than the ‘woeth me, whats it all for, why me’ attitude most of us are used to. In fact its almost turned into a game, to discover what new areas a pain, discomfort, judgment or embarrassment will pop up to reveal a new area of potential growth i can re claim from my old attitude.

Well things are certainly shaking up around here. Sarah and Ollie have helped get us started and now they are gone we will have to fend for ourselves in the big wide world.

 As you can imagine filming and organizing all this with a baby in one hand, camera in the other, no money and only the help of strangers is not exactly conducive to serenity, quiet refexion or personal growth….Or is it!

 Strangely enough the more people I ask about change, happiness and life, the more I have realized something that for me was quite profound.

 If you are like me you are always looking for those moments of happiness and joy when we feel the world is great and everything is going just as it should. What I have realized is that in these moments, as wonderful as they are we have literally stopped growing. Kind of like coasting down the hill on a bike. The real physical and mental growth comes from getting up the other side to enjoy the view.

 So whilst I had envisioned a rather more serene and reflective Life Change Experiment, I now realize I am being presented with a far greater challenge and chance for personal growth.

 To my amazement, when I actually make the effort to look at the problems as they arise like they are, ‘the last few reps of a painful but beneficial exercise’, the tasks seem not only easier but desireable.

 I have even started playing a mind game where I deliberately search for areas of anger, frustration and upset and use them as direct pointers to the areas I need to learn to let go of.

 It never ceases to amaze me how simply refraining a thought can totally change how it affects us physically and mentally. And its also highlighted the fact reflected by many of the Life Changers I have interviewed, that you don’t need books or seminars or gurus because your greatest lessons are all around you all the time.

 TERROR SKYDIVING & A BREAK THROUGH

 As I mentioned on our daily facebook blog we went skydiving with the guys from goskydiving.com.au. They fully believe skydiving is a Life Changing experience and suggested, for its greatest effect, rather than trying to be calm and cool, try and feel as much terror as possible before you jump.

 I have jumped before and im not easily shaken being an ex marine, but I was up for a challenge and did just this – I thought long and hard about imminent death, how  it would feel when the chute didn’t open, what my family would say at my funeral and what ploughing head long into the ground would feel like. I let every rattle in the plane be a fright and Iallowed my stomach to churn all the way up.

 By the time I was at 14,000 ft my heart was banging and I could feel the cold terror through my body. Rather than calming it I tried to make it stronger until the moment he pushed me out of the plane and instantly every thought just STOPPED!!

 Its amazing how little goes on in your head when they push you out except the obligatory aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.

 The rush was intense, just as they promised but far greater than that, for the first time I had a new perspective on some of my other fears.

 I have always had a HUGE hatred of being embarrassed or embarrassing others. This means I often pull the plug on things because inside im so uncomfortable. It also means I miss out on a lot of opportunities.The skydiving experience really anchored that strong silent calm place deep within, even when moments before my fight or flight fear circuits had been screaming blue murder.

The next day much to my amazement I was able to re produce this silencing effect when setting up our Winnebago without permission in the middle of a busy shopping centre carpark, with all eyes staring at us and management looking on ready to pounce.

 Ordinarily I would have run a mile from this kind of confrontation but I just went quiet inside and imagined myself free falling and strangely enough it worked.It turned out to be a wonderful day. We met so many great people, got some awesome Life Change leads (including the wonderful people whos eco farm we are staying at as I type this),  and put a lot of smile on a lot of faces .

 I was astounded to actually see in living colour all the things I would have missed out on if I had done what my Amygdale had demanded when we first got there and QUIT.

 Many of you have emailed us letting about fantastic projects you are working on or have started since hopping on TLCE. I thought it would be good to highlight a few people who are trying to help others and perhaps help them in the process.

 MUSIC FOR LIFE

 Today I want to let you know about a guy named Doug who emailed us asking if any of our Life Changers had old instruments they would like to donate to his great new cause. Since most of us have some old guitar or something sitting around, unloved and unplayed how about passing them on to Doug, who is setting up a foundation for disadvantaged young people with musical talent. Aimed at inspiring them to develop their gift and keeping them off the streets, by offering the services of a recording studio and access to instruments. Something they would not normally be able to afford.

 Doug Says

 “I had a disadvantaged mate who was a supremely talented musician kill himself, simply because he was unable financially to play the songs that meant so much to him”

 Just like the old days when “Elvis” walked in off the street and became “the king” we want to be able to change people’s lives forever through the power of music.

 When everything is finalized we hope to help a broad range of people, by donating most of the proceeds of every popular recording to selected charities other than ours.

