Butterflies and Hurricanes — 2012 is Here!

So, 2012 is here and we are about to enter one of the most anticipated years in history!

Are you feeling it?  This year has a certain air of mystery, intrigue, excitement, anxiety, angst and nervous anticipation.  What do we do?  What can we do?  Is there anything TO do?

The answer is an emphatic YES!  You can take time out this year for yourself.

The Search to Reconnect with Your Inner Being

Inner reflection is the key to unlocking the authentic you.  The you that is your core essence, buried deep down inside  — past all the various layers you have accumulated over time and experience.

“If you make yourself a top priority, you will be strong enough to help others on their path.”

  • Take time out to meditate, get in touch with the silence.  Learn to be comfortable in silence.
  • Take a fresh look at your diet and make sure to add lots of pure water, fruit and vegetables to it.  Remember that you are what you eat.  Do you feel heavy?  Are you eating heavy starchy foods?  Or too much meat?  Get real about what you are putting into your unique temple.
  • Treat your body to regular exercise.  Do something that you enjoy.  It is useless to commit to an exercise regime when you hate it.  Play to your strengths.  Do you like to take a walk in a forest or along a beach?  Do you enjoy dancing?  Find out what you like to do and fit it into a fitness routine.  Cater to your needs and preferences.
  • Take time out to be in nature — go to the beach, climb mountains, hike in fields or simply sit under a tree.  Reconnect with the Earth — this is your home.  Find the beauty that is on your doorstep.
  • Get creative.  Take time out to muck about.  Get a hobby, rekindle your interest for photography or art.  Give yourself time to explore a creative avenue.
  • Play.  Connect with the inner child every once in a while (preferably as much as you can).  Play in sand, dance in the rain, laugh your head off — let your hair down and stop caring about what anyone thinks.  What do you think?  That’s all that matters.
  • Eat lots of dark chocolate.  I don’t know how important this step is but I thought it might round this list off nicely.  However, it has been proven to release happy endorphins in your body, so a little shouldn’t hurt!  Click here for an article on the positive effects of eating chocolate.
New Years Resolutions…

So, this new year make your resolutions about you and reconnecting to your divine self.  Explore your inner depths and uncover your I AM presence.  If you make yourself a top priority, you will be strong enough to help others on their path.

Be kind and compassionate towards yourself and you will then be able to find it easier to relate to others and to see the connection we all have with each other.

Separation is the Illusion, unity is our reality.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

This year may feel chaotic and turbulent but you can always transmute any energy to your advantage.

You can choose to be the butterfly, free and beautiful or you can get stuck in the hurricane of chaos and drama.

Choices map out our future.  Make sure you choose from your heart.  It is easy to get caught up in drama if you don’t remain grounded and coherent in your thinking patterns.

Detach from drama and be the still presence.  Be compassionate and loving whilst remaining firm and grounded.

Happy New Year everybody!

My new book is due for release soon…

Out now…

John Cleese – Pushing Boundaries Through Comedy

WARNING:  PG 13 – Foul language used in this blog

I was fortunate enough to be able to go and see John Cleese‘s new show ‘Alimony Tour’ in 2012.

“Without these ground-breaking, side-splitting writers and actors we might never have broken the barrier of vulgar, fowl and completely insane comedy”

I have always been a huge fan of Fawlty Towers and Monty Python, not to mention A Fish Called Wanda and the latest triumph, ‘Spud’ – a movie made from the South African novel of the same title by John Van De Ruit.

The childhood memories of Basil Fawlty and the ‘deceased parrot’ skit are some of my fondest.  This so-called ‘black/dark’ humor has been my life-line in many occasions and it is all due to the genius of pioneer comedians such as Cleese and the Python team, as well as Connie Booth (Cleese’s first wife and co-writer and star of Fawlty Towers).

Without these ground-breaking, side-splitting writers and actors we might never have broken the barrier of vulgar, fowl and completely insane comedy.

Pushing Boundaries

Cleese mentioned that he was the first person to say ‘shit’ on the BBC and consequentially went on to be the ‘first’ person to say ‘fuck’ at the church memorial service for his fellow writer/actor/friend, Graham Chapman.  A tribute, Cleese declared, that his friend, Chapman, would have wanted him to fulfill at Chapman’s expense *grin*.

“With their light of humor, they shone laughter and mirth into the hearts of millions who needed to be uplifted from their daily grind.”

The Python team went on to push all sorts of boundaries with their completely zany comedy skits and movies.  The one thing they did achieve through this was a world-wide fan base and some of the best and most diverse comedy to hit the screens ever!

This opened up new avenues and diverse channels for finding humour in the mundane and darkest of places.  What’s life about if we can’t take the Micky out of everything!

Comedic pioneers, with their light of humour, shone laughter and mirth into the hearts of millions who needed to be uplifted from their daily grind.

On With the Show…

Mona Lisa grinThe show was about Cleese’s personal and professional history and what a journey it was!  From the humble beginnings in a one-horse town to the moment David Frost called him up to be on telly – the show takes you through the trials and tribulations of this mans extraordinary life.

Mother Cleese

I loved the story of his mother.  In a nutshell, she lived to be 101 years old – being born in 1900 and passing away in 2001, she experienced a centuries worth of tumultuous history – living through WW1, WW2 and the cold war – just to name a few major events.

However, according to Cleese, she never really noticed any of it due to her incessant fears, worries and phobias.  Something he later turned around when he offered to hire a hitman to ‘take her out’ if it made her feel better.  This made her laugh about her situation and from that moment onward they shared a special bond through his talent of ‘black comedy’.

The Effect on the Masses

What stood out for me during the performance was how all the thousands of people in the audience responded to some of the clips he was showing from his various shows.  The crowd was applauding, giving standing ovations and laughing merrily.

“When you have the ability to laugh, you have the ability to heal.”

This brought me to think:  How wonderful is laughter?!  It can unite so many people under its umbrella.  It can make us look at situations and find the humor, no matter how diverse in nature.

Laughter is the Best Damn Medicine

The human being has this wonderful gift – to laugh.  And, more importantly, to laugh at ourselves.  So many times, we take ourselves and situations too seriously.  When you have the ability to laugh, you have the ability to heal.

Be lighthearted and find something to laugh about every day.  You will reduce stress and you will be a fantastic person to be around.

Go on – have a laugh!

A Parting Word of Thanks (Just Don’t Mention the War!)

Thank you, John Cleese, and all the other comedians who pushed the boundaries and gave us all something to laugh about!  The echoes of laughter will linger long after you have moved on.

You leave this planet a much more jolly place to be in.  You all deserve medals for your contributions to pant-wetting.

Other articles you may enjoy:

What is Free and Priceless in the World Today?

Why Weird is the New Cool

The Dummies Guide to Awakening

7 Proven Tactics to Spread Joy Around the World

Does The Sun Shine Out Of Your Bottom?

Dare to Be Who You Are

A Practical Guide to Feeling Good