Keep Calm and Carry On

It's nice to think that your message will travel further than intended or imagined.

Indeed it will.

Be conscious of what you are spreading.

Public empathy and action is the new celebrity group song- I am looking forward to The Simpsons episode on this...

KONY2012 exploded in the last few days, confirming more than ever we live in a global community. In quick response to the compelling 30 minute film (firstly, kudos for making a film that ran for 30 minutes but was so compelling it got people to watch it because someone or everyone told them too. It feels like 30 is shorter than it was 15 years ago) skepticism and conspiracy theory’s quickly popped up.

Was this film actually made by Joseph Kony?

Is this America’s way of legitimately invading yet another country to potentially get their hands on lucrative natural resources?

Is KONY2012 and Invisible Children the charity behind the campaign actually worthy of your money and support?

A few years ago there was a big buzz around Greg Mortenson’s book ‘Three Cups of Tea’ where he details all the wonder things he has done since starting the Central Asia Institute (CAI), an organization to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Even president Obama was stoked about it and gave a portion of his Noble Peace Prize winnings to the charity. But it turns out Greg Mortenson was greedier than we had all wanted to believe and he exaggerated the extent of the charities work while using it as his personal bank account. He also profited personally from the publicity of it all and gave back very little to CAI.

This all came out in the Jon Krakauer book ‘Three Cups of Deceit’ for which Jon did not profit. It’s a good read if your interested or you can watch the 60 minutes report here.

So what of KONY2012?

Well here are some alternative views that have come across my radar today.

From VisibleChildren.Tumblr and the response from InvisibleChildren

But you know me…always with the learning. So what do we learn from this?

Well this has set a new standard for humanity I think. The breath of what we acknowledge that is removed from our reality has expanded.

Its possible to unite a wider cross section of people for a single cause than we have seen in a while. (But maybe I just think that because I am only seeing my friends and acquaintances’ actions and reactions. Honestly I don’t know what people in Egypt, Borneo or Mongolia think about this, will do about this or if they even have time in their day to divert from other priorities and pay this attention.)

People are getting creative. They are cracking open their worlds in many forms. Acknowledging their own previous ignorance people are talking, theorizing and getting educated. They are caring and thinking about their personal social commentary, they are producing it and putting it out in the world. I think it’s a great thing. It paves the way for greater understanding, evolution and connection.  Here are a few that caught my attention this morning.

via Mr Davies.

Via Mr. Damante.

 This one will make sense if you have see this. (not for the kiddies) 

Via  Miss. Greenaway

Thanks go to Mr. Gysen

I'd be delighted too mate...

came to me via Mr Yates. 

thanks to Mr. Chung

I think any unsupportive messages aimed at people who are new to activism must be coming from inactive people. Because activists don’t shut down support for the cause. There is a saying on my Grammy’s fridge that says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” So to all you newbie’s to activism; YOU count. Your involement matters. Do what you can. Explore what you believe, get educated, do what you believe is right and Welcome!

I also think that as we begin to embrace to global community we will in public empathy and collective action becomes the new celebrity group song…and honestly I’m looking forward to seeing the Simpsons episode on that :) 

Enough

Enough.

When is it ever Enough? Often I feel I am waiting for a source outside of myself to tell me ‘Enough’.

I have done enough.

I have tried hard enough.

I am enough.

That I may now stop and be peaceful. Catch my breath. Be proud. Take a moment to soak it in and celebrate.

That I may move on.

But it rarely comes from outside.

Enough is gratitude to extend to yourself. I have found there is much joy in saying 'enough' to myself. In signing my name, stepping back knowing I will now just admire- I will not make any more changes. In these moments I look with fresh eyes; no longer exhaustingly critical, searching for the next improvement to make. I now look with accepting eyes, searching to understand it and discover all the greatness that stands before me. Saying enough is a practice in acceptance; and such joy comes from it.

A few weeks ago in a hot tub at a little Canadian ski resort I had an awesome movie moment that sprouted this feeling. Let me set the scene.

It’s a cool clear night and I am just finishing a good deep convocation with a friend. As Elle hops out of the tub Jeff Buckley’s 'Hallelujah' begins to play. (go on- hit play as listen to it as you read on) The lights from the village glow softly off to the far right, the snow-covered forest in front of me is illuminated by the moon. Spanning for miles in every direction it stops only at the base of a beautiful mountain range that seems to standing  guard, containing this beautiful world.  The snow-covered trees gently sway in the breeze. After a minute, in a quite moment a single car moves smoothly by on the gravel road below and my mind drifts to my best friend, currently at the other end of the world.

