Spirituality & Religion

All posts tagged Spirituality & Religion

We Are All Visitors to This Life, We Are Just Passing Through.

Published 15/12/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

I came across this wonderful quote today and felt the urge to write a simple post 🙂

“We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love ….and then we return home”…..

Wonderful..I just love it. These wonderful words really do resonate with my heart. As you all know, I recently had an actual death experience, but luckily for me I was brought back by the wonderful paramedics in the ambulance, and since that experience; I have been spending countless hours just thinking, well, not so much thinking, rather; clearing my mind of the clutter and actually observing my life and all that goes on in and around my life.

This ’emptiness of mind’ as I like to call it has given me a new perspective of what is and what is not important. I now 100% realise that love for myself, for my family, for friends and all beings is really important to me. This observation has taught me that I am wasting, yes; wasting so much of my life on trivial, unimportant things. I’m doing far too much to get the job done, but not paying any attention to myself, to my health, to my life. I always do my utmost best to do everything on time, to be perfect or as near perfect as possible, to make everyone happy, to do, to do more and to do even more for everyone….but me!….

Love of self, is really important, because if we don’t love ourselves then how can we expect others to love us?

So, we are now coming close to the end of 2015 and I am not one to have New Year Resolutions, to set myself goals for the coming year but I thought, Hey! Why not this year!….So, I have decided that I will clean up my act, sweep the floors and cobwebs our of my life and start 2016 with a fresh outlook, I will love myself, each and every day, I will honour myself each day, I will be thankful for each day, I will be thankful for all I have in my life, I will hold love and compassion in my heart for all beings here on earth, I will do my best to help make our world a better place to live, I will cut out the wasted hours and turn these hours into positive acts of kindness to myself and to others, I will write more, I will write that book that I have promised to do for the past ???? How many years, I will spend more time with my family and friends, I will spend more time in nature, I will meditate more, I will want for less….and

I will contemplate on and learn from all my past experiences, I will grow more spiritually, I will Love…and…after doing all I can and after ‘Living the rest of my life to the full’…

I will return home 🙂

Tomorrow is a new day, tomorrow is a new opportunity to live 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

10 Science Based Reasons to Start Meditating Today

Published 02/04/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

My Dear Friends,

I came across this wonderful infographic by Emma Seppala, PhD today and I thought it was well worth a post; especially as I have been contacted by various people recently asking me what is the benefit of meditating and besides all my normal answers like, peace of mind, quality time for yourself, lower stress levels, a rise in happiness, less anxiety, better sleep, better relationships etc; I felt Emma’s graphic helps a lot when you want to understand the benefits from a science base too.

I obviously cannot stress the importance of meditation enough and I thoroughly recommend meditation for everyone and starting at any age is ok 🙂

I do hope you find this post interesting and you start your meditation practice today 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

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Energy, Darkness and Light, Positive and Negative

Published 17/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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A dear Chinese friend of mine asked me to explain ‘Energy’ to another Chinese friend last night…..’Wow’ ! I thought, how do I explain that one’ in one easy sentence 😦

I was slightly lucky because just at that moment these two lovely Chinese ladies were being harassed a little by a foreigner who was a little drunk, very loud, argumentative, highly non-empathetic and downright arrogant…I therefore had the perfect way to explain ‘Energy’ to this young lady who is going through some severe relationship problems at the moment. She had come out for the evening to meet with her friend in order to gain some help and hopefully some advice regarding her problems. I was just a bystander being asked to help, so here is what I said to this young lady…

‘Energy’, is something that some of us can feel but others cannot! You called your friend and asked her to meet you this evening in order for her to listen to your relationship troubles and hopefully help you with her advice, you called her because you trust her, she is quietly spoken, friendly and she listens to you, she will not judge you and she will hold your hand and be there for you, her ‘Energy’ is calm and you feel comfortable sharing these intimate problems with her, right? She nodded and said yes, I feel she can really help me :)…

I then turned to this foreigner and said to her, he is the opposite of your friend, you turn your back to him, your shoulders are rounded away from him, your head is down and you try to be as far away from him as possible, he is loud, he is aggressive, he is pushy towards you, he invades your personal space and only thinks of himself, you feel insecure and threatened by him, right? She nodded and said yes!…

His energy is bad, it is dark, it is forceful and he wants to control you, can you see the difference?…She immediately nodded her head and said yes with a smile, I said this is ‘Energy’… 🙂 and the difference between positive (happy) and negative (dark, threatening)

From that moment on, she opened up to her friend and to me and we were able to connect to her problems, the arrogant guy got the message and left us alone and at the end of the evening she went home feeling happier and carried with her a little love and positive energy from us both 🙂

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Remember my friends, ‘the darkness cannot prevail if you turn on the light’ 🙂

Namaste my friends

With Love

Always

Mark

Time To let Go, Start Living Your Life and Be Free

Published 16/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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I have read and also written many posts regarding ‘Letting Go’, letting go of the past, breaking free from the chains that bind you down and hold you back from enjoying your life and reaching your full potential. These chains, shackles from the past can be of different sorts, they can be relationships, family, work based, life experiences, traumatic events, abuse etc but in the end they are all the same in their effect on your life. Never a day goes by without your mind relating to these past events or experiences, or thinking about ways in which you can change the past, re-connect with the person who grieves you, wishing they would be loving towards you, these experiences conjure up many awful thoughts and bad memories in your mind, they take over your life and effect everything you try to do. For the majority of us we push on with our lives and hope we will feel better, we try to mend the past through the things we try to do in the ‘now’ and also plan things for the future that we hope will take away the pain and make amends for these past experiences which have had so much of a negative effect on our life.

I too have had my own fair share of burdens in this life time, and I’m sure many others in previous lives too, I try to think positively most of the time (highlight on ‘most’ 🙂 ) but those nagging memories just come back time and time again, they continue to bring our morale down and control our lives in the ‘Now’….

So,…’Now’ is the time to take a real stance, it’s time to let go once and for all, to break the chains that shackle us down, that tie our wings to our bodies and restrict our flight.

