Dream the impossible February 25, 2008
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Dreaming the impossible is what Martin Strel, a long distance swimmer, did when he swam the Amazon River in 66 days which was 3274 miles or 5300 kilometres.
I came across this story and I was amazed that someone would ever take on such a dangerous challenge and success in spite of having to deal with Piranha fish, crocodiles, anacondas, river sharks and the dangerous heat of the sun.
Martin Strel is a man from Slovenia and he did this swim to highlight to the world the need to save the forests, maintain clean water and for more peace in the world. I have not read his book, however, the reviews on amazon.com show this story to be truly inspirational. I checked out Strel´s web site and the videos are amazing. It makes me think that I have not dreamed big enough!
Doing the impossible is something nearly all of us can do if we have the vision, commitment, the support and the willingness to transcend our life if it means that. This is exactly what Mr Strel did – he was close to death when he finished the swim, however, he made it through.
The attached video shows an interview after he did the swim and he points to his head in terms of where the answers and dreams are born. He set his goal, he believed in it and he took massive action. The keys for manifestation and attracting the dreams you really want.
In one of his articles he is quoted as saying..
“Do not have fears in front of something that you do not know if you can pass, just set it up in a right and proper way, never give up and some day your dreams will come true”
Law of attraction and the collective mind February 1, 2008
Posted by jameskilgarriff in Law of Attraction, Peace Project Initiative.2 comments
Although each us us has an individual mind and we attract into our lives that which we think and feel about, we are also connected into a collective mind or as Carl Jung refers to “the collective unconscious”.
If we take the idea that what you place your energy and attention on you get as an individual and then take that to the level of the collective mind then if we are collectively thinking about say an economic recession and conflicts in the world then that is what we manifest at a national and global level.
It may be a hard one to accept but I think we choose our own political leaders from our thought vibrations. So if a leader is lacking in integrity it could be that the dominant vibration in a nation is of a similar nature.
In his book “Power versus Force” Dr David Hawkins refers to this as 15% of the people in the world vibrate a level of integrity and responsibility and counterbalance 85% of the rest of the world which on a calibration scale are less than integrous.
So when we see natural disasters, financial markets spiralling downwards, economic downturns or economic upturns then much of this is based on our collective thought vibrations.
The key to all of this is to simply take responsibility for your own vibration and work on yourself which will indirectly improve the whole system. If more people take responsibility and act from a place of integrity and respect for self, for others and the planet then our collective vibrations moves up and the implications of this is beyond what we could imagine in terms of benefit to the whole vibration of the world and its people.
Eagle and Condor prophesy December 12, 2007
Posted by jameskilgarriff in Peace Project Initiative, Quantum Physics.Quantum Thinking.add a comment
As a co founder of a Peace Initiative in Spain, Avalon Project, I get the opportunity to network with many peace NGO´s and groups around the world and I came across a compelling prophesy: the eagle and the condor prophesy as told by the indigenous people of Ecuador.
There is no doubt that the world has entered into a new phase of awakening and themes such as Quantum Thinking is one of the enablers for the fusion of the intellect and the heart or intuition. The Quantum Field responds not just to thinking but also to emotions which is its main currency of communication. It is up to us to decide what we want to focus our intentions on and bring into this material world a world that is sustainable for all.
The Eagle and Condor prophesy states that the eagle represents the power of the intellect and the people´s of north (western world) . They will through genius of the human mind reach a sophistication materially and will become spiritually impoverished unless they work with the condor people who value the essence of spirit, intuition and community. The condor people (such as the indigenous people) will also reach a zenith where they will need the help of the eagle people who have the technologies and material strengths.
The indigenous people explain that the planet goes through 500 year cycles and the last one that end was at the time of Columbus. It was predicted that the time of the eagle would dominate for 500 years however, the eagle would need the wisdom of the condor for the new phase on the planet otherwise the Eagle would no longer survive. That phase has already begun and answers to the worlds problems are needed now.
Its was predicted that the Eagle and Condor will come together and fly together in the sky. This is about the birthing of a new way in the world, a way of more peace and sustainability.
We are working to diffuse the information called The Symposium that Pachamama organisation in San Franciso has created to bring to the western world a model of thinking and awareness that includes sustainability, social justice and a spiritual dimension to enable us to create a better future for humanity.
I recommend you find out more about this by going to the Pachamama web site.
