Today’s a new day and there is some sunshine, so smile π
What does Happiness look like to you my dear friends?
I wanted to share some Smiles and Happiness with you all today π
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Chinese culture
All posts tagged Chinese culture
Listen to the sound of the bell and allow your mind to return to the garden of your heart.
Published 17/11/2013 by inspiringyourspiritMy Dear Friends,
Listen to the sound of the bell and allow your mind to return to the garden of your heart and see the flowers of peace bloom.
It’s early on Sunday morning here in Shanghai, and before i head out for the day with my camera on to the streets of Shanghai I wanted to share this beautiful video with you, i’m sure some of you may of have already seen it but I’m also sure you will be happy to watch and listen to its beautiful message again.
Please sit back, put your headphones on, turn up the sound a little, relax, enjoy the peace and the miracle that happens in our world of nature.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
When did you last read a book to your child, take a walk in nature and..Talk?
Published 15/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
2013, were living in a fast paced world constantly chasing our tails to earn a living, to put food on our tables, to put clothes on our backs and to buy even more technology, iPhones, Galaxies, Blackberryβs, iPad’s, iMacs, Mac Proβs, laptops of all shapes and sizes, every bigger and more powerful desktop computers, larger flat screen TVβs, Xboxes, controllers, wireless gadgets, faster internet connections, everything online on a cloudβ¦and on and on it goes.
As a race we are dis-connecting, dis-connecting from each other, whilst we remain connected via computers, tablets and mobile phones, we are sadly however dis-connecting from a human-to-human communicative perspective. Just take a look around you, you will see couples, families, groups of friends out together, sitting in coffee shops, bars, restaurants, parks but they are all fixed to their electronic devices, they make little eye contact, don’t often speak and very seldom touch, hug or even smile to one anotherβ¦..Sad but true!
When was the last time you played with your child, with your brother or sister or your family friends children, played football, soccer together, threw a ball, sat by a lake fishing, building dens, secret homes inside or outside, went for a walk in nature, walked the dogs together, went swimming as a family, read a book together, drew pictures together?…I could go on and on!
If you have the chance, put your phone, your tablet and your Xbox aside this weekend and play some old fashioned games, speak to each other, re-connect on a human level and enjoy what life was and can be again because personal communication can be the start of making our world a better place, it can be the start of dialogue between countries, between political parties, it can help us eradicate our differences, bring us closer together and maybe even bring peace to our world.
Go on, give it a try!
Β Namaste with Love
βAlwaysβ
Mark
Finding Inner Peaceβ¦.The Ultimate Aim in Life.
Published 13/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
Inner Peace, what is it and how do I get it!
βBetween stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.β
Β
Victor Frankl
βGive up defining yourself – to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life. And don’t be concerned with how others define you. When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it’s their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don’t be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence. You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.β
His Holiness the Dali Lama said: “Out of compassion brings inner peace, and out of inner peace comes world peace. Without inner peace, we cannot have world peace,”
His Holiness went on to say βeveryone has the same capabilities for inner peace and compassion. If a person is always in constant fear and suspicion, that’s “very bad,” Everyone has the same capacity for kindnessβ.
“To me, the audience is brothers and sisters β no difference,” “Emotionally, mentally and physically we are the same. Negative emotions β anger, fear suspicion are the same. On the other hand, we have the same potential for compassion. Compassion is the seed of inner peace. We all have the same potential.” Showing compassion to an enemy helps to achieve inner peace, he said. “Neighbors with jealousy never get peace,”
Smiling often and genuinely is another key to finding compassion and inner peace, the more positive you are, the better you feel.
“Scientists have now began to realize β for physical health β reduce blood pressure, reduce anxiety, reduce fear …. Calmness is very, very important,”
So as a layman such as I, Inner peace is to be calm, to be in the βNowβ, to be at peace with yourself, to smile, and to connect to others even our enemies with compassion. Compassion is such an important element of my life, often my Β closest friends say to me βIβm too compassionateβ!…In my mind, I can never be compassionate enough, they say βIβm utterly selflessβ and that sometimes is also to my detriment, βbut heyβ, thatβs me and I try to bring compassion into every encounter I experience. It allows me to see the inter-connectedness of all life forms and that we are all part of a whole life energy force, the divine matrix filled with light and love. And that by widening our circle of compassion to others during our everyday encounters, and by practicing non-violence; always begins with us. The practice of compassion starts with us blocking out our negative thoughts and removing our notions of anger, hatred and violence, therefore reducing if not totally removing the negative and often violent actions we inflict upon ourselves and then, onto others.
In order for me to practice loving-kindness, non-judgment, and compassion of others and myself I go about my day keeping an open heart and extending as much pure love and gratitude to everyone I meet as possible. When doing so try to use your empathetic skills and natural intuitions to listen to the other person, I mean βreally listen, with the intent to understandβ and pay attention to the loving connection between your heart and the other personβs heart. Β Allow yourself to connect to the other person and silently bless them with loving compassion. In doing so you will connect via the energy forces that go between you; βThe Devine Matrixβ that has been given to you by God and you will attune to their true and natural feelings.
If we as humans would only start to better understand and use our natural intuitions, empathy, compassion and abilities to love one another then we may just start to change our world for the better.
As always my dear friends, I hold out my hands to each and every one of you, I give you my love, and I send you my positive energy in the hope that we, together can help change our world and make it a better place for our children and their children to love and to cherish for many generations to come.
Remember my friends, we are just visitors to this world, we are here only for a brief moment in time, and, it is all our responsibilities to help bring about peace and love and protect our world for all!