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We need to smile at the experience, the memory, at a picture of the person or re-connect to the past event and say goodbye, to wish them well and give thanks for the good things we now have in our lives, for all the love we have ‘right now’ and for all the love that is waiting for us on the other side of this experience, we need to break free from these chains, spread our wings and ‘FLY’ move on to pastures green, to a new life of positive possibilities, to live our lives as they should be lived without the burden and weight of these past events…’Now’ is where we should and need to be, always ‘Now’

If you are struggling with the past and need any help breaking free of these chains that hold you back, please reach out and I will be there for you, my sword at the ready breaking those chains that tie your wings my friends…

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Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

I Have Nothing to Write About Today…So Here’s My Post Anyway!

Published 14/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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Well, the weekend is here again and I’m a little stuck for words, my mind is blank and I’m having difficulty thinking of ideas for inspirational posts! I guess it’s the old ‘writers block’, maybe my meditations are taking me to the point of total relaxation where absolutely nothing seems to pass through my mind…. or, maybe I just don’t have anything much to say!

This feeling of empty-ness worries me, I feel I owe you a post and when I cannot think of a subject to write about I do start to worry and I become a little anxious!…will I loose followers?, what will my friends think when I don’t post for a day?… and the anxiety becomes even worse if I don’t post for more than one day…

But then I relax and let my fingers do the walking, I introduced them to the keyboard and like magic they began to type, nothing in this post so far anyway has come from my mind, my fingers have just flowed around the keyboard doing a magical dance on the keys and this is what you’re reading right now…I have no idea of the theme, I have no idea what the title of this post will be and where the post will end up…I guess its just a few rambling words to you all, my blogging friends, friends from all around the world, friends of different races, religions, gender and age..but friends you are and I would miss not having you all in my life, you give me strength, you give me pleasure and sometimes I get to feel a sense of happiness when I hear that I have managed to help one of you get through a difficult time in your life.

For me blogging is not about finding followers, it’s not really about spirituality (although spirituality and my spiritual journey are very important to me), faith or religion…In my case its just the words and feelings from me, nothing special, just my thoughts on any given day, on any subject that I feel will bring you some joy, a post that may help you overcome a fear, guide you to a solution to a problem or maybe a video or music post that will bring a smile to your face.

Now, while I’m writing this post I too feel a sense of joy, because the words flowing from my finger tips are saying what is inside my heart, no thought has gone into these words and no pattern has been put together of the structure or the outcome, but the words are as I said from my heart, and to me that’s a great thing because I honestly believe that if we; as humans used our hearts to their full capacity of loving kindness each and every day, we would live in a world filled with love and peace…I know I cannot bring about world peace on my own through this humble blog but I do know that I can bring about change, I can make you smile, I can bring joy and a little happiness to your life even if only for the briefest moment in time, but time is the essence, time has no meaning so that smile that you have on your face right now is a blessing from God and hopefully brought to you from the words or pictures that I send you 🙂

So in essence I guess this post is about happiness, it is about loving kindness, it is about bringing about change in our lives, it is about helping others, it is about my own spiritual journey, it is about living life in the now, it is about caring, it is about humanity, it is about giving…….

Some days I sit and cry a little, I care passionately about our world, I care passionately about humanity, I care passionately about the environment and I wonder what more I can do to help those in need! Those tears then lead to meditation when I connect to my heart and I realise I can do more, do something simple, bring a smile to someones face, give thanks for what I have in my life and I feel good again, this feeling then brings about action…actions can be simple, they can be small and they can cost you nothing… but these actions will and do make a difference to someone or something in our world…so when ever you feel down…just stop…meditate, connect with your heart, give thanks for your life and give thanks for all you have in your life…this will lead you to open your eyes with a fresh view which will bring about change and you will do good, you will help someone, you will share a smile..and on and on the circle of loving kindness will go…

from me to you,

from you to someone,

from them to someone else

and on and on the love gets shared:)

Blessings of Love, unconditional Love

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Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Hugs For Free Today :)

Published 11/03/2015 by inspiringyourspirit

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Go on, you know you want one…Reach out, close your eyes and feel the warmth of my hug, my arms around you, comforting you. It comes to you with my love and best wishes for a wonderful day filled with happiness, joy and peace wherever you are in this world 🙂

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

There Is No Right Way To Grow and Live Your Life

Published 13/11/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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We are all on our own special journey of life. For some of us its smooth sailing, our sails following the winds of time, floating comfortably on calm seas but for others its a more tempestuous journey, fraught with setbacks and traumas brought on by the every changing winds of change within our lives.

We start our journey as soon as we are born, some say at the time of conception, I guess I follow the latter because we started our learning process at conception, we could feel our mothers and sense their emotions, hear sounds and feel movement so our journeys of life, I believe began at the point of conception.

Our learning experiences differ; we encounter different ways of life, different cultural experiences, different languages, different religions and become accustomed to different foods, tastes and of course ways of dress.

We follow the guidance of our parents, siblings, family, friends, teachers and cultures and continue our early years of learning in awe of everything taught to us. We seldom challenge these ways, the content of the information presented to us in the belief that these teachings are the only way forward. Some of us start to question these teachings as we get older, some of us manage to break through the barriers confining us so we can see and experience different ways of life, teachings and beliefs but for others the barriers are too strong and the beliefs to proud to challenge or to change.

So for me, I like to keep an open mind, I believe there is not ‘Right Way’ to life, no ‘Right and only Religion’ and no set way of doing anything. I like to believe we are all from the one same source, we are ‘All’ part of ‘Life’s Rich Tapestry’, we are ‘One Humanity’ living on ‘One World’ and it is our collective responsibility to love all mankind and protect our world for our future generations in the hope that one day everyone will understand that we are……..
‘One Humanity’!

