By today’s standards, Woodstock 69 was organised by four kids – their average age just 25 years old. They expected 60,000 to attend and got half a million. Despite having little of the resources to cope with the city that unexpectedly sprung forth, somehow they managed to steer the concert through the Three Day Peace and Music Festival. The place was declared a natural disaster zone, with emergency food helicoptered in and local charities making it their mission to feed the masses. It rained heavily, and there was one porta-loo (that’s portable toilet for all those that aren’t Aussies!) for every 833 festival goer. All of this, and only 3 people died…none of which were the direct actions of another being. They proved to the world that it was possible for that many people to co-exist in harmony no matter what circumstances they were faced with. Collectively, they supported, loved, hugged and danced their way through the experience.

I wonder how they might be feeling these days, as they watch the very foundation of all that they were rebelling against, start to crumble. It’s been a long road, but four decades down the track, they are witnessing the revolution in our world that I am sure their hearts were crying out for back then. Corporate and political systems of greed and intolerance and inequity are buckling under the weight of their own irrepressible injustice. Economic, environmental, social systems are all under pressure. Things are shifting in our world. The old unsustainable ways are breaking down, to make room for new ways to emerge. New ways of doing, being and relating with one another that have mutual respect and love at their core. The same mutual respect and love that this unique group of special individuals displayed to the whole world back in the infamous year of 1969.

At the depth of my being I am filled with an immense gratitude for this moment in time, for all that it represents as we continue to create a world of love and peace.

Maestro Month, has been created by Maestro Conference, the provider of a new platform for teleconference calls that allows everyone to participate and interact with each other and the instructor in the call, rather than being silent listeners. Experts, such as Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch and Jack Canfield, have converged to discuss a range of topics covering health, personal growth, business, spirituality and societal change, every day for the month of July.You can select up to 3 conferences.

You do need to dial a US number, so for those of us outside the US we need to shell out the cost of the call. Skype might make things cheaper. For those of us in Oz – I just purchased a Telstra International Subscription Pack (I have to dial US for my study course teleclasses), which costs $10 a month and gives me $10 credit and 2 cent/per minute calls to the US. That makes a one hour class just $1.59 (incl. connection fee). Pretty good value when you consider our limited access to such high profile speakers that are making themselves available through Maestro Month.

Maybe we’ll meet each other in the conference call world

Being like this will take practise, and its going to feel strange at first because so many of us have been conditioned to construct the support from our friends by “rallying the troops” when we feel wronged by someone or something. Take an honest look at the communications you have with those around you – are you bitching and moaning about something that has happened in order to gain sympathy or support from others? How do you think this aligns with living a life of positivity? True empowerment comes from taking ownership of your actions AND reactions, and understanding that no matter what, you can choose to see things from a different angle and therefore, choose the reaction you have to any external situation.

Mahatma Gandi said it best:

“Be the change you wish to see in the world”

If you want a world where people respect each other, show loving kindness and generosity to one another, and can co-exist on this planet in harmony, then you are in the very powerful position to start creating that world by being that change you want to see. If someone does you “wrong”, then choose to find the angle of the situation that allows you the peace of mind so you can react in a loving, kind way. Faced with a life circumstance that just seems overwhelmingly unfair, then remind yourself that in every great crisis comes the greatest opportunity and look for that opportunity. Can’t see it? Then trust that the opportunity will present itself at the perfect time and work through the current situation with the inner-awareness and mindfulness of owning your reactions.

You may be saying to yourself right now “but Mandie, so and so <insert name of person who is clearly wrong in their behaviour> is just so wrong, they just shouldn’t be behaving like this” or “but Mandie, it’s just not right that I haven’t been promoted or that I’ve been retrenched when so and so <insert name of person that shouldn’t have been promoted or lost their job instead>”. And I would say: it doesn’t matter what so and so is or isn’t doing, even if it involves you. What matters is what’s happening inside of you. Are you helping create the world you want to see by reacting in the way you ultimately want others to be behaving, or have you slipped into victim mode? The power of your practise in this will fundamental change your experience in the world. I promise. The beautiful part of this practise is the more you emanate positive energy in ALL circumstances, the more circumstances that will be drawn to you that confirm your newfound positive view of the world.