Namaste with Love
βAlwaysβ
Mark
Small acts of kindness multiplied by millions of people can transform our world
Published 11/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
May the love and light in our hearts glow, light the hearts of our brothers and sisters, and may it strengthen our peace, happiness and love on earth. May nature be a witness of light and love and may God hear our roar : )
Together as one, we can make a difference to the happiness and peace in our world.
Giving out a smile to someone who has lost theirs.
Giving a helping hand.
Just being there for someone who needs some love.
My dear friends be the light today and allow your brightness to shine on the shadows of others around you. Hold out your hands to them and share some joy and happiness.
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
This is the crazy city where I live, I thought you may like to see it in Slow Mo :)
Published 06/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
Shanghai, the city where I live. Sometimes it’s so difficult to explain to friends in different countries what it’s like to live in Shanghai, China. It’s a beautiful city a city which never stops, it’s shops and restaurants are open 24 x 7, people go about their business as the sun rises and sets. It’s a city of change, its a city of vibrance, its a city of diversity. Note the speed of destruction and construction, the fireworks on Chinese New Year and the lightening strikes on the towers within the city, also the children in the school doing their early morning exercises in the playground, Shanghai a city that never sleeps π
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Good Morning from the East……A beautiful sight to behold!
Published 04/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
Good morning my dear friends,
The sun has risen over Shanghai on Monday 4th November and it is the start of another sunny, beautiful day. I woke with a smile on my face this morning and my heart and soul is full of happiness and joy, I feel so thankful and grateful for who I am and what I stand for and for the spiritual journey that has been bestowed on me, and for all of you my dear blogging friends from all over the world, your support, your love, your comments and friendship bring me greater strength, greater commitment and further inspiration to do more each and every day and to reach out further and to help others around the world through my posts.
It gives me great joy to just sit for a moment and think of all the things I have in my life, my lovely wife May, May is my soul mate my guardian angel in life and in spirit, my four beautiful children…wow, what can I say about them! They are my pride and my joy, each of them has their own special skills and life style, their smiles could fill a room and their devotion to their lives, their family and their friends is to be admired. My work, my colleagues and my clients for which I am proud to be of service and give some of my skills to help others in need. For my health, i’m now feeling healthier than ever before in my life, after all my accidents and illnesses over the years, i’m now feeling strong and in charge of my life’s journey.
To the opportunities on hand and for those yet to come, i’m thankful. For nature’s beauty, for the brilliant sunrise this morning, for the blue sky i see right before my eyes as I write this post, for the clients i will meet with today, for the strangers I will share smiles with and for the positive energy I carry with me throughout my day.
I give thanks for the smoothie I made this morning for natures bounty from the lettuce, cucumber, coconut water and cranberries that filled my body with goodness and energy.
I feel truly thankful and grateful to my guides, to the Angels and Arch Angels, to the ascended masters and ascended family members, to God, to the Lord Buddha, to the Prophet Muhammed, Lord Shiva, Lao Tzu, Kwan Yin and the spirits watching over me, my family and my friends.
My dear friends, these are just a small note of what I truly feel thankful for this morning and I wish you all Love, Happines and a day filled with pure source energy and light.
Please share with me your thoughts, your points to be thankful for, and together let’s make our world a happier, safer and better place to live!
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
Do you need to be White, American, Heterosexual, Gay, Black, Religious, Democrat, Republican or just mad to get freshly pressed on WordPress?
Published 02/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
Well, I guess I do qualify for at least three of these and I am not going to share with you which three π
Finding a voice on WordPress or any other form of social media is somewhat difficult, you may have or may feel you have a strong message or inspiring information to share with your fellow bloggers and the world, but unless you are noticed then, your message/s stay close to home.
e
In my case, home is Shanghai China, I am not Chinese but I have lived and worked here for many years, I do love China, it’s people, its customs and it’s long history, sadly it is changing, some say for the better and some say for the worse, China is a land of great diversity and its history and culture has led to some of the greatest inventions in the world, the creativity of its people is amazing…but…of course there has to be a BUT…it’s going crazy…everyone is driven 24 x 7 to change, to work every hour of the day 7 days a week in order to earn more, buy more STUFF….the Stuff that is purchased each and every day in every country within our beautiful world….This Stuff, portrayed to us as life changing, a must have, you cannot survive without it etc…Hype, Marketing, sales promotions etc…..but to what end?
If i travel to more remote parts of China and the same in other countries in Asia,, the Americas or Europe I see with my own eyes communities that do not have much ‘Stuff’, they live Β on a very small income, often farming their own small plots of land, living off what they grow and living happy lives, they ‘SMILE’Β and they ‘GIVE’, these people we may say ‘do not have anything’ (No cars, no flat screem TV’s, no iPhones, no laptops, no LV, Gucci or Prada bags’, their children have hand made clothes or hand-me-downs, they use old tools to work their land with no modern machinery and they don’t every eat ‘Fast Food’, but these people are happy, they have smiles on their faces and they are mostly healthy, and if you were to visit them, they will hold out their hands and greet you warmly, they will share their food and give you shelter….
Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not utopia, some of these people do struggle, often their family is broken up when a son or daughter goes off to the city in search of fame and fortune, or when the father goes off to the growing coastal cities to work in construction and send back the majority of his monthly salary to help keep his family….but when you see these family’s together, there is happiness π There are true smiles of joy, you can hear the laughter but you can also sometimes see ‘greed’ in a glint of an eye…This greed is brought on by the media, through advertising, through the messages sent to mobile phone and tablets every second of every day…..Who are you if you don’t have this?…If you want a girlfriend or boyfriend you must wear this or do that?…If you want to be seen you must go here?……The latest iphone is here..Oh Joy..give me your hard earned cash even though the one you have is only 3 months old?……..Oh your laptop is slow and wont run this program….Buy another, it’s easy and I will help you buy it with an easy payment plan?….