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

The Fragrance Of Life

Published 06/11/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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The Fragrance Of Life

Walk outside on a summer’s day
Sit yourself down and relax
Feel the warmth of the sun on your face
The gentle breeze in the air
Close your eyes and breathe deep breaths
In through your nose, out through your nose

Concentrate you attention and awareness of your breath
In, Out…In, Out
Notice the fragrances of life in your breath
The sweetness of nectar in the air
Freshly mown grass, bringing new life
The sap on the trees from the lungs of our world
The musky, fruity scent of roses in bloom
Mint, Rosemary, Thyme and Lavender too

Evoke your senses and develop your skills
Concentrate your awareness
Breathe deeply, In, Out….In, Out
The scent evokes and awakens your taste
Maybe the taste of tea from a tea rose
The sweetness of pear, apples or fig
The citrus of oranges or lemon

Life and your senses are a wonderful thing and in your control
Invoke your senses
Enjoy nature, enjoy life

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Wood Greens

“Connection with gardens, even small ones, even potted plants, can become windows to the inner life. The simple act of stopping and looking at the beauty around us can be prayer.”
– Patricia R. Barrett, The Sacred Garden

“The first act of awe, when man was struck with the beauty or wonder of Nature, was the first spiritual experience.”
– Henryk Skolimowski

“Even before I could speak, I remember crawling through blueberry patches in the wild meadows on our hillsides. I quickly discovered Nature was filled with Spirit; I never saw any separation between Spirit and Nature. Much later I discovered our culture taught there was supposed to be some kind of separation – that God, Spirit and Nature were supposed to be divided and different. However, at my early age it seemed absolutely obvious that the church of the Earth was the greatest church of all; that the temple of the forest was the supreme temple. When I went to the sanctuary of the mountain, I found Earth’s natural altar – Great Spirit’s real shrine. Years later I discovered that this path of going into Nature, bonding deeply with it, and seeing Spirit within Nature – God, Goddess, and Great Spirit – was humanity’s most ancient, most primordial path of spiritual cultivation and realization.”
– John P. Milton, Sky Above, Earth Below

“In all things of nature there is something marvellous.”
– Aristotle

Awakening

“In the assemblies of the enlightened ones there have been many cases of mastering the Way bringing forth the heart of plants and trees; this is what awakening the mind for enlightenment is like. The fifth patriarch of Zen was once a pine-planting wayfarer; Rinzai worked on planting cedars and pines on Mount Obaku. … Working with plants, trees, fences and walls, if they practice sincerely they will attain enlightenment.”
– Dogen Zenji, Japanese Zen Buddhist Grand Master , Awakening the Unsurpassed Mind, #31

Scent is the most potent and bewitching substance in the
gardener’s repertory and yet it is the most neglected and
least understood. The faintest waft is sometimes enough
to induce feelings of hunger or anticipation, or to transport
you back through time and space to a long-forgotten moment
in your childhood. It can overwhelm you in an instant or simply
tease you, creeping into your consciousness slowly and
evaporating almost the moment it is detected. Each fragrance,
whether sweet or spicy, light or heavy, comes upon you
in its own way and evokes its own emotional response.
– Stephen Lacey, Scent in Your Garden, 1991

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers
is a delectable form of defeat.
– Beverly Nichols

I go to nature to be soothed and healed,
and to have my senses put in order.
– John Burroughs

My lilac trees are old and tall;
I cannot reach their bloom at all.
They send their perfume over trees
And roof and streets, to find the bees.
– Lousie Driscoll, 1875 – 1957, My Garden Is a Pleasant Place

Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.
– Heinrich Heine

Don’t Waste Your Life, Care About The Right Things!

Published 29/10/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

 

Take a moment to watch and listen to this short video…The reality of your life is now!

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

When You Love What You Have, You Have Everything You Need

Published 28/10/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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When you love what you already have in your life, you realise you actually have all that you need!

Most of us go out and buy for the sake of buying, for that tiny rush of excitement and happiness when we see something nice and just have to have it whatever the cost! We often forge on with our lives looking for more, more clothes, more jewelry, a new hairdo or makeover, more success, more happiness, a bigger and better job, a bigger house, new car, another holiday, a slimmer self etc.

Sometimes when I just sit here and meditate I look at the all the things I have around me and realise that I do have enough, I don’t need anything else in my life, I’m happy, I have a loving wife, beautiful children, good health, a good job, a roof over my head, enough clothes to last me forever, food on my table, my spiritual awareness and happiness! So what more could I want?

I guess I could say world peace, the end of poverty and starvation, a clean environment, the end of disease, education for all, equal rights for all, happiness amongst all races and religions etc, but One day at a time, One day at a time 🙂

I went to my local Buddhist temple today and sat in quite contemplation and meditated for an hour on my own gratitude and I feel so happy now 🙂

 

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May you all be blessed with a day like mine 🙂  Happiness, peace and love to you all.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Political Abuse, Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing, Race Hate, Religious Hate…STOP..STOP.. STOP..!

Published 05/10/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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Once again tears are brought to my eyes and pain is in my heart when I see images like this, images that should be wiped from our minds forever, images that in this modern day and age should never exist at all! But unfortunately these things continue to happen in countries all over the world each and every day. No one deserves to be beaten, abused, humiliated or murdered, NO ONE! 

We are all human beings so…….PLEASE

DO NOT Turn The Other Cheek!

Is it not about time that we stopped turning the other cheek and actually stood up for humanity?

Oppression, abuse, exploitation, torture, murder and ethnic cleansing is still happening all around the world, these problems are not someone else’s problem, they are also your problem. We are all human beings; so please wake up, do something to stop this madness as its probably happening somewhere close to you too!

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Namaste with Love My Friends

Always

Mark

 

 

Deep Listening, Your Chance To Really Help Those In Need!

Published 04/10/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

So many people are in need of your help, people who are in deep despair, in deep fear and have a deep sense of anger in their hearts. By holding out our hands in support and with compassionate listening we will start to understand how we can really help end their suffering.

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

Seeing The Humour In Our Predicament

Published 28/09/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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“If it were not laughed at, it would not be sufficient to be Tao.” – Lao Tzu,Tao Te Ching

Did you ever have a bad day? Everything seems to go wrong and you are completely lost in anger, frustration and self-pity. It gets worse and worse, until the final moment when, say, you have just missed the last bus. There is some critical point where it gets so bad the absurdity of it all overwhelms you and you can do nothing but laugh. At that moment you uplevel your predicament, you see the cosmic joke in your own suffering.

