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Four Simple Feng Shui Changes You Can Make To Bring More Energy Back Into Your Life

4/27/2016

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The website fengshui.about.com describes Feng Shui as

“. . . an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. It is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it. Feng means wind and shui means water. In Chinese culture wind and water are associated with good health, thus good feng shui came to mean good fortune, while bad feng shui means bad luck, or misfortune.”
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​I first heard about Feng Shui from my wife. We bought a book on the subject, quite expensive at the time when we had little money, and from that time I have built an active appreciation of the benefits of this art. The best way I can describe my experience is when one day, shortly after our book purchase, I walked into a room arranged on Feng Shui principles. I will never forget the almost instant feeling of calmness that came over me combined with a desire to simply stay put in this beautiful room for a while – to draw energy and refresh my mind.

So what are the benefits of Feng Shui?

Well a good nights sleep is one (more on that later in this blog). Harmonising energy flows is another, and that makes us feel alive and open to possibilities. Creating calmness – removing clutter in your house helps remove clutter in your mind. 

In business there have been numerous studies linking a new Feng Shui environment to increased turnover and profitability. An interior design company that doubled turnover, a hairdresser whose profits substantially rose after six months and a toy retailer nominated for toy shop of the year. 
​Here are four simple Feng Shui changes that you can make to help you feel calmer, happier and open to the positivity in the world around us:
One:   De-Clutter
We use so much more time and energy in a cluttered environment – finding things, tidying things, moving around things . . . Feng Shui philosophy says that clutter keeps us bogged down in the past and puts a dampener on our creative energy. Take a room-by-room approach, and my advice is start with the bedroom. Look around and take an objective view of what is on your shelves, the floor, window-sills, on the walls and even under your bed (actually especially under your bed). Have you used these things or really looked at them in the last few months or years? Do they reflect who I am now or are they rooting me in the past? I like the theory that there is so much abundance in the world, its just distributed the wrong way. Make a trip to your local charity shop with a box or two of stuff that may make someone who really needs a helping hand in life very very happy.
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TWO:  Electronics out of the bedroom
Your bedroom is a place for rest, to unwind, recharge and relax. Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have been found to disrupt the natural energy flows in your body – affecting the nervous system and increasing stress. Insomnia, anxiety and depression have all ben linked to exposure to EMFs. Don’t compromise on this one. Leave your electronics out of the bedroom . . . period.​
THREE:    Bring the outdoors in
There is nothing like nature to create a sense of calmness and peace. So if you can, and its not too cold outside, open your windows each day to let the fresh air in. Bring plants indoors. Decorate with natural elements such as bamboo, flax, driftwood or rocks. Your walls are important – use your creative skills to frame stunning landscapes you have shot.​
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FOUR:   Lighten things up
Especially areas such as your main entry hall – very important in Fen Shui as it is through the front door that your house gets its Chi ( a Chinese word meaning aliveness, life force, energy or life breath – also known as Prana). It is for this reason, by the way, that you shouldn’t have a mirror facing your front door as it pushes all that good energy right back out the front door. Mirrors not facing the door are good though as is plenty of natural light – or failing that lamps or overhead spotlights. And also remember to de-clutter to create clean inviting lines.​
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Ten of the Most Inspirational Movies You Will Ever Watch . . .

4/26/2016

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Here are some inspirational movies I think you could consider watching. 

I stress these are movies that I like and rate. I tend to like movies that are more down to earth, less Hollywood and more relevant to the life I lead. I especially like movies based on real life, which celebrate the pursuit of a goal by real people in real situations. 