And on and on it goes…..
Media madness driving us crazy, pushing us to by more STUFF each and every day, our hard earned money being wasted time and time again, our cupboard full with clothes that we never wear, our homes full of technology that is still perfect but never used, our cars filled with more gadgets and gizmos that we don’t need or understand…..but we continue to buy without a thought!
The fat cats of industry get fatter, their yacht’s get bigger, their private jets faster and more luxurious and their office ivory towers more grand, all driven by the media, by hype and the fear factor….unless you have IT…You are a nobody!
My dear friends, I generalise and I am not against profit, or against the media or industry because we do need these things in our world, but at the same time we need some sanity, some realisation of what goes on in our neighbourhood, our cities, our country and in other countries around the world, we need to be aware of the hardships our brothers and sisters in other countries have to live with each and every day in order to help manufacture these things you are buying, often for less that a $ per day to put some simple food on their table and put a roof over their head for the night. The filthy polluted and undrinkable water they give their children to drink everyday because they have no other option, the diseases they have to endure and suffer from because they cannot afford the vaccines to protect them, and the wars raging in their countries which are most often fuelled by greed, greed for control of the land which is ‘Our’s and not your’s’ or for the commodities like oil and precious metals that lay beneath these lands.
Where is our world heading?
Why is it spinning out of control?
Why are our politicians and governments not listening?
Where will it all end?
We…my friends can make change…but we need to come together as ONE VOICE!
Namaste with Love
Always
Mark
I Pledge Allegiance …
Published 02/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it!
Published 01/11/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
Our World, We are in this together, if we want things to change then ‘WE’ had better do something about it!
Some say “change cannot Happen”
Some say, “This is what life is, we need to live with it”
Some say, “Nothing can be done, they are stronger than us”
Some say, “I wish things were different”
Some say, “It’s not my problem”
Some say, “It’s their fault, they brought it on themselves”
When i read the news, watch the TV and listen to speeches regarding the problems of this world it makes me sad π¦ and I know I as one cannot wave a magic wand and make our world the perfect place to live. I alone cannot bring about world peace, end starvation, bring jobs to the jobless, solve the global financial crisis, cure disease and bring an end to war….however, I do know that i am one voice, one soul and I have a right as a human being of this planet to stand up and say…Enough is Enough!
We need change, we need our voices to be heard, we need our elected governments to listen, we need the corporations and the people that lead them to listen to our voices…..We need change….Not one person, not 100 people, not, 1,000 people but millions of like minded souls of this earth from different walks of life, from different countries, from different religions, with different languages Β with different cultures need to be heard…….
Our world is in a self distructing spiral, spinning rapidly out of control, and the majority of people at the lower end of Β the financial spectrum are the ones who are being hit the most and unless we fall into that category the majority of our worlds population pay no attention, they go about their days blinkered to the realities that are happening in our world…to our brothers and sisters, to our environment and to OURΒ world.
The Russell Brand interview on Newsweek that I posted yesterday got me thinking again and I thought, ‘WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE CAN MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN’ but we need to do it in every town, every city, every country and we need to speak as one, ONE GLOBAL VOICE which MUST be listened to, a voice of our world, none of us owns this planet, none of us including our governments own the lands we call our countries, not one country or government or corporation owns our oceans, no one owns our sky, our atmosphere and our space…we are only guests here, we are supposed to be custodians of this world we call home…..The problem is we have FORGOTTEN and we allow ourselves to be controlled to the extent that we no longer have a voice!
Listed below are a few people from different walks of life, from different religions, from different timelines in history, with different languages and cultures, all of which were instrumental in change…You may have more to add to this list and you may disagree that some of them should not be on this list at all…but who am I I to say if they deserve to be on this list or not!….It’s all down to choice.
All I can say is….Like these people, we can make change but this time we need to do it together….as ONE GLOBAL VOICE.
