Diana dead, but the search continues...

Ten years ago, I was sufficiently inspired (or mad enough) to create something called the International Institute of Joy – an organisation dedicated to helping people find sustainable happiness.

Joy for me then, as now, defined as "happiness without a reason"; the natural state of human beings when our basic needs are met, beneath and beyond the petty concerns that increasingly dominate our minds.

Ten years to this very day, an article about my joyful work appeared in The Daily Mail under the heading: "Who's the Guru?" As it turned out, the piece showed up - full on - in the shadow of Princess Diana's death. As the nation descended into mass mourning, my call to "train your soul to find happiness" understandably got buried.

This is what it said: "As a race, we have forgotten how to enjoy long-term happiness. Many people think they can find it in possessions such as cars, houses and clothes. Society's over-emphasis on accumulating wealth means we are out of the habit of training our souls and minds to find joy internally through our peace of mind.

We can't sustain happiness by buying it through external objects. Achieving peace of mind and happiness involves changing some of our negative thinking, which often results from stress, and the way we organise our lives.

It is difficult to feel happy when our minds are dominated by emotions such as anger, worry and fear, which are common in today's society because we never seem to stop, or we slow down too late. They inhibit joy because, for example, anger leads to conflict; worry triggers illness and fear can paralyse our ability to feel free and make unprejudiced decisions. As a result, we feel frustrated and that something is missing in our lives.

We should use tools such as yoga and meditation to access the part of our mind where there is a source of joy, contentment and calm. Just setting aside some special time to be still, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, is a good start. It's important to allow ourselves the time to consider what we want from life and to think about discarding what we simply don't need.

Retreats and workshops don't provide an instant solution, but they do allow people to step off the conveyor belt, removing them from their habitual choices in life. If you feel as though there must be more to life, then listen to yourself: there is. Be positive, don't be a victim and you can change your life.

It's about thinking 'Thank goodness it's today' rather than just 'Thank goodness it's Friday'." Ten years on, I largely stand by what I said as a younger, meaning-of-life-seeking sort of guy (even though it got slightly "journalisticated").

And as our collective mind is inevitably drawn back to the unresolved issues around Diana's death, I think it's still fair to say that our overwhelming concern as human beings is the search for happiness. A quest so publicly and painfully exemplified by the "Queen of Hearts".

Incredible list of personal development blogs

Are you looking to change your life? Awaken the giant within!? Live your hearts desire? Or just become the greatest human being that ever lived!? Well I've got good news for you.

I just came across what is probably the most comprehensive list of personal development blogs ever assembled!

http://priscillapalmer.com/priscillapalmer/2007/08/21/personal-development-list/

Just ignore the ones on Time Management because it'll take you all month to read through them all!

Four films about 2012 and the global consciousness shift

Just like buses, you wait for ages and then four come along at once! Four what? you ask. Four films about the shift in global consciousness of course!

Are they worth watching? I don't know I haven't seen them yet; however, I'm looking forward to all of them. Here's a sneak preview of four films that you can expect to see in your spiritual multiplex over the next year or so.

Time of the Sixth Sun

Teaser: "We have entered a critical time in the history of humanity...It's time to change. This film is about the shift in global awareness and the transformation of consciousness as we approach 2012." - View the trailer

From the website: "Time of the Sixth Sun is a multi-platform film project about the awakening and transformation of global consciousness, a witnessing of these times and the huge potential for change in the world …… in the way we relate to it and the way we live in it."

Speakers include: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Credo Mutwa, Don Alverto Taxo, Maestro Tlakaelel, Lynne Franks, Dr.Maseru Emoto, HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Geoff Stray, Dr. Manjir Samanta-Laughton, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Carl Johan Calleman, Tom Kenyon, Carla Rueckert and many more. More from the synopsis

Website: http://www.timeofthesixthsun.com


2012 The Odyssey

Teaser: "Did you know that the Mayan calander comes to an end in 2012? Did you know that ther are other prophesies from all over the world that predict that something amazing is going to happen in 2012?" View the trailer