Meditation, because of the space it allows around events, gives you the chance to see the humor of your predicament. Awareness of the passing show of one’s own life allows a lightness to enter it where only a moment before there was heaviness.

Humor puts things in perspective. There are many levels of humor – there is a humor of survival, a humor of sex and gratification, a humor connected with power. Beyond all these there is a humor that is filled with compassion. It is reflected in the tiny upturn in the mouth of the Buddha, for he sees the humor in the universal predicament: all beings are lost in illusion, yet he knows that they will awaken from that illusion for they are, at heart, already enlightened. He knows that what seems so hard to them is from another perspective their own path to liberation.

Often the perspectives about yourself and the universe that you arrive at through meditation make you want to giggle or laugh. This giggle is without malice. It’s a cosmic giggle, one that I identify with my guru, Maharaj-ji. For his giggle was not of this world. It was not a social or personality giggle, but rather a cosmic chuckle, the delight in the fun of it all. His giggle was from the plane that gives us the term “lila,” the divine dance of life.

– Ram Dass

 

A DAY WITHOUT LAUGHTER IS A WASTED DAY!

Namaste with Love My Friends

Always

Mark

Remaining Positive and Overcoming Your Troubles

Published 16/09/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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Wise words indeed from H.H the 14th Dalai Lama. If we could take these words into our hearts and realize that there are always many people in our world who are worse off than we, and come to the realization that there are many people out there in our families, communities, countries and other regions of the world who really need our help and that we certainly do have the the power and abilities to overcome our own struggles in life, then we could and will be able to change our own circumstances for the better and also at the same time enable us to help others overcome theirs.

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Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

 

 

 

 

War, It’s Not Just A Game On A Computer Consul or Mobile Phone!

Published 05/08/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

In a world where war is just a video game to some, it’s perhaps worth taking time to remember the true cost of war.
在当今世界,战争对于一些人来说只不过是视频游戏,而对于战争的真正代价可能会需要时间铭记在心。

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This weekend saw the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, which over 4 years, grew to claim the lives of over 9’000’000 (Yes thats 9 Million) service personnel from countries around the world. During WWI, across Europe, the flower of the red poppy became a symbol for remembering all those lost in War. As part of the commemorations this weekend in London, British artist Paul Cummings placed 888’246 ceramic flowers around the Tower of London – one flower for each soul lost from countries around what was then the British Empire.
刚过去的周末中我们见证了第一次世界大战爆发的100周年纪念日,在那4年里世界各国参战牺牲的总人数超过了9千万人。一战期间,在欧洲大陆的这片土地上,红色的罂粟花成为了战争中所有遗失祭奠的象征。在本周的伦敦为了纪念一战,英国艺术家保罗·卡明斯伦敦塔周围放置888’246陶瓷花 —一朵花象征着每一位在一战中为大英帝国所壮烈牺牲的灵魂。

Here are some images of the exhibition.
下方陈列一些相关图片

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The poppy is a way of not forgetting the sacrifice of those who didn’t return home to their loved ones because of War and whilst we should never forget the price they paid, we should also look forward and remember that with a little more understanding, kindness and love for those of us who walk the Earth with us today, we could potentially have less need for more poppies in the future.
罂粟花一种用来祭奠那些在战中为国捐躯、壮烈牺牲的英魂,由于战争导致其无法回到所心爱的人身边,然而我们应该永远铭记所付出的代价,同时也应该向前看,记住对身边的每一位多一分理解,仁慈与关爱,我们可能对那些未来的英勇之士给予的太少。

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It’s now 2014, 100 years on since the start of what they called “The Great War’, and I can still see no real progress, there have been over 260 major wars fought around the world since 1918 the end of World War 1 and they still rage on, mainly due to Religion or Greed by governments and corporations to control natural resources.

Now is the time to really step back and look at these pictures, every one of those red poppies represents a soldier killed in that 1 war alone, I wonder how many have fallen since? What would that picture look like and how far would the poppies go? A frightening thought my friends!………….Here is the reality of that frightening thought……….