Namaste my friends
With Love
Always
Mark
The information below is courtesy ofΒ http://www.biographyonline.net
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Abraham LincolnΒ – Abraham Lincoln overcame many setbacks to become the most influential American President. In his famous Gettysburg speech, he inspired the nation with his noble words and helped to bring about the abolishment of slavery. |
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Benjamin Franklin.Β Great polymath and promoter of American ideals at home and in the US. A practical man of great dynamism and good character. |
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Mikhail Gorbachev.Β Had the courage, tenacity and strength of character to give up the absolute power of Soviet Communism. Moved the Soviet Union to democracy and respect for human rights. Gorbachev enabled the Berlin Wall to come down giving freedom to Eastern Europe. |
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Jesus Christ. Prophet and inspiration of Christianity. Taught a message of love, forgiveness and faith. Born in a turbulent period of Roman rule, after his crucifixion, his message inspired millions around the world. |
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William Wilberforce. Fought tirelessly for ending the slave trade, at a time when many accepted it as an ‘economic necessity’. He awakened the conscience of many of his fellow countryman and made slavery appear unacceptable. |
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Nelson Mandela. Campaigned for justice and freedom in his South Africa. Spent 20 years in jail for his opposition to apartheid. On release he healed the wounds of apartheid by his magnanimous attitude to his former political enemies. |
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Albert Einstein. His theories of relativity were a very significant scientific breakthrough. As well as being a genius scientist, Einstein was also a champion of human rights and campaigned for a more peaceful world. |
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Marie Curie. Marie Curie was awarded a Nobel Prize for both Chemistry and Physics. Her discoveries with radiation helped advance medical science. Also, her achievements were even more remarkable at a time when few women gained education. |
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Thomas Jefferson. One of America’s founding fathers, Jefferson helped draft the Declaration of Independence and foster a belief in human rights. Amongst other achievements, Jefferson passed one of the first bills on religious tolerance in his state of Virginia. |
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Martin Luther King. Inspiring leader of the non-violent civil rights movement. Inspired millions of people black and white to aspire for a more equal society. |
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William Shakespeare. Shakespeare remains the King of English literature. His plays and poetry captured the richness and diversity of human existence in the most powerful and poetic way. |
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Leonardo da VinciΒ – One of the greatest minds in human history. There were few areas, Leonardo didn’t delve into. In many areas he was a couple of centuries ahead of scientific discovery. He helped make great advances in anatomy, astronomy, physics, science and others. He also painted the most iconic picture in history – The Mona Lisa. |
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Muhammad AliΒ – Champion boxer and great character. Refused to fight in Vietnam war and became a champion of civil rights and African interests. |
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Helen KellerΒ – Despite disability of both deafness and blindness, she learned to read and write, becoming a champion of social issued and helping to improve the welfare of deaf people. |
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Rosa ParksΒ Rosa Parks became a well respected figurehead of the American civil rights movement. Rosa showed what ordinary people can do when they stick fast to their beliefs in testing conditions. |
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Mother TeresaΒ – Lived a life of poverty to try an ameliorate the conditions of others. Her devotion and compassion inspired the lives of many thousands she came into contact with. |
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Mahatma GandhiΒ – Gandhi was the principle figurehead of the Indian independence movement. Taught a philosophy of non-violence and peaceful protest. |
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Winston Churchill. In the worst moments of 1940, the Nazi war machine looked invincible as it swept through Europe. Churchill inspired the free nations to keep alive the fight against the tyranny of Hitler’s Germany. |
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BuddhaΒ – The Buddha was a young prince who gave up the comforts of palace life to seek the meaning of life meditating in the forests. After gaining realisation, the Buddha spent the remainder of his life travelling around India teaching a middle path of meditation and inner peace. |
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SocratesΒ – Socrates showed the power and integrity of independent thought. Socrates taught by encouraging people to honestly question their pre-conceptions. His method of self-enquiry laid the foundations of Western Philosophic thought. |
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Tom PaineΒ – Free thinking radical who passionately argued for greater democracy and representation for ordinary people. Influential in American and French revolutions, though narrowly escaped with his life after falling foul of Robespierre. |
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Jane GoodallΒ – Made groundbreaking study into the behaviour of chimpanzee’s. Became a noted campaigner and activist for environmental protection and kindness to animals. |
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Florence Nightingale. Florence Nightingale helped to revolutionise the treatment of patients after her experience of treating wounded soldiers in the Crimean war. |
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Anne Frank.Β Anne Frank was nobody special, just an ordinary teenage girl. But, she became a symbol of how ordinary people can get caught up in man’s inhumanity. But, despite the most testing of conditions Anne retained an optimistic spirit. |
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GalileoΒ – Scientist who helped make great strides in Astronomy and helped challenge ruling religious orthodoxy. |
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Swami VivekanandaΒ – Arriving in American as a penniless Hindu sannyasin, Vivekananda became the star of the 1893 World Parliament of Religions calling for religious tolerance and religious unity. Also encouraged the education of women and inspired fellow Indians to take greater pride and belief in the best of Hindu culture. |
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George OrwellΒ – George Orwell was a democratic socialist who fought in the Spanish civil war on the side of the republicans. He gave up his privileged education to spend time with the unemployed of the Great Depression. His greatest contribution was warning of the dangers of totalitarian regimes – whatever the ideology may be behind them. |
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John M Keynes.Β The greatest economist of the twentieth century. Keynes laid the framework for modern macroeconomics offering solutions to the dreadful calamity of the Great Depression |
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Marcus AureliusΒ – Roman emperor and philosopher. |
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William BlakeΒ – Poet and artist. –Β “To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour.” |
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Catherine The Great – Queen of Russia who was noted for taking a more enlightened approach towards her subjects. |
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Princess DianaΒ – Involved in many humanitarian charities. Helped to destigmatise issues such as AIDS. |
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ConfuciusΒ – Influential Chinese philosopher who laid ground work for much of Chinese philosophy and society. |
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MozartΒ – A musical genius who gives joy to millions of people |
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John KeatsΒ – Romantic Poet.