 If you have anything that might be of help to us such as a studio “a mixing desk, an old guitar or two, or even knowledge how to use some modern recording equipment, we could use your help as with your support we can achieve something great that every unearthed musician needs “a chance”.

 Contact Doug: – spadexxx@hotmail.com or www.myspace.com/spadetriplex

 Your help is appreciated and the difference you can make to someone’s life will be fantastic.

 SHINE ON ME

 This morning when I was meditating I noticed the sky was dark except for a beam of sunshine bursting through the clouds like a ray from heaven on the Horizin.

 Since it was a little chilly at 6am I naturally thought to myself how much I would love to be under that almost sureal beam, soaking in the rays and feeling very special at being shone upon amongst all the clouds.

 It then dawned on me that the sun was trying just as hard to shine right above my head. It was just the dark clouds that was preventing me from realizing or benefiting from this fact.

 As I sat there I thought about all the times in my life I wished i was ’over there’ , or ‘had this or that,’  when all the while the only thing preventing me from being shone upon or perhaps more accurately shining, was the clouds of doubt, insecurity, and fear I had accumulated over our heads. And of course the lack of forsight to realise this .

 So Im making a concerted effort, rather than looking ‘over there’ at people or things I think will make life  ‘shine’ if I attain – I spending much more time clearing the clouds over my own head, exactly where I am NOW.

 I have been fascinated to discover, ever since I have made a concerted effort to allow the light to crack through the clouds of old thought patterns and beliefs, not what I want, but what I really need is usually waiting right at my feet.

Love your experiences with things turning up when you need them – Especially painful lessons you realised were actually amazing learning experiences

 This hit home the other night as I sat out watching the stars and listening to the waves, and to be honest I just couldn’t ‘feel; it…. I knew it was beautiful and I knew I was supposed to feel lucky, at peace, inspired…..anything! But I felt some how disconnected. Numb! And no amount of ‘positive thinking’ or mental gymnastics seemed to be able to change the nagging thought that I was missing something!

 This crucial ‘Missing Link’ has bugged me for years and in essence has been a driving force in all my study and research.

What is that stimuli, switch, thought process, practice, realisation or whatever? That almost magical moment when someone who has behaved or thought one way all their life, suddenly and irreversibly decides to thinks and behave another.

 This turning point to me is akin to the Holy Grail. Imagine what you could achieve if you knew how to access it, and change what you were doing, into what you really wanted to be doing.

 So I thought back to my own leaps of inspiration through the door of change. Or in many cases lack there of.

 For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be the type of person who grabs life with both hands and squeezes every last drop out of it. Not scared of what other people thought. Yt most of my like i have been terrified

 I wanted to wake in the morning with a deep sense of love for my life. A heartfelt purpose and a congruence that ran through every cell in my body. Yet most of my adult life I have had a rather uncomfortable feeling that life was passing me by and a hollow sense of longing for something more than this.

Despite my apparent desire to ‘be more’, my fervent research, tears of frustration and bottles of vodka to drown the depression of being ‘less’ than i wanted to be, I just couldn’t shake off the old me.

 A LIFE CHANGING REALISATION

After much meditation on this matter, the powerful words from that great book, ‘conversations with God’ sprang to mind……. HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH YET?

 I realised this was the first part of my answer. As long as we haven’t, ‘had enough’. As long as the ‘old us’ is still serving us in some way, we will always remain this side of the changing room door.

 The next thing I was surprised to discover was that most of what holds us back from achieving the change we want, is simply our labels! The words and boxes we use to catagorise ourselves, others and the things we are doing.

 In effect our ability to change, lives and dies by the words we use to describe it.

If you say “I want to be a good person,’ You are making yourself a ‘good person  box’, that you can now fall out of to become a ‘bad person’.

 If you what to do something ‘different’ with your life, or ‘change’ you have created two more boxes that others can laugh at, label, judge, disapprove of ,be criticized about, not live up to, fail or fall out of.

 The TRUTH about flow is it never asks you to change anything. You just do it because it’s the natural next step to take. And in that DOING you are given everything you need.

 So do you want to change?…….REALLY.

 IF the answer is deep down NO. Then stop beating yourself up trying, and just enjoy being the you, you are. Eventually as they say,  ‘this too will pass’.

 If the answer is YES. Then begin by stopping the ‘wanting to’ and the ‘how to’ and step forward into ‘DOING’…..ANYTHING!! But with NO internal dialogue needing answers, solutions validation or anything else. Clear your mind and,  ‘JUST DO IT’!

 With your mind clear and no need for answers there can be no argument from your subconciouse. The part that is responsible for all your sabotaged efforts

 When I discovered this it was like a light went on AT LAST!!