Name of War ∨ ∧ Years ∨ ∧ Fatalities
Libyan Civil War 2011 – 2012 2,080
Syrian civil war 2011 – 2012 18,821
Yemen vs Al-Quaeda 2009 – 2012 3,811
Kivu Conflict 2006 – 2012 4,272
Mexican Drug War 2006 – 2012 83,000
Southern Lebanon War 2006 – 2006 1,003
Waziristan conflict 2004 – 2012 22,016
Iraqi Insurgency 2003 – 2012 23,461
Iraq vs US led coalition 2003 – 2003 8,202
Al Quaeda vs USA and allies 2001 – 2012 4,538
Afghanistan war 2001 – 2012 43,917
Civil War in Côte d Ivoire 2000 – 2005 1,471
Eritrea vs Ethiopia 1998 – 2000 98,192
Guinea Bissau Coup 1998 – 1999 1,700
Congo Brazzaville Civil War 1997 – 1999 15,540
Yugoslavia vs NATO Forces and UCK Guerilla 1997 – 1999 4,992
Nepal Civil War 1996 – 2006 12,284
First and Second Congo Wars 1996 – 2006 208,367
Russia vs Chechnyan Secessionists 1994 – 2007 20,381
North Yemen vs Secessionists 1994 – 1994 1,491
Tajikistan Govt vs Opposition 1992 – 1998 6,834
Bosnian Govt vs Serbian Insurgents 1992 – 1995 24,504
Iran vs rebel groups (MEK,PJAK etc) 1991 – 2011 3,200
Burundi Civil War 1991 – 2005 13,671
Sierra Leone Govt vs Rebels 1991 – 2002 12,034
Georgian Civil War 1991 – 1993 2,439
Croatia vs Serbian Irregulars, Rep. Krajina 1991 – 1992 1,749
Rwanda Civil War (Hutus vs Tutsis) 1990 – 2012 527,145
Somalia Civil War 1990 – 2012 37,236
Algeria Govt vs Islamic rebels, 1990 – 2005 18,348
First Gulf War 1990 – 1991 22,848
India vs Pakistan, Kashmir Dispute 1989 – 2012 24,253
Liberia Civil War 1989 – 2003 22,247
Indonesia Gvt vs Aceh Liberation movement 1989 – 2003 5,280
Nagorno-Karabakh War 1988 – 1994 4,623
South Yemen Coup 1986 – 1986 10,000
Indian Govt vs Punjab 1985 – 2000 7,247
Turkey Gov vs Kurdistan Guerilla (PPK) 1984 – 2012 33,990
Sudan Government vs Militias 1983 – 2012 68,769
Sri Lankan Govt vs Tamil Militants (LTTE) 1983 – 2009 62,313
Senegal Civil War 1982 – 2011 1,781
Iraq Government vs SCIRI 1982 – 2000 1,306
Falklands War 1982 – 1982 964
Nicaragua Govt vs Contras 1981 – 1990 30,000
Uganda Civil War 1980 – 2007 116,044
Peruvian Gvt vs Sendero Luminoso and MRTA 1980 – 1999 19,466
Iran vs Iraq 1980 – 1988 644,500
Iran vs Muhajedin e-Khalq 1979 – 2001 4,395
Cambodian Govt vs Khmer Rouge 1979 – 1998 84,950
Mozambique Govt vs Guerilla 1979 – 1992 115,600
El Salvador Gvt vs FMLN Guerrillas 1979 – 1992 55,000
Sino-Vietnamese War 1979 – 1988 48,223
Syrian Govt vs Muslim Brotherhood 1979 – 1982 2,075
Afghanistan Civil War 1978 – 2001 121,536
Rebels vs Ethiopian Government 1978 – 1991 52,398
Uganda vs Tanzania 1978 – 1979 4,000
Iranian Revolution 1978 – 1979 1,100
Vietnam vs Cambodia (Kampuchea) 1978 – 1979 32,500
Nicaraguan Gvt vs Sandinistas 1978 – 1979 10,000
Ethiopia vs Oromia rebels (OLF) 1977 – 2012 3,070
Chittagong Hill Tracts Conflict 1977 – 1997 1,152
Ethiopia vs Somalia 1977 – 1978 4,000
East Timorese Guerilla vs Indonesian Govt 1976 – 1999 75,150
Ethiopia vs Somali (Ogadeni) Rebels 1976 – 1983 3,839
Angolan Gvt vs UNITA Guerilla 1975 – 2000 157,400
Iraq vs Kurdistan (KDP/PUK) 1975 – 1996 5,928
Western Sahara War 1975 – 1991 13,000
Lebanese Civil War 1975 – 1990 144,000
Argentina: Civil War and Dirty War 1975 – 1983 20,000
Ethiopia vs Eritrea 1974 – 1991 98,927
Turko Cypriot War 1974 – 1974 5,000
Balochistan Insurgency 1973 – 1977 8,600
Chilean MIlitary Coup 1973 – 1973 2,095
Yom Kippur War 1973 – 1973 6,450
Hutu Rebellion 1972 – 1972 153,000
Philippines Govt vs Mindanao Guerilla 1971 – 2008 13,639
Sri Lanka Govt vs JVP 1971 – 1990 1,902
Bangladesh War 1971 – 1971 50,000
Philippine Government vs CPP Guerrilla 1969 – 2008 25,000
Northern Ireland, The Troubles 1969 – 1994 3,149
Israel vs Egypt 1969 – 1970 5,520
Football War Honduras vs El Salvador 1969 – 1969 2,107
Rhodesian Government vs ZANU,ZAPU,PF 1967 – 1979 27,080
Chinese Cultural Revolution 1967 – 1976 2,050,000
Cambodian Civil War 1967 – 1975 246,204
Nigerian Civil War 1967 – 1970 75,000
The Six Day War 1967 – 1967 10,047
Chad Civil War 1966 – 2010 37,233
Namibia vs South Africa 1966 – 1988 10,000
Guatemalan Civil War 1965 – 1995 88,575
Indonesian annexation of West Papua 1965 – 1978 2,100
Vietnam War 1965 – 1975 2,048,050
Second Kashmir War 1965 – 1965 5,000
Dominican Republic Coup 1965 – 1965 4,027
Colombia Govt vs Guerillas Farc and ELN 1964 – 2012 47,303
Mozambique War of Independence 1964 – 1975 13,500
Sudan Government vs Insurgents 1963 – 1972 10,000
First Rwanda Civil War 1963 – 1964 1,000
Guinea Bissau War of Independence 1962 – 1974 15,000
North Yemen Civil War 1962 – 1970 10,000
Algerian Civil War 1962 – 1963 1,500
Sino-Indian War 1962 – 1962 2,105
Angolan War of Independence 1961 – 1975 79,000
