Your subconscious mind: Friend or Saboteur? You choose.

We are all born (free of charge!) with the most awesome piece of equipment in the universe.
Most of our lives it just lies idling in our skulls because we didn't get operating instructions with it. We simply don't have a clue how to use it so we simply blunder through our lives without direction. We accept what life throws at us and try to cope as best we can.
It will probably take mankind many more generations before we learn the ability to utilise the full power of our conscious minds.  We can, however, make a difference right now.
The good news: there's a simple little ON/OFF switch with which we can start taking control and get some direction in our lives.

I'm not trying to sell you something. I'm trying to tell you something. So learn:

Your subconscious mind programs your conscious mind to do, feel, act and respond in the way that it is programmed to do. Without realising it, you are personally in charge of that programming. Yet you allow other people and external events and impressions to do your programming for you. And then you live according to that, believing there is no alternative.  

The subconscious mind is like a very young child: it does not have the ability to reason. It simply accepts. It cannot evaluate things and it is unable to make decisions as to what is right or wrong, fact or fiction. It accepts without any elaboration, and obeys.  It passes on the instructions, which the conscious mind accepts as valid programming, and acts accordingly.  If an incompetent teacher tells you repeatedly that you can't do maths, your subconscious mind will program your conscious mind accordingly.  Once the belief has been programmed in, that's it - no maths for you. Which is a load of bull - you have merely been programmed into believing you can't. This same principle applies to everything else too: preconceived ideas and beliefs: once programmed into your conscious mind it is unquestioningly accepted as fact, and you live your life accordingly.

This quagmire sucks the potential of life out of you - step outside the box and start controlling your own destiny: Reprogram.

The three magic words are repetition, repetition and repetition. This "very young child" is a little hard of hearing. Although hypnosis opens the easy access door, persistent perseverance has the same end result. To use the maths example:  Slowly, clearly and persistently keep repeating to yourself  "I can do maths".
And no, you won't wake up one morning as the reincarnation of Albert Einstein. You will not be entitled to claim your PhD from the nearest university. But you will remove the block from your conscious mind, opening the ability to learn maths.  If you want to. The hard work is then up to you, with the difference that you now can do it.  No quick-fix.

Unfortunately most students in life are under the illusion that knowledge can be acquired through a process of osmosis. Just being there isn't good enough: it takes work - lots of it. But the certain knowledge that you have the ability gives you a tremendous head-start.

More good news: the maths example was just that - an example. This principle of reprogramming your subconscious mind applies to everything in your life. Everything. Keep repeating with conviction and wipe out all the negative programming. It is ridiculously easy. You can choose whether your subconscious mind is going to be your wings or your brakes.

Only two kinds of people in this world:  Those who make things happen, and those who wonder what happened.

Welcome to your bright new world!

 

And now for something completely different

You will love her, and you will loathe her. She will shock you, and she will make you cry.

    Michelle Montagne’s genes held the potential for greatness and success - she was both brilliant and beautiful. Fate had dealt her a good hand, but kept all the aces.  Her destiny was determined by external events from a very tender age, and her life became a continuous battle between doubt and trust, right and wrong. When fate was not kind to her, she fought it like a tiger.

Gran Ferri, her eccentric maternal grandmother, watched her wild genes bloom to womanhood, sometimes with wonder, sometimes with sadness.

Despite all our wishes and dreams of happiness and everlasting love, nothing in life is really free, and nothing lasts forever.

This novel transcends the limitations of genres – it is about the realities of life and a very unique woman’s quest for love and recognition. 

Available worldwide on Amazon Kindle, Apple, Sony, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Smashwords and other retailers. 

The vicious circle of aches and pains.

This is bound to be one of my less popular postings, but once you stop seething at my lack of compassion it might be a good idea to take another look and contemplate the issue with an open mind.

I'm a good listener, and I find people simply love talking about their suffering. Seems to be their favourite topic. Often the only topic. I am not saying some people are not suffering, but hell, mankind cannot be in such a sorry state.  Just about everybody seems to be moaning and complaining about their special and very unique ailment.  And if they can affix an impressive-sounding label to it, so much the better:  "I got some bad medical news today - Doctor told me I've got fibro myalgia."  It has an ominous ring to it and it currently seems to be the flavour of the month. Sounds impressive - gotta have it. Lots of expensive pills, to be taken in the correct sequence and come see me again in a month.  They might even have to run some tests, too.