Getting past the ego December 11, 2007
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Getting past the ego is a challenge for anyone aspiring to live a life in flow and attraction.
This article just touches on the theme, however this small contribution can make changes happen in your life when you are ready to give it a try.
The biggest game the ego can create is when one says “I know that” or “I am right”. Taking positions and sticking to them like your life depends on it can cause so much conflict and blocks out any form of flow between you and the person you are in the challenge with. This also goes for when you are convinced within yourself that something is right and you are closed off to other paths or solutions that perhaps could short cut your efforts.
At times you are right and you do know what is best, however, it is the stubborn, digging your heals in attitude that creates tension within you and the person you are directing your attention on when you say “I know that”.
I recently gave a workshop in Spain on aspects of releasing old beliefs that no longer serve us and this one theme got people thinking and realising how much we hold up our corner of discussion with this attitude.
This also goes for Governments in conflict with other Governments as each side knows that they are in the right or God is on their side and so there is no option but to have a war. Positionality can be a dangerous thing if we lack appropriate awareness.
The way I go around this is to work with the beliefs or attitude that “I prefer to be kind than be right”. I even say to myself quietly “I prefer to be rich than be right”. It sounds funny, however, I like the idea of being financially liberated and proved wrong by someone than be struggling financially and being right all the time and feeding the ego its daily diet.
It is like force versus power – force is the “I know that” attitude and I will stick with it no matter what and power is the aspect of kindness and openness. I refer to this as the new paradigm of thinking. Our true power lies beyond the ego, in a place of integrity, kindness and openess.
I hope this article has placed in seed in you in getting past the ego and to work on being kind rather than right.
The Square root principle December 4, 2007
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The square root principle explains the fact that a very small percentage of the population is all that is needed to kick start a change in consciousness in a community.
Scientific studies have proved these principles and have found that when people in a group share a common experience of consciousness the effects can be detected beyond the group itself.
In 1972 an experiment was carried out in the USA where 24 cities with populations over 10,000 people experienced meaningful changes to their communities when as few as 100 people participated in group meditations which had the affect of reducing crimes and violence for a period of time.
This phenomena was labelled the “Maharishi effect” named after a spiritual teacher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who initiated many peace initiatives like this. He believed that only a very small percentage of people were needed to enable a change of vibration in communities and just the idea of meditating on the thought or feeling of peace was enough. In other words, the meditators did not have to send out peace intentions to others, instead just be in the space of peace.
The square root principle can be quantified to the square root of 1% in order to kick start changes – √1.
To start a change in the consciousness of the world of 8 billion people, using the square root of 1, the numbers of people needed to start the process of is 8000!
Note – this is not to make a change but to begin a change in the world consciousness. Also, I would suggest that this is a guide only to the fact that a few people can make a significant difference in the world.
So it is not necessary to have everyone on the planet to shift consciousness to redress the imbalance – it starts with a few people and gradually grows from there.
This quote illustrates this point so well:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”
Margaret Mead
US anthropologist & popularizer of anthropology (1901 – 1978)
Letter from Chief Seattle November 23, 2007
Posted by jameskilgarriff in Peace Project Initiative.1 comment so far
I represent a Peace NGO, Avalon Project, in Spain. We are committed to bringing into our local communities principles for a sustainable future based on the UN Earth Charter.
A spiritual revolution is happening at great speed where people have an intuition that our perception of the world and the way we live has to change like NOW. We have very little time.
Chief Seattle wrote the attached letter in the 1800´s in response to the American government´s offer to purchase tribal land. The letter´s message and impact is strong and although there are viewpoints that the letter may have been inaccurate, the message is nonetheless appropriate for the current situation that is happening on our planet.
We have to think more in terms of respect for all people and for the world and environment we live in which accurately reflects the Earth Charter´s principles for a Culture of Peace in the world in the 21st century.
Here is the letter from Chief Seattle:
“The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.
We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.
The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father.
The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.
If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.
Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.
Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.
When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?
We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother’s heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us.
As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.
One thing we know – there is only one God. No man, be he Red man or White man, can be apart. We ARE all brothers after all.”
Having a Vision Attracts November 19, 2007
Posted by jameskilgarriff in Attraction Principles in Business, Law of Attraction, Peace Project Initiative.1 comment so far
Having a vision attracts to you the people, circumstances and opportunities that would otherwise not come your way if you are not concious or have not formulated in your mind a compelling vision.