Speakers: José Argüelles, Gregg Braden, John Major Jenkins, Rick Levine, Sharron Rose, Geoff Stray, Geoff Stray, Alberto Villoldo, Jay Weidner More from the synopsis

Website: http://www.2012theodyssey.com


Shift of the Ages

Teaser: "This cycle of the ancient Mayan Calendar ends in the year 2012. This is the death of the 4th period of the sun...And the birth of the new 5th sun." View the trailer

From the website: "According to an ancient Mayan Calendar we are living in the last days of a great cosmic cycle known as the "Long Count." Traditionally, this is labeled as the Death of the Fourth period of the Sun and the Birth of the new Fifth Sun. The Maya keep accurate and detailed records of cosmic cycles, Earth's transitions and extreme changes in civilizations' collective consciousness. Indigenous traditions and world religions as well as Platonic philosophy view the current phase of existence as a harbinger of radical adjustment in our perception of reality. The birth of the 5th Sun signifies a "Shift of the Ages." More from the synopsis

Website: http://www.shiftingages.com


The Shift

Teaser: "A movie made by a movement" View the trailer

From the website: "A massive worldwide phenomenon is in progress, offering seeds of great hope for the future. Millions of individuals, organizations and corporations around the world are waking up and embracing a new outlook with an emphasis on their responsibility to contribute positively to our collective future. We are in the middle of the biggest social transformation in human history, The SHIFT." More from the synopsis

Website: http://theshiftmovie.com

Get a Certificate in Holistic Spirituality

Today I discovered that well known UK author and spiritual teacher William Bloom has just announced a course in Holistic Spirituality starting in October in London.

According to his website "The purpose of this pioneering, experiential and practical course is to explore and integrate the core practices of a holistic approach to spirituality...

..it aims to meet the growing professional need for spiritually competent people, whose approach is holistic. This is explicitly required in healthcare, education, human resources, leadership, community-building and all fields that require the skills of pastoral care. The vocational purpose of this course is to facilitate the training of spiritually competent people to a level of excellence that can be recognised by others regardless of their religious or cultural background."

Visit http://www.williambloom.com/pages.php?id=44 for more information

It sounds like quite an exciting course which I may enrol on myself.

There's an open evening, which I hope to attend, where you can find out more about the course, which is on the 21st September 7pm at Room 2A, University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY

Courage, Conviction and Consciousness

Courage, to me, was like a big wide-brush stroke - Intimidating, an immense gesture, diifficult to commit to, larger than life...and of course something I associated only with failure and guilt.

Then I saw 'Hotel Rwanda' - the story of a man who does not know he is courageous. He follows one simple rule. He only does what he can live with and does not do what he cannot live with. His actions are not so much the result of lofty ideals but just his effort to remain true to himself. His effort is to stay human. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other, without any more motive but to do what he feels will make it right, do whatever he can, with what he can, for whoever he can.

The film starts with a quote that goes something like this: 'When it is all over, you will not remember the harsh words of your enemies, but the silence of your freinds', (Martin Luther King Junior). It makes me wonder about the texture of courage and the double-edged power of acquiescence, the power of one silent voice, the self-knowledge that must be inspired by, the noise that drowns out quietness that it must come from, the courage to face that quiet.

The two signs of insanity:

The two signs of insanity:

1. Doing the same thing to get a different result, because...
   
2. If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got
   

Carl's dietary preferences (part two)

It's a little hard to make out, but this lunchtime delight - the Skinnie Minnie - is another excellent example of how wonderfully things are changing: healthy AND delicious food that's easy to find and fits in with your schedule.

I picked this healthy sarnie up in Boots, the High Street chemist no less. What's more, it's an award winner and rightly so...

At the last "Excellence in Food & Drink Awards", this sandwich, a delicious combination of tuna, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin seeds, houmous and crunchy fresh salad on wholemeal (all organic), was said by the judges to be "Fresh and delightful."

"Really tasty and the sort of sandwich you would only expect if you made it yourself. You can almost feel it doing you good as you eat it."

Hats off and mouths open for: http://www.freshnaturallyorganic.co.uk/