Have fun exploring this new dimension of your power in the world and realise your amazing potential to help create the world exactly as you would like it to be, by BEING that change!

This photo was not taken on her wedding day. She hasn’t had one, and it’s more than likely she  never will. She loves weddings though, and has been imaginatively married on many occasions. Mum is a good sport and regularly makes her veils and adjusts Ange’s “wedding dresses” for the photo shoots. Ange even staged her own exchange of vows on my wedding day at the front, stealing the show as she kissed her imaginary new husband and twirled around merrily.

One thing I love about Ange is her wicked sense of humour. Although I am sure she wouldn’t agree with me. She takes things very seriously. But I think her actions in response to the rules and regulations placed around her living in the world are quite amusing. Take for example the fact she hates that anything needs to be kept locked away from her. Like seriously, she’s 28 years old and in her mind is as adult as the next person. So she questions – why should people be allowed to keep things locked in a manager’s office at my supported group home? In response to this, Ange has been on a campaign for years to get any keys she can find/steal/receive in order to unlock the doors in her home and workplace. Trust me, unwise to leave your keys lying around as it’s highly probable Ange will take them in the hope they will open things she wants to get into. I think once they even found her trying to jimmy open the outside window to break into the office. Ha, industrious young lass I say!

Further to Ange’s campaign of sticking it up the “authorities” that surround her, she made it known in her bedroom that it was only for “staff” (i.e. her) and ever so subtlety let everyone know. Check out the photos:

The door to Ange’s room	The “office” area in her room
A section in her room for the “tea room”	What was the door to her closet, is now “staff toilets”

I feel compelled to mention that this sort of behaviour can not be attributed just to her “disabilities”. Both Ange and I have been blessed with a genetic whirlpool of wonderfully strong genes that means we both might be perceived as having a few “issues” with authorities. Any manager who has attempted to manage me in the past might attest to this! I think my mother would be impressed here if I acknowledged that perhaps a large proportion of this challenging genetic make-up may have come from our father

Bless all the staff in Ange’s house. They work rotating shifts, so that someone is there supporting the four adults in the house 24 hours a day. They all seem to take Ange’s assertiveness in their stride and I commend them for it!

It seems rather remiss of me to have not officially introduced you to the wonderful forest I currently call home. I love it here. I wind up a dirt driveway that takes about six minutes from turning off the main road. It’s like entering a different world. A world where peak hour traffic means the one neighbour that lives further along than me drives to work in the morning, and comes home in the evening. A place where the sounds of birds, and cows, and dogs, echo across the valley during the day and the bats and possums come alive at night. Where the brightness of stars in the evening, outshine the candlelight from inside. A place that has forced me to confront my fear of snakes, by presenting me with majestic over-two-metre long versions slithering around the forest floor.

It’s also a place where nature is firmly in charge and the human residents are forced to abide by it’s rules.

Swollen creek levels after one storm

When it rains for more than a day, the creek at the bottom of the property swells to breaking point. Through the wild storms last month, I was stranded on my forest island for two nights until flooding subsided enough to cross the bridge out. When we could finally drive out, we had the hurdle of a fallen tree. Thankfully, we were able to drive under it as it had conveniently wedged itself on tree on the other side. Lucky!

The latest exciting development this week here has been a landslip of part of the driveway. When it first occurred, those of us living on the other side of it, risked driving across to get out. There was no getting back though, particularly as more of it slides away each day. So for the moment, I get to enjoy a 10 minute walk through The Forest to my car. It was particularly thrilling last night, as I trekked back late at night. Marvelling at the milky way shining down upon me, and enjoying the difference of walking through the towering trees in darkness. Until I remembered the wild dogs I have heard about residing on this property with us. I suddenly found myself quickening my pace and chuckling at myself for being such a whimp

Fallen tree after storms	Part of our driveway slips away!