When I worked for a a large Telecommunications company we were always discussing what the vision or mission statement of the company was. The idea is that all concerned would be aware of the vision daily and we were aspiring to make that vision a reality.
If you are not excited about a vision then the chances are the vision will not come to fruition. Everyone concerned has to buy into that vision and feel good about it if it is ever going to happen. I have found that most visions in large companies come from the top down and in a vision statement so many companies have a default line: “to meet shareholder´s expectations” or words to that effect.
What I would like to suggest is that you consider some of the trends in business and society and look to connect to that potential vision and contribute to it.
A great definition of a vision is: “Something much bigger than you that may not come about in your life time but you will contribute to it anyway”.
The vision will usually be about an idea that is going to happen even if you are not part of it – It will happen anyway. The difference will be your personal contribution. In other words, work towards making it manifest and do not get attached to any specific outcomes.
What tends to happen is that you find yourself alot happier knowing that you are giving it your best and you are not necessarily responsible to make make it happen.
Consider some of the early trends going on in business and society and see if you can hook into them and that you feel excited about the trend. For example in my case I see a vision of the world living in more peaceful ways than today. This vision may not happen in my lifetime, however, I am only focused in doing the best I can to add to that vision. I notice each day more and more people are talking about creating more peace and reducing conflicts. It is an idea who´s time has come – as far as I am concerned.
If we look at business – more and more larger organisations are taking on sustainability ideas and making these part of their business strategies. Sustainability will only become a bigger idea as each year goes by.
Look at the internet – social networks are exploding and the trend is that we share with each other our ideas, interests and aspirations. I am part of the Facebook social network and I link to “friends” and like monded people all around the globe. Facebook is growing at a rate much faster than the founder of Facebook ever thought possible. Social networks are now being considered by large organisations and so what has started as an idea on the internet is moving quickly into the corporate world.
So if you are looking for a vision, look at were there are new or yet to be new trends.
A great question which I have borrowed from a Thomas Leonard from Coachville on discovering a vision is..
“Is there something that could be done in this lifetime that could never happen, but I would love to see it happen – what would that be?”
So to conclude this post: having a vision attracts, is coming from discovering what is already a potential based on trends or one´s gut feeling on what will be the next big thing both in business and society.
Avalon Project brings Religions together to talk Peace November 13, 2007
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Towards the end of last year Avalon Project, initiated and coordinated an inter religious dialogue between Moslems, Buddhists, Christian and Jewish traditions on many aspects of conflict resolution and how we can all work together to create more Peace in the World.
The conference was held in Seville, Spain with a full attendance with radio and TV coverage. Attached is a video of the conference. It is in Spanish, however, the clip provides a flavour of what we are doing here in Spain to promote Peace and a new awakening in the world.
The common thread that came from the conference is that peace is at the heart of each tradition. It is easy for us to judge certain religions as being a certain way, however, when sincere and open dialogue takes place many of the beliefs one may have of a particular religion is just our own limited perception or belief.
Many us often say: “religion is the cause of the misery and conflicts in the world”. In many instances this can be an accurate statement. Religion has its politics and so the heart of the religions is eclipsed by fixed viewpoints such as “God is on our side”.
Fortunately “God”or “Spirit” is beyond politics and egos trying hard to prove they are right and the other is wrong.
If we take the Law of Attraction, which is neutral view: “That which I give my attention, energy and focus I will get more of, whether I like it or not”.
So if I am a person who continues to observe what is wrong with a certain religion, I will observe even more of the same. Thoughts and proof coming back to me on a daily basis.
I suggest we switch this around and observe what is at the heart of each religious tradition – Peace – and keep our mind´s attention on that more often. Also, I suggest we focus on what is good about religion. It is there is you look hard, for example, religion does provide a vehicle for people to have faith and comfort in something even if you are not religious.
I see myself as “spiritual” rather than religious and so from that standpoint I choose to respect each tradition whether I approve of it or not.
If we can give Peace a chance then part of that is to look for the good in each religion and each culture and allow them to be as they are. From there a healthy dialogue can start to bring new solutions to the conflict humanity has imposed on itself over many centuaries.
We are at the decision point in humanity and we must decide as to how we can all resolve our indifferences, not so much for us but for future generations and for the stability of the planet we live on.
