Vote for yourself

I have had very little interest in politics over the years. It's a boring mess of blandly neutral, privately schooled beurocrats, totally disconnected from real society, and afraid of thinking outside the box or rocking the boat, lest it should distance them from voters, in the sickly game of social seduction, where the world is promised, but once the votes have been cast, little is delivered. Leaving the only winners the politicians themselves.

I have not heard a great leaders speech in my lifetime from the mouth of a politician. A speech that talks to our hearts and our beliefs, and inspires something within us. Not one founded in the dreary world of finance, healthcare and statistics about employment. These are all formalities of politics, don't bore us with them and parade them as a sales pitch.

Most of the structures that form society as we know it are crumbling, almost every country in the world is in colossal debt, every day a new huge crisis is reported on the news. The health service can't cope, the road networks are jammed, the financial structure upon which everything is formed is fundamentally flawed, there aren't enough jobs to go around, nobody has any money and the schools are failing the next generation. And yet these people that call themselves leaders don't take a step back, look at this bigger picture, see that a transformation of society is what's needed, and bring it. As far as I can see now is the time to cast off any any safety net, and with nothing to lose, take a risk. Throw out these outdated ideas and bring something new to the table. Because the table is currently straining under the rotting mess that they have been piling up for far too long.

I believe that there is a positive way forward that would work, on every level. It embodies all that i have spoken about in previous blog posts, one of small, local, sustainable action. A life that doesn't depend upon a financial organisation to fund unnecessary change, that then leaves you helplessly indebted and under the power of somebody else. 

I'm talking about each person taking responsibility for their own life and how they live it. And only then would we see the strain ease on all of the national services, as people would take their health and happiness into their own hands. Then we would see a change in society, and a transformation of an entire nation. 

Who knows where we'll end up?

Most of what I see when I look around is people that are confined to their lives, having been led to believe that the way to succeed in life is to spend your days doing whatever it takes to fund a life that they say you should lead. Then the credit card debt talks of everything that has been paid for to try and make this bland existence at least bearable. And what I deal with everyday is people coming to me asking how to find happiness, can they reach it, is it even out there?

It is, it's a lot closer than you think. All it takes is rediscovering what you believe, rekindle the flame of whatever truly lights you up and make it possible, whatever that takes. And in the beginning it's hard, it feels scary, it feels like a big risk. But let me assure you, that feeling of security that you get from the safe life that you lead is actually what is getting in the way of a life you love.

Think of yourself as a boat, the safe life you have formed is the rope that ties you to shore, its stops you from sinking in the storm, but it also stops you from floating away and discovering a whole new world, it confines you. And the safer it feels, i'm afraid the bigger the rope that ties you down.

What I hear from people, especially around this time, pre-election, is how the government is responsible for their happiness, and what they want to know is what are they going to do to rectify that. Well i'm afraid your happiness is something that you are responsible for. 

The happiness of a nation cannot be found in statistics or measurable results of any kind. This world is obsessed with measuring, and nothing can be counted as important unless it can be measured. And politicians seem to only talk in a language of measurement.

Reuben revelling in the opportunity of responsibility

One of my favourite quotes is this: 
"Because we cannot measure the things that have the most meaning, we give the most meaning to the things we can measure." 
And this has never been more true than it is today. We need to stop focussing on the measurable, meaningless things in life, and start to give some time and space to those things that can't be measured. Love, passion, creativity, beauty, integrity and belief.

Right now they are trying to revive a dying plant by cutting off branches. Look at the roots, look down, discover what's missing, and put it there, and in time life will come back to the limbs that you were going to cut off.

So leaders, don't sell me your 20 point plan that eliminates the national debt. Tell me what you are going to do to inspire action from the people, tell me what you believe and what your dreams of a future society look like, and tell me how you see Britain flourish from the ground up. 

Make this one count

This morning I woke up, and the first lines of a poem were going around in my head, so before i gt out of bed, i wrote them down, then out came the whole poem. 

It is about making today count, and living those dreams that have lying dormant for too long. Today is the day to dust them off. Don't let today just pass by like all the rest.



Make This One Count

So, what about today, what will it bring?
As the moon slowly sinks beneath the earths rim,
A new day that's full of hope and surprises,
The sun brings a newly clean slate as it rises.
Will today be the day that you'll never forget
With your dreams dusted off, there's no time for regret.
So many have passed in forgotten monotony,
And they've taken with them not a piece, but a lot of me. 
So now is the time to make this day count
Because of the days left, there's a finite amount,
So stand up, be counted, leave your mark in history,
Don't let your dreams be a sad death bed mystery.
Life deserves beauty, love, risk and grace,
If not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.
So where you're now standing, leave a mark on the ground,
Something that when you're gone will be found.
Then they will know, that you walked you're own stride,
And you weren't just another one along for the ride.
So make your mark, start building your dreams today,
Then they'll live here forever, when you've faded away.

I hope it provokes some thought.

Oliver

Simple Pleasures

The weekend brought us some incredible weather down in Devon,  Warm spring days, full of sunshine and blue skies. We spent the weekend spotting all the signs of spring, the bank of snowdrops in our garden, the crocusses and primroses, cherry trees in blossom. And although it's not yet technically spring yet, this weekend had us all fooled.

The Family on the gorgeous beach.

We spent Saturday afternoon on the beach, with the moon close to full, the spring tide meant that at low tide the rock pools were uncovered. I don't remember the last time I experienced such a sense of excitement and deep happiness shared with the children, socks and shoes were discarded and we lost track of time as we searched the pools for crabs, fish, shrimps starfish and other amazing creatures. Our joy was so visible that it spread and before we knew it other children joined in.

This was a kind of happiness that can only be experienced when all else is forgotten, and the shared experience of excitement is tangible and all consuming to the point where children show behaviour that many parents think that their children lack. Selflessness, kindness and taking joy in others happiness,

Some of the beautiful treasures from the beach

This experience, is one of life's most important and valuable lessons. Learning that the experience of sharing happiness, means that everyone has it. Learning that putting someone elses experience of life before yours, means that everyone is happy.

Our experiences in childhood shape our lives forever, what we love, what makes us happy. It's when we decide which ways of being are the best to survive the harsh world, and how to use them. It's when we create our happiest memories. And all of our happiest times as an adult will be when we tap into those times as a child when we had the ability to get lost in moments, get taken away by imagination or dream beyond the limiting reasonable-ness that we constrict our lives with as adults. We can all remember a time when life was limitless. And having that memory is such an important part of being alive.

Bobby the butterfish

If we can give our children the opportunity to learn that when they give to others, not only will they bring happiness to others and enhance their experience of life, but they will themselves find happiness in that. Then this will live with them forever. And they will take it into adulthood and spread it across the world. And god knows the world could use it.

I believe that selfless generosity is one of the most powerful tools that we as humans have in our kit. I know from my own experience that the times that my life felt the smallest and I felt most frustrated or unhappy, were times when I was focusing more on making myself happy. These were times when I put myself first, I was taking, and trying to find happiness for myself.

I also know that the best way to expand our experience of the world, find fulfillment and real, lasting happiness is to give, share and spread any kind of love you can. And the most powerful time to give is when you don't think you have enough.

This is the way life works: If there is something missing from your life, give it away, and suddenly, as if by magic, there it is.

If it's missing from your party, bring it!

If you feel that there is no love in your life, give some away, and you will have it. If you feel a lack of trust in your life, give someone your trust, and you will have it. And if you can't find happiness in your life, give some away, make someone else happy, and you will find it.

Be generous, kind and loving. Do it for them, and you'll be doing it for yourself.