 JUST REMEMBER. You can guarantee  your change whatever it is, it wont work itself out the way your limited preconceived mind expects it wil.  But if you hold off on your internal judgments and let nature work its course you can guarantee, it will work. And YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN J

What a strange week. I think it’s the transition from one life to another that has had me a little out of sorts this last week. The body resists letting go of what it has known for so many years, and old fears showing themselves as new frustrations. Doing their level best to try n keep me from stepping to far out of my well worn comfort zones.

This transition stage is quite uncomfortable not least because of the added frustrations, doubts and unhelpful inner dialogue that always seems to go along with any kind of change.

It really is amazing what lengths the mind will go to to keep us ‘safe’ from making the terrible mistake of actually doing something more with our lives isn’t it.  haha

Anyway quite by chance we started our journey late yesterday after going to visit and talk to the guys at the disable riders club near Newcastle. A young disabled girl called Madeline gave us the tour and showed us the dressage riding routine she was going to do in national competition next month.

Madeline had an aura of ‘can do’ about her that would make most able bodied people blush. Aside from starting her own successful hat making company she was a competitive equestrian and volunteered a full day a week to help people ‘less fortunate than herself’ at other charities. And all from the apparent confines of her disability.

Now our society loves to highlight people with disadvantages who really have a go at life. It appears to us able bodied people to take great courage, to be somehow noble or clever. The fact is Madeline and the others at the disable centre are simply trying to extract out of life what is theirs to be taken.

And unlike a good many of us, worrying about what we are not, or what we haven’t, they concentrate on what they are and what they have, to do just that.

So why is it so hard for us ? Because the part of our minds responsible for achieving incredible things is a survival mechanisum. Helping us to protect the part of us we value most.

Lets remember that all great achievements are created by people who are able to put enormous value on a particular thing, belief, idea or pursuit.

If you believed the survival of yourself, your self worth, your self respect or your family honestly depended on how good you were at making trifle. You can bet you would make a pretty damn good trifle

However the business of survival has been rather cut short these days and you are more likely to die from embarrassment than from a wild animal. Starve of affection before starving of food and be frozen out by your peers rather than shivering your way to an icy death. So your brain dutifully goes to work protecting what its told is currently of greatest importance to it TODAY.

Unfortunately for most of us that means our SELF IMAGE! And CHANGE directly messes with that. From the humiliation of potential failure or peer scrutiny, to the discomfort of effort and the harsh embarrassment of real self reflection.

Its kind of weird that the only thing that is holding most of us back is actually the very thing that will drive us forward when we take a little time to reassign its priorities.

Anyway – just thought I would share this with you as Maddys efforts reflected so vividly the lack in my own.

Thanks Madeline for this simple unspoken reminder.

BELLINGEN & COFFS

This week we are moving up to these lovely areas. So anyone nearby do please let us know. We are ESPECIALLY keen to discover some hidden treats. Maybe you know some fascinating people, or weird and wonderful locals who may help us put an interesting slant on life and change

THE SECRETS AND SCIENCE OF MEN AND WOMEN IN LOVE

Most people ‘put up with’ their relationships. Considering they take up such a huge amount of out time, energy, emotions and resources this is INSANITY.

So if the latest research on the science of men, women and relationship happiness, is something you think is worth spending as little as an hour on, to improve the rest of your life. Then drop me a line

Im looking forward to restarting my one on one and group relationship workshops. Based around my best selling book and relationships Super Session you can read a little more about them on my website www.geoffbarker.info.

For more info or to book when im in your area please drop me an email geoff@geoffbarker.info

I met a man the other day who at the age of 4 was told by his father that he loved him, right before he watched him blow his head of with a shotgun under his chin. His head literally rolled around the room and this little boy couldn’t understand what happened, so he ran over and threw himself on his mutilated father trying to get him to stand up.

 A few years later when he was about 10  his mother cryptically mentioned that if he was ever in trouble he should go to the wayside chapel. Shortly after she killed herself.

 He was then given to foster parents who as soon as he had learnt to love and trust them, tragically died in an accident.

 As you can imagine his life was drastically colored by these events, and he went from job to job, relationship to relationship totally unable to build meaningful connections. Afraid to death that something bad would happen if he did.

 This lead to hundreds of jobs, lost loves, depression, loneliness, drugs, booze and eventually homelessness.

 Its easy for us to judge others against our own yard stick of experiences, but I wondered how I might have turned out had I walked a mile in this mans shoes.

 Sitting talking to him the other day at the Wayside chapel in Sydney, a well known charity house that helps the homeless get back on their feet, I was struck by two things that have played over in my mind since.

 Not only is this guy now fully recovered, and an active, loving member of the staff at the Wayside, but he looked me straight in the eye and said “ You know Geoff, when I look back I wouldn’t change a thing”.