Laos Civil War 1960 – 1973 21,500
First Kurdish–Iraqi War 1960 – 1970 6,600
Congo Crisis 1960 – 1965 7,150
1959 Mosul uprising in Iraq 1959 – 1959 2,000
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis 1958 – 1958 1,500
First Lebanese War 1958 – 1958 1,400
PRRI and Permesta revolts in Indonesia 1957 – 1961 27,200
Cuban Revolution 1956 – 1959 1,000
Tibetan Uprising 1956 – 1959 12,000
Soviet Invasion of Hungary 1956 – 1956 3,171
Sinai War 1956 – 1956 2,142
Vietnam Civil War 1955 – 1964 164,923
Cameroon War of Independence 1955 – 1960 11,700
Algerian War of Independece 1954 – 1962 182,526
First Taiwan Strait Crisis 1954 – 1955 2,370
Moroccan War of Independence 1953 – 1956 3,000
Indonesian Govt vs Darul islam 1953 – 1953 2,700
Kenya, Mau-Mau vs UK 1952 – 1956 17,100
Tunisian war of Independence 1952 – 1954 3,000
Bolivian Revolution 1952 – 1952 1,000
Korean War 1950 – 1953 995,000
Third Sino-Tibetan War 1950 – 1950 4,000
Burmese Government vs Separatist Guerillas 1948 – 2012 49,243
Israel vs Palestine 1948 – 2012 16,697
Burmese Govt vs Communist Guerillas 1948 – 1988 17,700
La Violencia 1948 – 1958 29,800
Malayan Civil War 1948 – 1957 9,100
Arab-Israeli War 1948 – 1949 8,000
Cheju Rebellion in South Korea 1948 – 1949 17,000
Costa Rican Civil War 1948 – 1948 2,000
Yemeni Imamate War 1948 – 1948 5,000
First Kashmir War 1947 – 1949 3,200
Civil War in Mandatory Palestine 1947 – 1948 4,009
Telangana Rebellion and Indo-Hyderabad War 1947 – 1948 5,210
Madagascar Rebellion 1947 – 1948 12,200
Indian Partition Communal Violence 1947 – 1948 200,000
Taiwanese revolt 1947 – 1947 1,250
Paraguayan Gvt vs Rebels 1947 – 1947 1,000
Philippines, Huk rebels vs Govt 1946 – 1954 11,300
First Indochina War Comm. vs France 1945 – 1954 269,500
Soviet Union vs Baltic Partisans 1945 – 1951 32,400
Chinese Civil War 1945 – 1950 1,200,000
Ukrainian Revolts 1945 – 1947 59,700
Indonesian Independence 1945 – 1946 5,400
Greece Civil War 1944 – 1949 68,207
Franco-Thai War 1940 – 1941 1,400
World War II 1939 – 1945 50,000,000
The Winter War in Finland 1939 – 1940 151,798
The battle of Khalkhin Gol 1939 – 1939 28,000
Changkufeng Incident 1938 – 1938 1,726
Third Sino-Japanese War 1937 – 1941 1,000,000
Spanish Civil War 1936 – 1939 466,300
Arab revolt in Mandatory Palestine 1936 – 1939 2,576
Second British-Waziristan 1936 – 1939 10,200
Italo-Ethiopian War 1935 – 1936 20,000
Spanish Socialists vs Govt 1934 – 1934 1,335
Saudi-Yemeni War 1934 – 1934 2,100
Chaco War 1932 – 1935 92,661
Aprista Revolt in Peru 1932 – 1932 1,100
El Salvador, La Matanza 1932 – 1932 2,600
Brazilian Revolt 1932 – 1932 1,000
Xinjiang Muslim Revolt 1931 – 1934 21,000
Manchurian War 1931 – 1933 60,000
Communists vs Koumintang 1930 – 1935 500,000
Saya San Rebellion 1930 – 1932 1,140
The Yên Bái Uprising 1930 – 1931 1,000
Ikhwan Revolt 1929 – 1930 5,500
Kuomintang vs warlords 1929 – 1930 75,000
Escobar Rebellion 1929 – 1929 2,000
Sino-Soviet war 1929 – 1929 3,200
Second Afghan Anti-Reform War 1928 – 1929 15,000
Kuomintang vs Gansu Rebels 1928 – 1928 200,000
The Cristero War 1926 – 1929 10,000
Northern Expedition 1926 – 1928 126,500
Druze revolt 1925 – 1927 6,000
Third Chinese Warlord War 1925 – 1926 1,000
Afghan rebels vs govt 1924 – 1925 2,000
Honduras Coup 1924 – 1924 1,000
Second Chinese Warlord War 1922 – 1922 20,000
Soviet-Turkestan War 1921 – 1923 3,500
Moplah Riots in Kerala 1921 – 1922 2,450
Ireland freestaters vs Irregulars 1921 – 1922 4,000
Kronstadt Rebellion 1921 – 1921 2,600
Senussi Orden vs Italy 1920 – 1932 40,000
Third Rif War 1920 – 1926 70,000
Blackshirts vs Leftists 1920 – 1922 3,300
Conquest of Mongolia 1920 – 1921 4,000
Green Rebellion 1920 – 1921 6,700
Iraq vs UK 1920 – 1921 9,540
Franco-Syrian war 1920 – 1920 3,500
First Chinese Warlord War 1920 – 1920 35,000
Lithuanian-Polish War 1920 – 1920 1,000
Nejd-Hejaz Wars 1919 – 1925 4,000
Second Greco Turkish War 1919 – 1922 50,000
Turkish War of Independence 1919 – 1921 40,000
Hungary Civil War 1919 – 1920 1,500
Polish-Soviet War 1919 – 1920 100,000
First British-Waziristan War 1919 – 1920 2,000
Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919 1919 – 1919 11,000
Sparticist Rising 1919 – 1919 2,170
Third Anglo-Afghan War 1919 – 1919 2,136
Caco Revolt 1918 – 1920 2,102
Estonian Liberation War 1918 – 1920 11,750
Latvian Liberation 1918 – 1920 13,246
Finnish Civil War 1918 – 1918 15,150
Second Sino-Tibetan 1918 – 1918 1,500
Russian Revolution and Civil War 1917 – 1922 802,225
Russia-Turkestan 1916 – 1917 1,350
Southern China Revolt 1915 – 1918 1,000
World War I 1914 – 1918 10,670,868