Is peace in the world possible? November 2, 2007
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The idea of world peace has been a theme for hundreds of years. The world has reached a decision point as to where we go next. If we don´t change our ways and our attitudes to creating a more sustainable world over the next 50 years, the planet may get rid of us through natural distasters and so on. Our generation may not be affected, however, its the next generation that will have to find the solutions.
The belief system of the world mindset is: peace is impossible and it cannot be changed because that´s the way it has always been and always will be.
Perhaps it is too idealistic to have total world peace, however, we have to start somewhere. A re balancing the the mindset of the world is required as most of us are programmed for conflict, living in hostility, us versus them attitude.
In his compelling book Power Versus Force, Dr David Hawkins, a well respected writer on conciousness, suggests that 15% of the world population is counterbalancing 85% of the rest of the world. The 15% are the people who are working on themselves to grow and express their compassion, creativity, courage and integrity. Dr Hawkins proposes that not all of us need to be working on evolving ourselves, however, the more of us that do this the more we will start to evolve the collective mindset and so the world consciousness will create a sustainable future for the planet.
85% of the world population is living in a way where conflict is a way of life and integrity is just a foreign word. According to Dr Hawkins if the the 15% of us left the planet tomorrow the world would suffer and world conflicts would get to a point where humanity would check out very quickly.
Dr Hawkins does point out that the collective world conciousness has actually “jumped” to a point where the overall integrity of the world has improved and this came about in 1987. Overall there is hope for humanity as more and more people are realising that attitudes such as kindness, integrity, courage, compassion, forgiveness, and love are what empower us as individuals and collectively.
If we consider the Quantum Physics viewpoint. Everything is connected to everything else. If I am in Spain and living a life of compassion, I will affect myself in positive ways as well as the whole system.
If we think of the internet. If I send out a software update to improve the network communication, that one software update that I worked on, improves the whole system within seconds. In a way, the internet is a clue to say we are now more interconnected than at any other time and a change in one part of the world wide web will affect the other parts.
By working on being peace, one by one, we then start affecting our families, communities and the world at large.
I cannot give out that which I do not have. However, by taking responsibility and creating a mindset of kindness, peace and personal integrity I can give this out and more will come back to me.
Peace Project – Culture of Peace in the World October 31, 2007
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I came to Spain over 4 years ago to help set up a Peace Project which forms its base on the Earth Charter. This idea has been forming in the minds of the Peace Group members for 15 years.
I do believe that Peace is an idea who´s time has come and hence my choice to get involved with this and contribute in some way.
What is the Earth Charter:
The Earth Charter is a widely recognized, global consensus statement on ethics and values for a sustainable future. Developed over a period of ten years, in what has been called the most extensive global consultation process ever associated with an international declaration, the Earth Charter has been formally endorsed by over 2,500 organizations, including global institutions such as UNESCO and the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
The Earth Charter Introduction states..
We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.
The Peace NGO of which I am part of is the Avalon Project – Initiative for a Culture of Peace. Currently the web site is in Spanish, however, you will get a good idea of what we are doing here in Spain.
The Culture of Peace initiative came from UNESCO´s Manifesto 2000 and the principles of the Manifesto 2000 are a shortened version of the Earth Charter.
The Avalon Project´s aim are very much based on the principles of the Earth Charter. The main principles include:
I. RESPECT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE
II. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY
III. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
IV. DEMOCRACY, NONVIOLENCE, AND PEACE
The Avalon Project has a membership of over 200 members who are spread in various cities around Spain and meet frequently to create initiatives for locally based peace Initiatives.
An important focus for us is the development of the individual´s inner dimension so that members have the resources to grow and evolve and so act and live as examples of Peace enablers.
The key is about evolving the individual first before we consider affecting the external world. Right now we are forming groups of educators for peace, we are working with ecological and social projects projects. Also we have a musical and theatrical aspect to the project and our objective is to create musicals that can be diffused to a wide audience as the medium of music affects people at profound levels.
We work also with all the core religious traditions as well as embrace the scientific aspects of thinking using Quantum Physics. We see a clear role where the Quantum Physics view is a neutral element which potentially provides a common thread between the core spiritual traditions in ways that foster the best aspects from each religion.
The theme of peace and conflict resolution is sweeping the world as people everywhere want sustainable solutions. Peace is an idea whose time has come.