For what they are worth - here are the movies I have walked out with a tingling sensation down my spine and a rekindled fire in my belly.
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  1. Hotel Rwanda: The true story of a hotel manager who saved the lives of 1,200 people in 1994 when a million Tutsi tribe members were massacred by members of the Hutu tribe. Paul Rusesabagina isn’t your classic Hollywood hero, but he is a hero nevertheless. A mesmerising film which shows how a normal hotel manager can find the inner strength and courage to stand tall in what must have seemed an impossible situation.
  2. The Help: Set during the American civil rights movement of the 1960s a “society girl” Skeeter becomes a writer and decides to write about the black women taking care of prominent white families. Its incredible to think that attitudes like this existed at this time (I was born in the 60s). The courage of these women to come forward and tell their stories with humility and humour is what makes this movie amazing for me. I just loved it.
  3. Erin Brokovich: Regardless of the fact I have an absolute love of Julia Roberts, this movie is just brilliant. It’s the story of a tenacious young lawyer, struggling as a single mother, standing up for the rights of a community affected by pollution from a local power company. The movie is as much about the deep bonds forged between Erin and local families as getting the right result in the end. Almost made me want to become a lawyer . . .
  4. Schindlers List: There have been a lot of movies about selfless acts of heroism in the Second World War. But Schindlers List sits at the top of the pile for me. Oskar Schindler was a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand Jewish refugees, during the horror of the Holocaust, by employing them in his factories. At the end of the movie we meet some of the real life descendants of the Jews on Schindler’s list – I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.
  5. Intouchables: A movie about a growing friendship between wealthy businessman and quadriplegic Philippe and his carer Driss. Philippe has a lust for life, which must be the envy of most able-bodied people. Driss has a criminal record and doesn’t believe he can do the job of a carer, and it is his unconventional methods, which light up Phillip’s life. Both men help the other – and the ending is wonderful. When it was released in 2011 this film quickly became the second biggest box office hit ever in France.
  6. Ghandi: A movie about one remarkable man, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the leader of India’s non-violence independence movement against British rule of India during the first part of the twentieth century. The campaign generated enough pressure on Britain to final grant Indian independence after World War 2. One great quote from the movie . . . “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it. Always”.
  7. The Blind Side: This movie is about an incredible woman, Leigh Anne Tuohy, who invites a troubled teenager, Michael Oher, into her family home and eventually becomes Michael’s legal guardian. Leigh Anne helps Michael through college and eventually become an American football player. Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for best actress in this film. 
  8. Dead Poets Society: Robin Williams plays the role of John Keating who teaches at Welton Academy, an elite boarding school for boys. Keating uses unusual teaching methods to inspire the boys through poetry. He tells them to “make your lives extraordinary” and uses the Latin expression carpe diem – seize the day. The tragic death of a student prompts the school to fire Keating. However the amazing last scene demonstrates how those boys’ lives have been touched forever by this extraordinary man. 
  9. Patch Adams: Another Robin Williams movie about a truly unconventional doctor who uses humour and compassion to car for patients. He turns an old cottage into a clinic, while still at medical school, and treats those without medical insurance to a cocktail of care and laughter. When the medical school finds out and tries to expel him he argues about the need to treat people’s “spirit” as well as the body. It all ends well of course.
  10. The First Grader: When free primary school education is announced by the Kenyan government, they couldn’t have imagined an 84 year old ex Mau Mau freedom fighter, Kimani Maruge, would turn up at his local school. The story becomes front-page news, prompting the Education Board to over rule the passionate school principal Jane Obinchu. She successfully however allows Maruge to return as her teaching assistant. A film about real courage and perseverance. Absolutely heart warming.
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Six Minutes a Day to De-Stress and Relax

4/19/2016

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​If I said all it took was ten minutes a day to de-stress and relax you would probably think this was yet another “get well quick” scheme requiring minimal effort and instant results. And I would have agreed with you . . . a few years ago.

I have a busy life. I am the breadwinner for the family. I work hard and I tend to fill my days with things to do. I hadn’t considered myself stressed, but then again I wasn’t an impartial observer watching me hurry from one thing to the other. So when my wife suggested we go to a meditation course together, to be honest the idea didn’t really light my candle.

The Medical Dictionary defines meditation as a practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.