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Raisa GorbachevΒ – Wife of Mikhail Gorbachev. Engaged in humanitarian works and supported her husband during great change of his Presidency. |
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Eleanor Roosevelt. Supporter of the rights of women and opressed in society. Helped to draft the UN Declaration of human rights. |
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Woodrow Wilson. Woodrow Wilson had a vision for a League of Nations – a forum where nations could come together to solve disputes. The League of Nations struggled to make an impact before the Second World War, but, became more effective. |
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Leo TolstoyΒ – Influential Russian author, whose great epics include War and Peace. His philosophy of non-violence and a return to rural simplicity inspired other politicians such as Gandhi. |
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Sri KrishnaΒ – Revered as Hindu Spiritual Teacher. Responsible for the immortal dialogue contained in the Bhagavad Gita. |
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Louis PasteurΒ – French scientist who found many important improvements in medical science, e.g. vaccination for Rabies – and a safe way to pasteurise milk. |
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Rumi – Sufi poet |
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Charles Darwin. Darwin published his Origin of Species detailing a belief in evolution at a time when such a decision was very controversial. |
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AkbarΒ – The Great Moghul Emperor who went a long way to uniting India under his rule. Though a great warrior Akbar was also known for his love of culture, music and philosophy. He introduced enlightened laws on religious tolerance in his kingdom and encouraged representatives of different religions to come to his court. |
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Barack Obama. America’s first black president. Offered a positive message of hope to America and world. Barack Obama stood for a return to American values based on liberty and respect for human rights. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 |
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C S LewisΒ – Author of best selling chronicles of Narnia and Christian apologist. |
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SaladinΒ – Muslim leader during crusades, respected by even opposing armies |
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Oprah WinfreyΒ – US talk show host who became an important figurehead for women in America. Encouraged belief in self-improvement. |
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Martin LutherΒ – Martin Luther was the most influential figure in the reformation of the sixteenth century. It was Luther who challenged the excesses of the Catholic church leading to the protestant movement – and forcing the Catholic Church to reinvigorate itself. |
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Edward JennerΒ – led pioneering work on the development of an inoculation against the deadly smallpox. Opened up the way to more immunisations, arguably saving the lives of millions of people around the world. |
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Sir Isaac NewtonΒ – One of the greatest scientists of all time. Isaac Newton led the foundation of modern physics with his development of theories on gravity and mechanics |
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St Francis of AssisiΒ – Christian mystic who founded new order committed to essence of Christian gospels. |
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14th Dalai LamaΒ – Spiritual leader of Tibetan people. Helped to popularise principles of Buddhism around the world |
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Pablo PicassoΒ – Iconic twentieth century artist, known for his commitment to peace. |
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John LennonΒ – Iconic singer song writer. Member of the Beatles. |
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Desmond TutuΒ – South African anti-apartheid campaigner. Sought to heal wounds after end of apartheid through Truth and Reconcilliation committee. |
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MichelangeloΒ – Never suffering from false modesty, Michelangelo referred to himself as ‘God’s own artist’. But, in the case of Michelangelo his self-belief was well justified. During his lifetime, he produced some of the greatest works of art ever produced – The Pieta, The Sistine Chapel, the Statue of David. |
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Lord Baden PowellΒ – Founder of the Scout Movement |
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Jesse OwensΒ – Jesse Owen’s four gold medals at Hitler’s 1936 Olympics in Berlin was one of the great moments of sport, which helped to puncture the Nazi ideology of Aryan supremacy. Jesse Owens was a modest hero who remained a great ambassador for the sport. |
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John F. KennedyΒ – US President who offered new vision for his country. |
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Pope John Paul IIΒ – Polish pope who played a role in transition from Communist to a more democratic Eastern Europe. |
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RaphaelΒ – Artist. Raphael was an Italian painter of the Renaisance. |
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BeethovenΒ – Great Classical Composer w |
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Sri ChinmoyΒ – An Indian spiritual teacher who combined the best of Eastern and Western cultures. Founded the World Harmony Run, a world wide run to promote greater friendship and understanding. |
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St Teresa of AvilaΒ – 16th Century Spanish mystic and poet. Helped re-vitalise religious life in Spain, despite the Inquisition and patriarchal nature of society. |
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PeleΒ – One of world’s greatest ever footballers. |
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Abbe PierreΒ – French humanitarian who set up charity for the homeless. |
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Sri AurobindoΒ – Early Indian nationalist leader who later retired from politics to devote his life to yoga, spirituality and poetry. |
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Annie BesantΒ – involved in representing women and workers in 19th Century Britain. Became leading member of Theosophy society and supported Indian independence |
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Emile ZatopekΒ – Greatest long distance runner. Winning three gold medals at the 1954 Olympics. Principled supporter of Czech democracy, being sent to work in mines for his opposition to the Communist government. |
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St Therese LisieuxΒ – A Carmelite nun, who died aged 24, unknown to the world. Yet, after her death her simple writings had a profound effect becoming one of the best selling spiritual writings. Her approach was a deceptively simple approach of doing the smallest acts with love. |
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J R R TolkienΒ – Oxford professor and writer of The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings. |
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Audrey HepburnΒ – Actress later involved in working for UNESCO |
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Emily DickinsonΒ – Celebrated female poet. |
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Betty WilliamsΒ – Awarded Nobel Peace prize for her peace work in Northern Ireland. |
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Paramhansa YoganandaΒ – Indian spiritual teacher who helped popularise yoga and meditation |
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Maharishi Mahesh yogiΒ – Spiritual teacher who brought meditation to the west. |
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Bernadette SoubirousΒ – Saint of Lourdes |
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Carl LewisΒ – Olympian champion runner. |
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Bob GeldofΒ – Musician and charity campainger. Launched ‘Band Aid’ in 1984 to help African famine. |
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Eva PeronΒ – Argentinian ‘First Lady’ Founded influential charity and helped create more equal society. |
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Sir Titus SaltΒ – Victorian industrialist who was also concerned for welfare of workers. Helped to build model village and insist on better working conditions. |
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Augn San Suu KyiΒ – Leader of oppostion in Myanmar. Recently released from house arrest, she has been awarded the Nobel Peace prize for her fight for democracy and human rights. |
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John M. Keynes. Keynes was a revolutionary economist, who explained the causes of the Great Depression and how it might be solved. He created the discipline of macroeconomics. |
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Steve JobsΒ – Charismatic founder of Apple. Helped create new standards of design in technology. |
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer –German pastor and pacifist who was executed for his opposition to Hitler in Nazi Germany. |
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Harriet Becher Stow –Β American writer and campaigner against slavery. Author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. |
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Kofi Annan –Β Secretary General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 |
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Lech WalesaΒ – Polish opposition leader who became symbolic figure in efforts to end Communist rule. |
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Millicent FawcettΒ – English suffragist who campaigned for equal rights and votes for women. Leader of the largest Suffrage movement the NUWSS, who advocated peaceful, constitutional change. |
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Maya AngelouΒ – Modern American poet. |
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Malala YousafzaiΒ – Pakistani schoolgirl who defied threats of the Taliban to campaign for the right to education. She survived being shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a global advocate for human rights, womens rights and the right to education. |
Revolution or Change…Has Russell Brand got a point?