Horrifying Total of lost lives due to war since 1914 = 76,671,289 Million Souls

PLEASE REBLOG THIS, AS WE NEED TO BRING MORE AWARENESS TO THIS MADNESS IN OUR WORLD!

Namaste with Love and in Peace
Always
Mark

looking At Myself Is Like Looking Through Mirrors To Infinity

Published 31/07/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

Who am I?

You have often read these words within my posts, but as I work in the field of Psychology and Mindfulness I’m often trying to help people understand who they really are. Even I, after all these years of life must from time to time remind myself who I really am. I often reflect and go deep inside myself through meditations and connect to my inner self, to my very being, to my heart and to my soul in order to understand why I am; where I am; in my life.

You can’t see it with the ordinary eye
You can’t hear it with the ordinary ear
You can’t feel it with the ordinary touch
You can’t separate it from light or dark
You can’t approach it from ahead or behind

It’s like a pyramid of mirrors.
Everywhere you look
You see yourself.
Open the pyramid to see whats inside:
The reflection is you.

To define your life is futile;
Don’t get ahead of yourself
Don’t get behind yourself
Don’t compare yourself.
Just be you and enjoy what’s inside.

Consider this: In this present moment God chooses to be you.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

Give to Receive and Receive to Give-The Circle of Life

Published 30/07/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Dear Friends,

To give, receive.
Be the wet fertile valley
That rivers of life flow through.
The full will be emptied
The empty, filled.
So be the empty, that you may be filled.

The greatest healer shares all
And becomes yet greater.
One who wants to be healed
Must become a healer.
And one who wants to be a healer
Must first seek healing.

Suffering gains meaning only when healed
And healing is meaningless
Until it is shared.

To receive, give,

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

My Spiritual Journey Continued

Published 18/07/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

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My Spiritual Journey Continued:

It’s strange but it would seem that my memory is slowly being erased as if to make way for new things to come, my childhood for instance is almost erased as I have very few recollections of childhood experiences certainly before the age of 11 or 12 and not so many after up to the age of around 16. I don’t worry about this I just feel that there is a reason why these memories are being erased or locked away in some far-flung part of my brain and I must move forward and not harp back to my past and remember to always live in the NOW ☺

So many things have happened to me over this past couple of years, spiritual awakenings, meetings with some incredible people, injuries to my body to bring me awareness of pain and suffering, illness after illness to all parts of my body, allergies come and go as if to show me the power of God and his divine ability to show me the experiences that other people go through during their daily lives, the loss of dear family members and friends so I can see and FEEL the grief that people are experiencing during this sad time in their lives. Friends and strangers have come to me with their problems, their open hearts and minds have enabled them to share with me their pains, their problems and intimate relationship issues I have learned to listen to their challenges and offer them some words of understanding, words of compassion and words to help heal them from these burdens in their life, these words just come to me in the moment, they are spontaneous as if someone is speaking through me with the utmost clarity and precision. I feel their pain, literally feel their pain, sometimes physically in my body and certainly in my heart but at this time I have no fear, my words just flow, my compassion and loving is at its highest level, I don’t worry, I have no concerns re my words and I know that the message is from a higher place, the message that heals the problem in hand.

Life is so interesting and oh so frustrating!

I have been blessed with some gifts, gifts from God, my higher self, ascended masters, and ascended family members, they have all been there for me although at times I truly feel alone and a little lost on my spiritual journey. I guess it’s the fear of not doing well, the fear of taking the wrong pathway, the fear of ridicule, and the fear of not being understood. Some days I just sit, I meditate and I think, I look up to the sky, I notice the beauty we have in our world, I see and hear the smiles and laughter from the children around me, I see the flowers in bloom, I smell the sweetness that the flowers offer to my senses, I breathe the air that Mother Earth provides for me and I’m in awe of its beauty, in awe to its immense power and I feel lost because I’m just me, a man with no power, no riches but the gifts that God has decided to bestow on me, these gifts are my frustration due to the fear of making a mistake in the name of God. I know this is my ego talking, controlling my thoughts and cluttering my mind with uncertainty, but sometimes you just feel alone in this world; especially when we see so much devastation happening to our planet, watch the suffering of humanity and the rape of our environment in the name of power and wealth by the few. I see people growing fatter on the proceeds of greed, flashing their wealth without a care in the world for our world and our humanity. I know I cannot heal the world on my own and I’m aware that each good deed I do will make a difference to the life of someone, but even so; I still at times feel lost.

Why is it I feel the need for clarification all the time? Why is it I feel lost and alone?

When I go with the flow, live from the heart and follow my intuition; all is then well with my life, don’t get me wrong my life is good, I’m blessed with so much to be thankful for, and I’m certainly blessed with some spiritual healing gifts that I’m certainly proud to possess, I guess I just need some validation, to say I’m on the right track ☺

My wife and I went back to Hawaii again, we both felt the need to get away from the city of over 25 million people and get back to nature, to live for a couple of weeks once again on the Big Island of Hawaii close to the Kilauea volcano, on the lava flows which reach out into the Pacific Ocean, to spend our days and nights swimming with the turtles and watching the stars, to eat healthy food and rest our weary bones in the warmth of the sun….. Absolute bliss ☺

One evening I suggested to my wife that we should drive up the east coast of the big island up through the hills and rainforests that overlook the ocean, up over the dry plains of the north, around the base of the Mauna Kea volcano onto the west coast then find somewhere to stay for a couple of nights before returning eastward again across country with a stop off once again to the summit of the Mauna Kea volcano to watch the sun set and be with the stars in perfect harmony with nature and the universe.

We packed our car with our luggage and snorkeling gear, food and drinks for the road trip and set off on our journey. After a couple of hours on the road my wife wanted to stop somewhere for a comfort break but we were in the middle of nowhere so we continued on driving for a few more miles until we came across a small village, we stopped an looked for a washroom, nothing was to be found, no bars, coffee shops or restaurants were to be seen, we walked up past a few little shops which were all closed as it was a Monday a closing day on the big island, but as if by magic outside a little shop was a huge Amethyst Crystal, I mean big about three feet long! It was a crystal shop and it was open, I looked inside the door and there was a lady sitting in the back, I asked if there was a washroom nearby and she replied, ‘come on in, your wife is welcome to use mine’, I looked around the shop for a few minutes while my wife was in the washroom and was drawn to an even bigger crystal in the middle of the shop, this one had amazing energy and I felt a connection to it although im not a follower of crystals. While I was chatting to the lady she asked if I would like an energy clearing , I of course said yes. I sat on a bed of crystals with my feet resting on a bed of crystals and hugged the massive crystal in my arms while the lady gave me an energy clearing, she said I was special that’s why she asked me and she felt the need to cleanse my system and help me on my way, she said I was here for a reason and we didn’t just happen on her store, she had been placed there to assist me on my journey. We chatted for a while and she gave us directions to a small cove where we could go snorkeling with the turtles and possibly with some dolphins, we thanked her and went on our way.