Meditation practice isn’t new. Its hard to know when it first started, but its more than hundreds of years ago. I think a lot of us associate meditation with robe-clad monks sitting on a hilltop chanting. So I was pleasantly surprised to find two completely normal looking guys greet us at our first meditation class.
​Meditation is really about being present and clearing your thoughts. Some say its thinking about nothing. And that is not easy. 
  1. The idea is to completely relax in a seated position that suits you. You don’t have to sit cross-legged on the floor – on a chair is fine. 
  2. In our class we then were encouraged to imagine a river in a peaceful setting and when thoughts came into our mind to “throw” them into the river and let them wash away. Or to imagine a sky with clouds, each cloud being a thought which we could add to – and that the clouds would disperse leaving an expanse of blue . . .
  3. Next comes awareness of your breathing. In and out of the nose. Try it now – close your eyes for a few moments and just notice your breath. In an out – say for 10 times. It’s a clever way of focusing your thoughts on the present and taking them away from things in the past or jobs you have to do.
  4. Our instructors then encouraged us to focus on our heart and imagine a light – and that light becoming brighter when we breathed in and darker when we breathed out.
  5. And once you have the picture of the light in your chest, the idea then is to imagine that light spreading to the rest of your body, and then to the room you are in (you can go on and on until it becomes a whole universe light thing but I found that too hard to imagine). 
  6. Then its reversing the process – bringing the light in from the room, to our body and then your heart. Starting to become aware again of the room you are in (its amazing how you can “forget” where you are during meditation) and finally opening your eyes and emerging back into the crazy, rough and tumble world we live in.
​According to the Art of Living website the benefits of meditation are:
Physical:
  • Lowers high blood pressure
  • Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
  • Decreases any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems
  • Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
  • Improves the immune system
  • Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy
Mental:
  • Anxiety decreases
  • Emotional stability improves
  • Creativity increases
  • Happiness increases
  • Intuition develops
  • Gain clarity and peace of mind
  • Problems become smaller
  • Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation
  • A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
​I used to meditate to guided sessions which can be found anywhere on the web. Check out the Freemindfulness website. But now I put some super chilled music on or sometimes I just sit in the beautiful morning silence.

I can attest to becoming calmer, more grounded and generally a happier person through meditation. I do try to build six minutes a day to practice meditation. I find this manageable and there are very few excuses to miss a day (20 minutes can be a problem when you are rushing in the morning but never 6).
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Seretonin and the Happiness Foods

4/7/2016

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According to Wikipedia, Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract, blood platelets, and the central nervous system of animals, including humans.

Medical News Today is a bit more helpful and tells us that serotonin carries signals along and between nerves (that’s the “neurotransmitter” bit). It is responsible for maintaining mood balance, and that a deficit of serotonin leads to depression.

Antidepressants are one way of increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. But there are other natural ways to either replace the use of antidepressants, or to help them work more effectively.

If there is one thing that the northern Scandinavian countries lack in winter, it is sunlight. Science Nordic has a great article about lack of sunlight and how to counteract the “winter blues”. Its reasonably well known that the body struggles to produce vitamin D without exposure to the sun. But the sun also activates light-sensitive nerve cells, which stimulates the production of serotonin. The answer is pretty simple – get more light in your life, particularly in the morning. Make the place where you have breakfast well lit – light on the walls and on the table, rather than soft lighting and candles . . .

There is also some evidence that exercise can boost serotonin levels. Check out the Livestrong website for a good article on exercise and its effect on serotonin.

But diet is the area I am personally attracted to at the moment. Healthline.com has a good article on foods that could boost your serotonin levels. But there is a catch . . . The article says its not Serotonin that is found in food, but tryptophan – and its not as simple as eating a high trypothan diet. Apparently the trypothan in your food has to compete with other amino acids to be absorbed into your brain. 
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One possible way to get around this through is by including carbohydrates with your new trypothan diet. So that means eating the following with a serving of good quality carbs – rice, wholemeal bread, oats etc.

​So here goes, as recommended by Healthline:
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​•    Eggs (but don’t leave out the yolks)
•    Cheese
•    Pineapples
•    Tofu
•    Salmon
•    Nuts and seeds


I am pretty happy I have a number of these foods in the my diet right now – but I have to admit I may have to up my servings of tofu!
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The Plastic Bag Girls . . .