And then there is the old favourite "one of my headaches".  Not just any old headache, oh no - "mine".

It is a well known fact that our subconscious mind plays a major part in our well-being. With a concerted effort you can think yourself into just about any ailment of choice. Once your mind has convinced your body that it is sick, it will really be. Continuous repetition and confirmation will do it for you.  Sick as a dog, and down the vortex you go. Your life will become a misery.

The good news is that the opposite is also true.  Give it a shot and climb out of that black hole.  Greet yourself in the mirror every morning: "Good morning, Sunshine. We're going to have a great day!"  Just about everybody you meet will say "how are you?"  Then don't fall back by going "aaargh, ugh ugh..." and starting on your discourse.

"Top of the morning to you! I haven't felt this good in a long time. Is that a Cape Robin-Chat I hear? Just listen..."



  

Trekking with tree climbing lions, gorillas and chimpanzees. Wildest Africa.

Eh?

My daughter Linda and Kirsten have just returned from honeymoon in Uganda.  For them, no sugary white sand dotted with palm trees, islands and glittering hotels.
Nope - a month of roughing it off the beaten track, sleeping in a (very) small tent surrounded by roaring lions and other stuff that go bump in the night.

The wife and I did not sleep well.  I suppose one would from time have to time pay the price for that wild gene.
But then, that's how everlasting memories are made.

Under the watchful eye of the Silverback a youngster took a liking to the camera and kept showing off his climbing skills: check out the short clip on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=515fD9nSl1M

They spent ten hours on the fringes of a troop of more than a hundred foraging chimpanzees.

Truly an awesome experience, extending my bucket list once more.  I oft wonder if there is such a thing as reincarnation - there is still so much out there to see and do, and so little time...

Worship in a Temple with no roof, and no middle man.

Be in a nice place at first light, with not another soul in sight.
Don't ask for anything - rather spend your time saying 'Thank You'.
Every time your heart squirts another load of richly oxygenated blood into your arteries, say Thank You.
If you have one single person on this planet who loves you, you have enough to say Thank You for.

Stay like this for a while, and experience what happens next: your mind will open up, expand and cleanse itself.

For those of you who understand Afrikaans, here is a poem I wrote some thirty years ago:-

Leun jou hoof teen myne
  laat jou siel los en luister...
hoor jy ook die onding
  skreeuend in die duister...

In my is iets wat moet uit
  eers wurgend my siel dan smekend die drif
stadig maar seker,
  soos 'n adder se gif...

Just open up and let go.

Life is only on loan.  Say Thank You for it, and make every moment count.

Egotistical euthanasia of a rhino?

At an auction at the Dallas Safari Club someone has just paid $350 000 for the privilege of killing/hunting/euthanasing a black rhino in Namibia.
It was actually sold as a licence to hunt a black rhino.

So what is really the truth behind all the spin this has created?  The way I see it, it can be any of the following:
1. Dirty money. Pure and simple - a rhino dies and some pockets are getting a padded lining.
2. Honourable money - the money (all of it) will actually be intelligently spent towards survival of the species. Speaking of which: Are the decision makers fully informed on the species Diceros bicornis? Are they aware that out of the seven subspecies, three are already extinct? The subspecies currently on the brink of extinction is Diceros bicornis occidentalis - restricted to a few wildlife reserves in Namibia. Are they going to ensure the victim does not belong to this subspecies? Could be the last one, guys... Just saying.
3. A specific animal. There are rumours that a specific rhino is on the verge of dying, and instead of letting nature take its course, it can be euthanased with a heavy caliber rifle by someone crazy enough to pay a fortune for the 'privilege'.  The person may even refer to the exercise as 'hunting'.
4. The Namibian Authorities are sticking to their guns on a rather ancient decision that five hunting licences will be issued annually to hunt black rhino. If so, they have been living on a different planet over the last decade or two.

Sad to say, but this little planet we call home is in a sorry state.

POACHER

The re-edited third edition of this novel has just gone live on Amazon.
It is currently in the top 1% on the Amazon.com bestseller list.
On the Adventure/drama ..Romance list it is No 65 on Amazon.com.