Published 31/10/2013 by inspiringyourspiritΒ
Revolution or change?…
Russell Brand is very passionate and he certainly has some powerful words and beliefs and for sure change needs to happen!
We don’t need a revolution to make change happen, but we do need to come together as humans who share a need for our planet to survive and for peace to become a reality not just a dream…I’m certainly up for change and I say we must to do something to make it happen!…The main problem is ‘Fear’, fear that we are not worthy, fear that the people we put into power in governments and corporations are better and stronger than us…We must remember that the only reason they are in power is because we allow them to be!Namaste my friends
Mark
Mark
The simple act of GIVING….What a difference it makes!
Published 31/10/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
The simple act of giving, toΒ freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to without any expectation of something in return.
How often do you give?
Someone a call, a friend, a family member, a neighbour just to see if they are ok?
A donation to charity?
A gift of your time to someone in need?
Old possessions that you have been storing forever, that you thought maybe one day you will need?
A Smile to someone who has lost theirs π ?
Your unconditional Love?
Your talent? Trust me, you do have one; but maybe you have not sat down and discovered it yet!
Give in? …Forget the past or a problem and ‘Just Be’….to live in the now and Love who you are now!
We ALL have something to give but we are all too preocupied with time, ”Oh, that’s so sad,Im going to donate”, “I would love to help out at the hospital but I don’t have time”, “I wish I had time to work at the soup kitchen”, “I wish something could be done to save our planet”, “If only someone would do something to stop wars and bring about peace”…..and on and on it goes….Time or the lack of it!
I wonder how much time we spend surfing the net? shopping, watching TV and texting each week?….Many hours I bet….
Now think…
You could seek out some old clothes, or some old furniture and donate it to your local care home, charity shop or drop in centre…..Just think of the smiles your donation will bring to someone in need!…
How good will you feel?
Pick up the phone book, search out your local charities, children’s hospitals, care homes, old folks homes etc and give them a call or just drop by and ask if you can offer your time…..
Cleaning up your neighbourhood, maybe section out a piece of your garden if you have some to spare and get the local kids to plant some flowers and vegetables, then give them to those in need or sell them and give the funds to charity….
The ideas are endless, if you only have time and the passion to just
GIVE……
Namaste with Love my friends
Mark
My Spiritual Journey Part 5
Published 28/10/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
My Spiritual Journey Part 5
My Dear Friends,
Iβm so sorry that it has taken me so long to provide you all with an update to My Spiritual Journey, however the pain I got from writing Part 4 was so great that I felt literally lost for words and I found it so difficult to draw any enthusiasm to write Part 5 βΉ
It has been so long since I placed electronic pen to paper and even now I am finding it difficult to have a clear mind and tell you more about my journey thus far but I do know that if I stick to it my spirit will come through and help me place these words on this social media writing tablet βΊ
The passing of my father and my immediate accident took their tool on my health and my wellbeing, they also impacted my spiritual journey so much so that they now effect everything I do each and every day, I do get extremely saddened and frustrated by the sights I see and experience every day, especially those of negativity, hatred, death through wars, starvation and the general lack of compassion in our world. I do however gain great strength from the good, the light I see everyday, the smiles I see and the wonderful words I read through my fellow bloggers posts and their comments and replies to mine, these special wonders give me so much strength and forge me on to bigger and better things in my life.
I am; through my lifeβs experiences so much stronger, all I really need is to gain some inner strength to do what I really need and must do with my life, I need to stop procrastinating because once I do, the words just flow and I do really help people that are less fortunate than myself, I can and do offer support to the many and I am starting to fulfill my lifeβs destiny with growing vigor.
Since the passing of my father, I did go into a shadowed depressive state, outwardly I looked fine, I was strong for those that needed me and I continued my work with a cheery smile on my face, my clients, colleagues and family saw me as no different than before and I even became stronger and more helpful (in their eyes), however, inside I was dying, my experience of loosing my dear Father and my severe pain was so much to bare, the loss of my own dignity was hard for me to handle because I have always been the strong one, the leader, the father and the coach. I found it difficult to feel safe anymore, I was very careful when walking in the rain or on wet marble tiles, I held out my had for support and held the guard rail when walking down stairs, I became more nervous with heights, felt uneasy in crowds and aged about 30 years in the process. My dear wife May was and is always here for me, she did even more for me each day, she helped me through this period with a huge smile on her face and spoke softly to me when I needed comfort but not once did she criticize or get angry with me, she just allowed me to live and experience the time for I guess she knew me better than most and knew I would pull through with the help from her and my spiritual calling.
My spiritual feelings and intuitions went from strength to strength, each day something new would happen, people would be drawn to me from all over the world and my own law of attraction gained strength. I never sought out people to help me on my way, I did not actively look for information in books or on the internet, things just came to me, people would just come to me and all of a sudden everything made sense.