I wonder if this was a movie moment and we were a split screen what activity would fill his half of the screen? I soak in all details around me. A breeze blows by and gives me goose bumps as the music rises, the hot tub jets cut out in perfect synchronization with the quieting of the song, stars cover the sky above and the rest of the world is silent. I gaze across the open miles in front of me to the mountains and remember that they are not limits they are only mountains and there is a whole world beyond them I will discover.

When the song ends I ask myself ‘What more?’ What more would the director add? What more would my eye be lead to notice, deduct, conclude? What more do I need to make this moment Enough?

And I realize ‘nothing.’ I’ll never know what was happening in the other split screen but mine is enough. I realize ‘I have done my part’ Completely. And I feel peaceful.

I realize that in life this is probably the case more often than I acknowledge and it would be good if I observed these moments. Often I set myself up to avoid enough. Too many projects, goals and commitments to ever have the time to finish anything to my standard of properly and appreciate it.

In an offencive move sometimes limit the number of things on my to-do list each day. Because while I feel a little crazy if I don’t have all the things I still have to get to written down, I feel great when I have ticked all my boxes on a certain day. Some days getting out of bed in the morning is the only box I should have on my list, because that is where my limit is and for some funny reason this always makes me think of my driving instructor.

Everything I really know about driving I learnt when I was 18 from my instructor Mike. After years of being a driving instructor he had refined the art of teaching to a few key concepts, solidified down to single phrases. My favorite of all: “Drive to your own conditions.” The message was ‘don’t worry about what other people think, do or try and force you to do (this lesson came while I was doing the limit and being tailgated.) Look at the road, weather, your car and set your own conditions.

When I am in the mood to be kind to myself, or when I have no choice for I will loose my mind, I start by setting myself my conditions for today. I limit the number of things I want to achieve and if in the end I have some time left over for me to do as I please and enjoy life- win! And I do just that, making sure to not sneak more things on to the list as hard as that is initially.

So here is the challenge: Decide what Enough will be for you today, and do your best to reach that. If you don’t, well, you are closer than you were this morning. And if you do. Celebrate it. Cook your self a meal, read something you never have time to, put your feet up and don’t feel bad, go and sit in nature, sleep- these are all legitimate and self nurturing options. Most of all let yourself feel relieved.

Allow yourself to embrace that "I am enough, because I am.” This is a new big scary concept to me- I’m beginning to chip away at.

KONY 2012

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Have you ever felt invisible? Do you still?

The foundation of this film is not a feel good story. 

For 26 years (that's my whole life) Joseph Kony as been abducting children and forcing them into lives as vicious child soldiers and sexual slaves. 30,00 and counting. This year we have the power to stop that, and we are doing it with KONY 2012. 


I could tell you some things but this is what you need to know. 

• WATCH THE FILM.
• You need to know what it has to say (its only 30 minutes).
• You will feel good. It's an uplifting film that will compel you into action-and then you will feel even better :)

Talk. Blog. Write to important people with wide reaching voices. Tell those important to you. Graffiti. Text. Tweet. Bother people about this. Get involved. Act. You can do this. 


To learn even more visit Kony2012.com and www.invisiblechildren.com

24 hour inspiration

Most of my inspirations are drawn from that world right around me but the last 24 hours has been like a Tidal wave of inspiration via the internet.

Here is what has been hitting me up...

I would be stoked if my future children grew up to be like this guy. I don't know him but from this clip he seems to sink his teeth into life, know his boundaries (clearly not dictated by others) and have a loving supportive family. Rock on. 

I never wanted love to be a competition... until I saw this short film.
The Love Competition

TEDtalks... always something amazing...

Choice points; an interesting thought for the world and us as individuals. I see that the world is facing  several Choice Points currently and I feel blessed to live in a time when we know we can make the changes that are required. The first that spring to mind are  Millennium Development Goals & End Polio

I love any moment that reminds me of the human-animal connection that exceeds our daily expectations. 

I like the simple comments from The Gothamist

Thomas Franklin

Thomas Franklin is a delicious example of life and my new hero. 

He seems to have not just uncaged life but also himself which is a much great challenge and victory. Incredibly inspiring even before you hear his story.

Imagine what the world would be if a story like this was in the news each day? 

Thomas reminds me of my potential to be happy, free and the positive seed in someone's day. 

Thanks for you your eternal inspiration Thomas, I think you just changed my life and I'm eternally grateful.