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That night we checked into a hotel on the west coast and went to dinner in the restaurant, the evening was beautiful and it was a full red moon, my wife and I will never forget it, it was stunningly beautiful and the red moon shone brightly on the ocean as we sat overlooking the sea, manta rays were feeding in the bay, so many that we could not count their numbers, their magnificent white underbodies gliding effortlessly through the ocean as they fed right in front of our eyes, it was like God had made this special event just for us, the beautiful evening, the cool breeze from the ocean, the full red moon shining its reflection on the ocean and the giant manta rays feeding, magical and a wonderful evening, never to forget.

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We went to bed around 11pm and soon fell fast asleep, I awoke or think I woke to the sidelight flickering on and off at the other side of the room, I remember it clearly as if it was yesterday, the room was bright and clear but someone was sitting on the side of my bed beside me, it was a man, a beautiful man, his face was soft and gentle but there were years of experience etched in his soft face, wisdom beyond my knowledge, my wife stirred and turned towards us and the man held out his hand towards her and said, ‘its ok my sweet he’s with me and he is safe now’, so my wife turned around and went back to sleep, I was in awe of what was sitting next to me, I was trembling with both excitement and concern as to what was happening to me, the man stared to speak. ‘I’m Gabriel and I’m here to share some words with you’, the lights started to flash again and Gabriel said ‘Ok John he’s ok, and yes I know he’s worried about money, it’s not a problem and he will be fine, don’t worry yourself over this, it will be ok’, he was speaking to my recently deceased father who was an accountant and who was always concerned that I and my family made sure we had enough money and not to take any financial risks with our lives. Gabriel continued to talk to me and to say I had been given a job, the job of helping humanity and mother earth and I will find my way to carry out the tasks given to me, I was not to worry as all will come clear to me in stages throughout the rest of my life, I was to be in China right now because there was so much work for me to do there, that is the reason why I was brought there so many years ago. I had been grounded in China and that is where I will stay until the next stage of my spiritual journey, my wife was my guardian angel, my twin flame and she will always look after me. As he stopped speaking my wife got up from bed, walked to the washroom and when she came back she knelt beside me put her face almost to mine as if checking I was still breathing, it was obviously so dark in the room although to me it was like daylight as the light around Gabriel was so bright. Gabriel once again said, ‘He’s ok, he’s safe and he’s with me, go back to sleep’ and my wife once again laid down and went back to sleep. This conversation went on for hours almost until the sun arose, I was fully awake throughout the process and was up well before the sun rose, I was full of excitement and wanting to share my experience and the words that Gabriel had said to me with my wife.

May and I got ourselves ready, we checked out of the hotel before 6am and drove to the beach, the sun was looking beautiful and the ocean was calm, I entered the water and swam freely with the fish observing the turtles and the beauty of mother nature whilst all the time remembering the words of Gabriel and the meaning to my life and my spiritual journey. After an hour or so I left the water, warmed myself with a coffee and we discussed more about what had happened during the night. While we were chatting I spotted dolphins in the bay but way out to sea, this was my chance so I got back in the ocean and swam out into the deep, ahhh to my joy I was joined by dolphins, my heart beating faster and faster as they swam around me with ease in complete beauty and grace. Tears of joy filled my mask as I had once again been blessed, my dreams coming true and my life giving back to me; once again ☺

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I won’t go into details of what Gabriel said to me because I believe that his words were meant for me and my wife but suffice to say, this was my true awakening and I must follow my destiny, my spiritual journey and I must do all I can to help those who are in need, to help mother nature and our environment with every breath of my body.

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

The Time Is Now: What Will You Do?

Published 16/07/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

My Dear Friends,

I was blessed to be drawn to this wonderful video poem by Jamie Dunmore, his message is clear as he speaks to the world as a ‘Human Being’ asking us a simple question…What Will You Do?

Please take the time to watch this wonderful short video and please share with your networks because it is indeed ‘Time For Change’

Namaste with Love

Always

Mark

Did You Achieve Superhero Status or Become a Princess?

Published 10/07/2014 by inspiringyourspirit

What would they think

What would the child you once were think about the adult you have become?

Wow, what a powerful and interesting question!

I have a real problem recalling my early childhood, I guess something major happened to me before the age of five, I often get small flash backs but the majority of my early childhood is hidden in a dark memory bank somewhere in my brain; but I hazard a guess as to what my childhood was like way back then and I think I would have been loving superhero’s, people like Superman who was trying to save the world and do good for everyone and Batman who was trying to rid the world of bad people, gangsters, cheats and scoundrels 🙂

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I remember going to church with my family so I know I understood religion and what God meant in the life of my family, especially for my mum. I was taught to respect others, to have manners, be polite and say ‘please and thank you’, to respect my parents, grandparents and never look down on anyone. I think that I have tried to instill these same traits to my four children, each of which I’m extremely proud and each of which is forging their own life for themselves in this world in their own happy, contented and respectful way. So I think I have done ok with my life thus far, yes I have made mistakes along the way, for the first 39 years of my life I wasted too much valuable time seeking riches, power in the form of a strong business, building my empire, buying things we just didn’t need, wasting money on extravagant holidays and living the life of luxury. Was it wrong at the time? No! It was part of my life’s journey, and brought me to where I am today, I now lead a very different life, yes, I’m still in business but money does not drive me anymore, my family is settled and happy, my focus is giving back, doing good for people around me, caring about our planet, our environment and the humanity in general. My life’s path is clear to me and i’m following my own Superhero journey, one in which I save our planet from destruction and help anyone who is less fortunate than I.

I do believe the child I once was would be proud of me now because I saw the light and I acted upon my instincts and trusted my inner child to drive me forward and to do good whenever I can 🙂

How about you?

I would love to hear your story and your thoughts on what your younger self would think of you now!

Namaste with Love
Always
Mark

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