I had many experiences with mediums, clairvoyants and healers, now because I looked them out but they just happened to connect with me. Some of these ladies and gentlemen blew me away, their intuition, guiding and knowledge of me, my journey and my past lives were all 100% spot on and more importantly they all agreed on my journey, my pathway and my calling. I have always kept my thoughts to myself, I am a very humble man, I try to help everyone I come across, often to my detriment, although in saying that I also believe in Karma and the love of giving so I guess my gifts of giving and selflessness will return good for me in the end βΊ
A friend of mine told me about a visiting Intuitive healer who was visiting Shanghai I will call her (Heather), so I booked an appointment with her, I duly turned up at her hotel a day or so later and she invited me in, sat me down on a massage table and asked me what I had come to see her for!..My simple answer, βI donβt really knowβ….She said would I like to do a past life regression, look at my future or for her to answer any specific questionsβ¦again my answer β Sorry I don’t really knowβ. So Heather said well, letβs try hypnosis and see what we find together so I laid down on the table and we began, Heather gently started to hypnotize me, I thought to myselfβ¦. Ha, this is the same process I use to hypnotize, I know this method and there is no way she will hypnotize meβ¦thenβ¦bang! I was floating on a cloud, high up in the mountains looking down on the earth, the sky was clear apart from the odd puffy white cloud and I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face as I lay out on the comfortable cloud, I was completely βAt Peace with the Worldββ¦.and then; all of a sudden a white light from above came straight down to me, the white light formed itself into a ball of spinning pure white and golden energy, my hands reached up and grasped the ball of light, I could hold the ball in my hands and as I explained the experience to Heather, the ball re-formed itself into a pyramid shape, which was spinning in my hands , the heat and radiance of the light was incredible, I could feel the energy, the sheer power that was entering my body at the point of contact to my body, straight to my heart! I was articulating this experience in minute detail to Heather which was great because she taped the session so I would have it to go back to when I need clarification on the message/s I received in the future. The energy and light became stronger, a hand reached down to me from the heavens, the hand was holding a sword which was pointing directly into my chest, into my heart, I reached up and grasped the hand and the sword and the light became brighter and the energy source even stronger, I was saying β the energy is incredible, its coming directly down the sword and into my heart, its moving out through my chest, to my shoulders, to my arms to my hands, through my stomach to my hips, to my legs to my feet to my toes, I can feel the energy the vibration in every cell of my bodyβ! My whole body began to shake, I was bouncing up and down on the massage table as I held the hand and sword while it channeled its/their energy down into my heart, into my body, this continued for what seemed to be a long time and all the time I was articulating the feeling, the sight, the sounds and the brilliance of the experience, messages were coming to me quickly, it was like a video tape was playing on fast forward through my mind, images flashing before my eyes, sounds and voices flashing through my mind and through my ears, images of the world, of our environment, of our people, our brothers and sisters in every far away land, starvation, global warming, wars, pollution, the disabled, children in severe poverty, every possible image and message of good over bad was flashing through my mind in quick successionβ¦.I began to cry out loud, to sob as I gave commentary to Heather as my journey unfolded right before her eyes, I then began to settle, the vibration slowed and the light and energy disappeared along with the hand and sword and I was still, silent on the table. I could hear the soft voice of Heather, she was calling me back, bringing me back and grounding me again!
As I sat up, I began to cry again as I relived the experience with Heather, we talked about the journey and the message/s, she said this had only every happened to her twice and, me and another gentleman in Malaysia and our experiences were almost identical.
Heather could not say why I had had this experience only that it was a message from God or one of the Arch Angels, probably Michael or Gabriel, for me it was another place on my journey another look at my future and more clarity as to what I need to do to help others in our world. I do know I am on a special journey, one in which I grasp with enthusiasm and love, I know I donβt know everything and I am learning more each and every day, I reach out my hands to the world and say βI am here, I am here for you and my heart and love is open to you all, I will learn from my experiences and share my love and compassion with anyone, regardless of race, colour, religious belief, to mankind and animals alike and I will do all I can to help heal our worldβ This is my message and is only still a part of my Spiritual Journey, Part 6 I do hope will follow soon and I promise I will try to bring you all up-to-date within part 6 or part 7.
So my dear friends, I bow to you all, my love and compassion is with you each and everyday, If I can be of help, please ask and I will βAlwaysβ do all I can to support you on your spiritual journeys.
Namaste
With Love
Mark
Every Child Deserves to be Happy
Published 27/10/2013 by inspiringyourspiritMy Dear Friends,
Every Child deserves to be happy. If you get the chance drop by your local hospital or hospice and see if you can help. Maybe it’s fundraising, maybe its singing, face painting, dancing, very little helps!
Namaste my friends
With Love
Mark
Is it Time for You to Spread Your Wings and Fly?
Published 24/10/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
Get close to the edge my friends, take a chance on life…Your Life…Make a Difference to this World…
Give it a Go!
Namaste with Love
‘Always’
Mark
Are you Carrying a Heavy Load?
Published 24/10/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
My Dear Friends,
If you think you are carrying a heavy load, Then Think Again….There IS Always someone Worse Off than You!…
Please share a moments thought for all those worse off than you today, and Give Thanks for what you have in your life and for what you have already achieved, and remember, you have so much to look forward to in your life, be positive, wear a smile on your face and carry compassion and gratitude in your heart.
Namaste My Friends
With Love ‘Always’
Mark
Kuan Yin’s Day Today.
Published 23/10/2013 by inspiringyourspiritHello my dear friends.
My spiritual guides were telling me to go to the Jade Buddha Temple here in Shanghai today because today is a very important day in the Nong Li Chinese calendar. Today is Kuan Yin’s day of enlightenment, the day she was made eligible for Buddahood status, way, way back in Chinese history. I spent a couple of hours or so in deep meditation at the temple today, it was very busy, many tourists and of course thousands of local Chinese going to pray and pay their respects to Kuan Yin theΒ bodhisattva, goddess of compassion and mercy.