Today I had the thought that I must take my big torch into town and finally get a replacement large battery for it. About a half-hour after that thought crossed my mind, Steph, my visitor who stayed over last night, called to let me know that she had accidentally kept my small (working) torch in her pocket when she left this morning. Ah-ha! It immediately made sense as to why I had suddenly decided that today must be the day to get a battery for my large torch. Pretty cool eh?

I believe we each have an all-knowing, ever-present, part of ourselves that guides us lovingly through our days and our lives. It could be known as our Higher Self, or our Soul, or just simply our gut instinct or intuition. Either way, it’s pretty amazing to realise we have an aspect of ourselves that is so infinitely intelligent! This part sees the bigger picture of our lives, the world and the connection between All That Is. The trick is to be attentive to what it’s saying, and take action when necessary rather than dismissing it.

What’s your soul trying to tell you that you need to listen to lately?

This post goes out especially for Andy and Sue in Michigan. I got an email from Sue today, saying that she keeps track of what I’m up to via this site, and particularly likes hearing about mum and Paul on the farm, given they visited them when they last came to Oz. It reminded me that I took this video of one of our many picnic outings to my parent’s farm in NSW, Australia when I was home last in March.

You also get introduced to the two women who are closest to me in life – my mum, Bev, and my sister, Ange. We were a trio for much of my teenage years. We tend to amuse ourselves pretty well when we are together, and perhaps seeing this video, you might get a little insight into what my upbringing was like. There is one spot where all three of us are talking over each other. Ahhh, yes, sometimes it does feel like we are operating on three different airwaves, but we’re family, and we love each other, and that’s the main thing

My porridge masterpiece

My friend Alex surely didn’t know what she started when she served me some porridge when I slept over at her place a couple of months ago. From a simple bowl of porridge, a creative expression of all that can be good for us in a breakfast has been born. At last count, there are now 17 ingredients in my morning bowl of porridge. I kid you not. This is the hearty of hearty bowls of porridge you could ever imagine, and something I indulge in each morning. It’s most definitely something to jump out of bed for when I wake up!

Here’s the list of what made it into this morning’s porridge:

Oats, soy milk, water, pinch of salt, chopped apple, walnuts, linseed, sunflower seeds, pepitas, grounded linseed-soy-almond mix (LSA), shredded coconut, handful of sultanas, a couple of dates, protein powder, fresh mint, a good slathering of honey and a half a kiwi fruit on top (obviously, photo included in this post was taken a few weeks ago when I first thought of informing you all of my morning ritual, hence the lack of kiwi fruit).

Mmmm-Mmmm!

There’s a reason my email inbox is in constant need of attention and energy – I find myself on so many subscription lists that I am never left wanting for something inspirational, informative or interesting to read, ever. One of my favourite daily emails, is from Neale Donald Walsch, of “Conversations with God” fame. Each morning I get my very own personal message from God, delivered via Neale. Okay, okay, I know he is sending the same message to everyone on his list, but seriously, how applicable these messages can be to what I am currently experiencing in life is so uncanny that I truly feel like the Divine is speaking to me.

I really liked the one I got today. So much so, that I wanted to share it with everyone here. I hope it speaks to the core of your Being and ignites the spark within you that knows that fulfillment and joy in life is a matter of personal choice in every instance. Change the way you think and you can change your life.

This morning’s message:

On this day of your life, Mandie, I believe God wants you to know…...that the greatest enemy of individual freedom is the individual himself.

Saul Alinsky said that, and he was right. In almost every case, nothing is stopping you, nothing is holding you back but your own thoughts about yourself and about “how life is.”

Your personal freedom to experience yourself and life as you wish is not being limited. Step into your choices and stop telling yourself that you can’t, when what you really mean is that you don’t want other people to feel the way you think they are going to feel when they see you making the choices you really want to make. Got it?

Love, Your Friend….