 I was stunned into silence for a moment by this comment. I have always believed in the all pervading balance of nature. The fact that ‘bad experience’ and ‘good experience’ are two sides of the same coin if we look close enough and don’t get caught up in our own drama. But here was someone who was not just talking the talk but walking the walk.

This kind of ‘God like’ perception, able to view the ‘whole’ of the events rather than the thin slice of dramatic and painful parts we label our reality is a rare talent. And the amzing thing was how he came by this much sort after perception……. Not a self help book in site!

 Some years ago with his mothers words ringing in his ears he found himself at the wayside chapel scared to death to go in. As he waited outside a truck pulled up and people started unloading supplies. The driver yelled ‘hey mate give us a hand’ and from that moment 6 years ago until now, he has done nothing but give others a hand.

 This simple almost thought less act, repeated every day with enthusiasum, not only cured his drug and alcohol addiction, but his decades of emotional scaring. He told me all his life he had thought about himself but the act of thinking first about others totally broke the bonds of pain he had wrapped himself up in.

 The Motto of the wayside chapel is ‘don’t try and fix anyone – simply ‘see’ them also really struck a chord with me.

We try so hard to fix ourselves and others when all anyone really craves is to be acknowledged and loved for who they are.

 That day was a powerful lesson for me on many levels. I hope there will be many more on our journey .

 Dr John Demartini one of my fave speakers says :-

 If you want to have a happier life look outside yourself and help your family. If you want to have a happier family, help your community. If you want to have a happier community, help your city. If you want to have a happier city, help your country and if you want to have a happier country think globally.

Thats what my friend at wayside lived by and thats what i intend to do to

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS…ALMOST

At last – We can start moving forward into the second phase of our journey.

We picked the Winnebago up 2 days ago, and are now settled in. It is a divine machine. Not sure we will want to give it back to its owners when we have to move out of it in 6 months. But it is going to be a fantastic base for us to take the LCE around Australia. In the mean time we have made the most of it by putting some awesome ‘Life Change Experiment’ signs down the side. Hopefully they will encourage people to stop and say high, or better still offer some services or items we can pass on to others who need help.

INTERVIEWS WITH EXPERTS 

 On Monday I had a chat with Benny Elias, Susie Moroney and Jeff Fenech, to start putting together our ‘ Share the wisdom’ section of the website. These are not your usual interviews, but a look under the bonnet at normal people who have done extrodinairy things with their lives. To be honest their answers really gave me a new perspective. I’ll be post their comments on life, change, overcoming fears, success, spirituality and inspiration soon.

WHEN TO STOP & WHEN TO GO

We have had to hold back from setting off for two days since a few of the things we had hoped would be organised have not exactly flowed. At least not in the direction we had planned :-) – But then it would hardly be life if it all went tickety boo all the time right?

 Well this has lead me to ask some questions. How do you know in times of trial if you should push through or accept the ‘stop’ signal as part of the flow, let go and allow things be as they are.

 Having been an ex Marine Commando and a competitive athlete I spent many years believing that quitting was for wimps. So for me it has been a huge challenge staying in flow, since it has required I put reigns on my inner drill instructor. That part of my brain that served me so well in the forces, by reminding me not to be a ‘ big girls blouse’ when I felt like giving up.

 But this Life change is not about forcing things. No longer my will power against the world. Which is probably a good thing since these days its better at arguing with me than action, which is why I have to come up with insane schemes like this to motivate me to get of my ass

 At the same time it’s been confusing wondering when an extra nudge or some good old fashioned elbow grease was not all part of the plan and essential for our growth.

 Lets face it, we have all had situations where we have pushed like mad to make things happen, only to find when we got it, it wasnt what we wanted at all.  And I have also had plenty of time i have let things go and wished I had hung in there a bit longer.

 So how do we know when the universe is giving us a gentle warning that we are on the wrong path, or offering a challenge to grow?

 The good news is that despite how it feels you can’t really get this wrong. Either a disaster or delight, it will have its own set of rewards and lessons.

 However I have found that not over thinking the decision, which inevitably leads to a whole set of additional fears, fantasies and arguments popping up, helps reduce the confusion.

Also honestly asking myself which of  my decisions spring from a sense of, ’loveing to do’ and experience, and which come from an alteria motive, sense of  lack, fear or insecurity. 

It’s not easy to tell at first, since actually peering below your own arguments takes some courage. In effect often admitting you’re lying to yourself or your motivations are duplicitous. But like anything it simply takes practice and its something I really want to master on this adventure.

 After all, the decisions you make, plot the map of your life. So developing an accurate GPS system has got to be something well worth spending time on.