Kuan Yin is one of my spiritual guides so we spent some quality time together today. It is always a little funny because I do tend to draw a crowd when i’m deep in meditation at the temple because foreigner tourists cannot inderstand why I a westerner is meditating and praying at a Buddhist temple and local Chinese are also not sure too…. π
Here is the Da Bei Zhou倧ζ²ε η₯禱 Mantra to Kuan Shi Yin. Please watch and listen it is very beautiful π
I also came across this wonderful article on Kuan Yin posted by Linda Backs Β onΒ http://consciousconnectionsdailyreadings.blogspot.com courtesy of Doreen Virtue.
Please enjoy my friends and spend a little time with Kuan Yin in meditation today π
Namaste
Mark
Kuan Yin ~ Compassion
Your card today is drawn from the ‘Goddess Guidance’ deck, authored by Doreen Virtue. Your card is the ‘Kuan Yin ~ Compassion’ card, and Doreen’s message for the card is this:
“Release judgments about yourself and others, and focus on the love and light that is within everyone.”
My message for you today is this:
This powerful goddess is a ‘bodhisattva’, which implies that she is eligible for Buddhahood, yet she has committed to remain as a goddess/Ascended Master in service to Souls on Earth. Β Kuan Yin (pronounced ‘Kwawn Yin’) assists us in all matters of compassion and mercy, in relation to ourselves and others. Β Her gentle energy exemplifies that to be gentle does not imply weakness, as she vehemently protects women and children, encourages those with musical abilities, and accelerates the gift of psychic clairvoyance (clear ‘seeing’) for those with such aptitudes.
We have just moved into Mercury retrograde, beginning Oct. 21st, and will continue in this cosmic energy over the next 3 weeks. Β According to United Kingdom astrologist, Sarah Varcas, (www.astro-awakenings.co.uk) the energy of this final Mercury retrograde of 2013 carries the energy of bringing to the surface what needs to be revealed, and, as Sarah states, “…whatever is revealed now is better out in the open than hidden in the shadows.” This Mercury retrograde is about communication and being authentic in doing so. Β Sarah concludes her assessment of the energies of this Mercury retrograde by saying, ” So here’s to truth, openness, humility and compassion – the key qualities so vital for an atmosphere of trust and hope to grow.” My reasoning for sharing Sarah’s perspective on the cosmic energies we are moving into is that Quan Yin’s energies are perfect to support us in utilizing these cosmic energies for our greater good! Β I believe that that is why she has stepped forward for us today on this first day of the the retrograde…there are no coincidences! Β So, call on Quan Yin to support you whenever you are seeking a compassionate perspective, for yourself and others. Β Understand that to be gentle does not mean that you are not also powerful, and that gentleness actually reflects a deep inner strength. Understand that to seek to see another’s perspective and to understand their motivation in their communication with you does not mean that you must take on their perspective…at times, another’s perspective can serve to help us determine and CLARIFY what our OWN perspective truly is. Understand that standing in your own power NEVER implies disempowering another… Β Kwan Yin‘s desire is that we all be true to and honour ourselves, while also seeing the Divine spark that resides in everyone…yes, everyone! Β Embrace the cosmic energy of this current Mercury retrograde to support you in stepping into your own authenticity. Β Resist stepping into judgment, and choose compassion…
Blessed be…
Colour Your Future Bright
Published 22/10/2013 by inspiringyourspiritHello my dear friends,
I wanted to share an event we held in Shanghai last Saturday evening, the event was all about communication, friendship, fun, creativity and teamwork.
We had about 60 people there ranging from young children of 5-12 and adults ranging from 18 to 60+ and from all walks of life, education level and business title.
The purpose was to create a masterpiece, something to be proud of, a painting to bring smiles to all our faces through communication and fun.
The following image was the picture we wanted to create.
Each person was given a canvas, an easel, paint brushes, paints and a 6 x 4 inch piece of the final painting which was cut down into about 60 pieces. Each person was put in a team of about 6 people and each person needed to create what was on their 6 x 4 inch piece of the paining on their own canvas.
Once everyone had finished we put all the individual paintings together to create this wonderful masterpiece.
The evening was fantastic, smiles were on everyones faces, lighter could be heard everywhere, people were communicating the old fashioned way…verbally..face to face π
A great way to have fun!
I hope you enjoy
Namaste with Love
Mark
Words can make you Happy or Sad…Which would you Prefer?
Published 18/10/2013 by inspiringyourspirit
Sticks and Stones Can Break My Bones But Words Will Never Hurt Me……
We we taught this rime when we were young children, back in the day, long before computers and social media…and how Wrong these words are!….
Words can be extremely hurtful and cause great pain and often lead to self harm and in the worst cases even suicide.
Words my friends have the power to hurt and to cure so we must learn to use our words carefully and to surround ourselves with words of joy, of happiness, of love, and compassion because these words were created for a reason, to raise our energy, to raise our spirits, to raise our awareness for good and to help us live lives filled with joy.
My Love, My Smile and My Positive Energy goes out to each and everyone of you today π
Namaste
Mark
Planet Earth…It’s You
Published 16/10/2013 by inspiringyourspiritViewer discretion is required to watch this video, but I assure you it is Β MUST watch…..
We Must Make Changes,
We Must remember it is their world too,
We are destroying our planet,
Our Earth is hungry for our Love,
Why do we remain silent?
We are dying to along with our Planet.
We are capable of conquering Oceans, Planets but we cannot conquer our own hearts!
We must change our habits, we must educate our children,
We must Change!
Our Time is Now, the future of our planet is still in our hands
The Future of our planet is… YOU!
Namaste
Mark
Endless Light and Love 