4/6/2016

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Today I listened to an inspirational TED talk. 

Melati and Isabel Wijsen go to the Green School in Bali. I visited the adjoining Green Village only a couple of weeks ago and so I pricked up my ears. Anyway, one day these girls learned about significant people at school. People like Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi. And on the way home the girls discussed why they couldn’t be significant right now. Why should they wait until they grew up?
So they hit on the idea of helping Bali clean up its pollution. Bali is a beautiful place. There is beauty in the people, the culture and the stunning scenery. But its one dirty place! Walking along the beach at Legian one day on holiday, my daughter decided to see how rubbish she could pick up within a three square metre area. The result was sobering and shocking – check out the photo attached to this blog.

Back to Melati and Isabel. These girls decided to tackle the major problem of plastic bags. They decided to go right to the top and talk to the Balinese Governor. But that didn’t happen right away.  The girls, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, decided to go on a hunger strike until the Governor would meet with them. They were visited by the police (which must have been pretty daunting to two young girls) but within a couple of days they got their audience and a sympathetic ear to their issue.
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​These girls were only 10 and 12 when they started. They said they had no business plan but one hell of a vision. They decided to harness the “boundless energy” of themselves and their friends and “act” the change they wanted to happen. How inspirational and brave is that!

Their campaign “Bye Bye Plastic Bags” is now recognised internationally as one of the most successful conservation movements around. And they now have a commitment from the Government that Bali will be plastic bag free by 2018.

I loved the way these girls talked and presented themselves on the TED video. You could see how much they were loving what they were doing and how proud they were of themselves and each other. I am truly inspired – plastic bags are now being phased out of our lives. And I think I have learned a lot about having the courage to simply do what is the right thing.
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Bananas the Happy Food !!

4/3/2016

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You know how people say, “you are what you eat”. So I decided to do some reading on this topic and clicked on a great article about ripe bananas (of all things) from the “Power of Positivity” site. 

I have always been attracted to bananas. I have always known they are a great energy food. They often get handed out at the end of endurance events and I have perked myself up many a time mid bike-ride.

But there is much more to the simple banana than I first thought.

The article starts with the proposition that . . .  “Bananas are easily one of the healthiest, nutrient-packed foods on the planet, and contain more potassium than any other food.”
Apparently bananas contain a healthy amount of antioxidants as well as “Tumor Necrosis Factor” which is a cancer fighter. The more ripe the banana the higher the anti cancer properties. For people with depression, bananas also contain high levels of trypothan which then converts into seretonin – hence alleviating the symptoms of depression.

But that’s not all. Eating bananas:

•    Gives you more energy;
•    Helps with weight loss;
•    Are great for the brain;
•    Help to balance your homones;
•    Alleviate heartburn;
•    Lower blood pressure and keep your blood healthy;
•    Are great for your bones;
•    Treat stomach ulcers;
•    Can cure hangovers;
•    Alleviate constipation; and
•    Enhance memory

Another great article – “12 Foods Happy People Eat”. Bananas get a mention  of course – but also blueberies, acai berries, greens, nuts and seeds etc.

Also check out Mind.org.uk website where they explore the relationship between what you eat and how you feel. 

I agree – I know what foods make me feel bloated and tired (junk and highly processed food) and I know what food makes me feel lighter and more energised (yes bananas of course, but also things like sushi, fish and salads).  If I am not sure about something I close my eyes and imagine how I will feel 20 minutes after eating something – your body will always give you the right answer!
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    Hi I'm Richard Norris. I live in Wellington, New Zealand, with my wife Jolanda.

    After many years or working and observing human nature I decided to launch www.itsgoingtobegreat.org - all about happiness, mindfulness and feeling great. 
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    Much of the material is taken from everyday life experiences. My motivation is to give something back to a world that has given me so much - and the hope is that someone, somewhere reading this just might realise some of their dreams.

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