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TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

It’s Saturday night in 1974
and me and the boys are
heading out on the town.
We are breaking free.

After two years of studying
the results arrived today
And tonight we celebrate.
We are breaking free.

My mum will wait up for us
to come home safely.
To ensure that we are okay
as we all pretend to be sober.

And since she died, I celebrate
on many a Saturday night
not with beer, but in thanks
and by looking at the stars.

Remembering my walk home
at 2am back in 1974,
on a wonderful and precious,
starry Saturday night.

It’s now a Saturday night in 2020
and me and the wife
are flying out to Dubai.
We are breaking free.

We will stay there for fifteen nights
to meet quarantine rules,
so that we can fly on to the US
for the birth of our new grandson.

After four months
of a Covid lockdown
and living in a virtual world,
we are breaking free.

My mum will be waiting
to see that we arrive safely,
and to celebrate with us
the  arrival of her new great-grandson.

And so, we all journey onwards.
And I gaze out of the window
on this wonderful and precious,
starry Saturday night.

​TAKEAWAY
 
Let us talk of
inward reflection
rather than prayer.
 
For it is by going inwards
away from the clamour
of the world ...
 
... into the gentle silence,
that we see our real selves
reflected in love.
 
And this is what
we take into our lives
and all that we do.

​PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1.   Where do you  find the gentle silence?
2. When will you have your next takeaway? 

FOCUS GROUP
 
I got a sad meal at McDonald’s yesterday.
Don’t you mean a Happy Meal?
No, the toy was missing and
I was a little bit sad.
 
(two young friends discussing their lunch)

MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING
 
I met Fred for the first time today.
He was passionate about trying to encourage me to join
his multi-level marketing scheme in crypto currencies.
I was puzzled because Fred clearly had more money than he needed.
He’d been successful in many other ventures.
And he was well into his 70s.
 
I marvelled at Fred’s sense of drive,
 his relentless passion and his total focus on building his team.
 ‘What drives you?’, I asked.
He said that when he was younger he was told
that he needed to have seven streams of income.
He only had six. And he laughed.
 
How could somebody be totally focused on building wealth?
 He was travelling the country attending meeting after meeting,
promoting all the time and in every single conversation.
He was a true MLM specialist,
living and working with everyone in his downline.
‘But, surely life must be about more than money?’ I asked.
 
Fred smiled and continued ‘My aim is to generate opportunities
for people to help them to fulfil their plans and their destiny.
I also spend my money
in ways that others don’t know about.
You see, each of us must find our own  way
and then give our all to that.’

NEEDS  DRIVEN
 
Embrace all possibilities.
Be open to the unseen potential
in every situation
and in every moment.
 
Go out.
Just go there, just be there.
And bring with you
all that you are.
 
Be positive.
Be encouraging.
Be ambitious for your success
and the success of others.
 
Be gracious.
Be grateful.
Be kind
and smile.
 
Do what you love.
Enjoy your interests.
Set the world on fire
and watch the grass grow.
 
And when you realise
that there is nothing
that you really need,
then you have everything.

STAMP COLLECTION
 
The world demands
outputs and results,
achievements and success.
But we long for
love and peace,
happiness and health.
 
We can be dominated
by external events,
or we can choose
to work together,
and create
a different way.
 
We can be continually
stamped upon in an
uncaring and demanding world.
Or we can come together,
and gently put our stamp
on all before us.

​COPY AND PASTE
 
I typed the word love
and saw it
in front of me.
 
I highlighted the word love
and captured it
in my heart.
 
I copied the word love
and made it
who I am.
 
I pasted the word love
and it
was everywhere.

​PARALLEL INTERFACE
 
We all live parallel lives.
Our daily work, our relationships
and the things that we do
are all part of our outer living.
 
What goes on in the deep recesses
of our mind and consciousness,
is our inner living.
Both co-exist together.

SHORT TERM MEMORY​
 
Love forgives us
for everything,
unconditionally.
No matter what.
Right from now.
 
Love then forgets
everything that it forgives.
We can start again, afresh.
No matter what.
Right from now.
 
Love insists that you too
forgive yourself, and forget all
that you carry as a burden.
No matter what.
Right from now.

​HOUSE PARTY

My mind is buzzing.
My brain is creating.

My ego is expanding.
My conscience is questioning.

My heart is beating.
My soul is too quiet.

My self is in doubt.
My body is restless.

There’s a lot going on 
in the house today.