You Change the World? by John W Hill
editor’s note: after reading this article on the power of mass consciousness we invite you to take part in our own experiment on what happens when we have 1000s focusing on the same intent at the same time. Take a few minutes now to watch our video here Sacred Heart – and then pass it on to all your friends – and then come back and do the same tomorrow. Together we can change the world.
“…..holding positive ideas (as important a step as this is) is not sufficient by itself to change the world. We still need direct communication between individuals, we need to translate our ideas into action, and we need to recognize the freedom of choice of those who choose alternatives different from our own.” Elaine Myers
Have you looked around and noticed poverty, hardship, injustice, deceit, superficial propaganda, corruption, war, hatred, prejudice, exploitation, environmental destruction, pollution, climate change, stupidity, ignorance, misery, and depression? Of course you have. Want to change it? Of course you do, who wouldn’t? Can you? Not directly. Why not? Because the world exists as a composite hologram of many individual consciousnesses with free will and no individual or group of individuals have the right, authority, or power to impose their will on the collective.
The collective hologram is composed of contributed consciousness from all of its participants whether they are intelligent or stupid, victim or tyrant, the exploiter or the exploited, the enlightened or the clueless. Everyone counts. No one individual can control the hologram. So, is the hologram manipulated? Yes. Those with more knowledge, more information, and more power can influence and sometimes manipulate and manage those with less. Are there conspiracies of individuals working collaboratively for their collective benefit at the expense of the whole? Of course there are, that is how business is frequently done. Is it an even and fair playing field? No, not even close.
Truth has value. Knowledge has value. Wisdom has value. Power has value. Those who possess these things affect the collective hologram by their mere presence. Those who act on truth, knowledge, and wisdom with power and compassion affect the collective hologram even more.
For the collective hologram to change, the individuals composing it must change. They have to change themselves; no one can make them change. You can’t turn sheeple into Spiritual warriors. They have to get a clue, grow up, take responsibility for themselves, and do the hard work that every Spiritual warrior must do to walk the path. There are no short cuts.
So, if you want to change the world, you first must dedicate yourself to changing yourself and to facing and overcoming all of the messy shortcomings that you possess. Along the path of doing this, you will meet others struggling with the same issues that you are. Give them a helping hand. Now, you are changing the world, the only way it can be changed.
The good news is that everytime you have an insight, overcome one of your own limitations or face a persistent fear, you change the collective hologram for the better. It is something similar to the Hundredth Monkey Effect.
The concept of the hundredth monkey effect originates with a story that Japanese monkeys spontaneously acquired a new behavior (washing sweet potatoes to get the sand off) once a certain critical number had acquired the skill. The story of the “Hundredth Monkey Effect” was published in the foreword to Lawrence Blair’s Rhythms of Vision: The Changing Patterns of Myth and Consciousness in 1975, then by others including Lifetide, by Lyall Watson and The Hundredth Monkey by Ken keyes.
Critics, skeptics and “debunkers” claim that the scientific literature does not verify this claim. Bear in mind that professional “peer-reviewed” publications have gate keepers. Claims of so-called paranormal factors are not allowed in “prestigious”, “respected” and “peer-reviewed” publications. Consequently, the story was passed on by more informal communication rather than in “peer-reviewed” and “peer-sanctioned” form.
The story of the Hundredth Monkey
This story is taken from the book Lifetide by Lyall Watson, pp. 147-148. Bantam Books 1980. This book gives other fascinating details.
“The Japanese monkey, Macaca fuscata, has been observed in the wild for a period of over 30 years. In 1952, on the island of Koshima scientists were providing monkeys with sweet potatoes dropped in the sand. The monkeys liked the taste of the raw sweet potatoes, but they found the dirt unpleasant.
An 18-month-old female named Imo found she could solve the problem in a nearby stream. She taught this trick to her mother. Her playmates also learned this new way and they taught their mothers, too. This cultural innovation was gradually picked up by various monkeys before the eyes of the scientists.
Between 1952 and 1958, all the young monkeys learned to wash the sandy sweet potatoes to make them more palatable. Only the adults who imitated their children learned this social improvement. Other adults kept eating the dirty sweet potatoes.
Then something startling took place. In the autumn of 1958, a certain number of Koshima monkeys were washing sweet potatoes — the exact number is not known. Let us suppose that when the sun rose one morning there were 99 monkeys on Koshima Island who had learned to wash their sweet potatoes. Let’s further suppose that later that morning, the hundredth monkey learned to wash potatoes.”
THEN IT HAPPENED!
“By that evening almost everyone in the tribe was washing sweet potatoes before eating them. The added energy of this hundredth monkey somehow created an ideological breakthrough!”
But notice
“A most surprising thing observed by these scientists was that the habit of washing sweet then jumped over the sea — Colonies of monkeys on other islands and the mainland troop of monkeys at Takasakiyama began washing their sweet potatoes!”
Note that this story is empowering. So, is it true? Following critical review by a number of individuals, Watson admitted that he may have exaggerated but insisted that it was still a good idea. The popularity of the concept was powerful and worldwide. So was the controversy that it generated. Two important points emerge from the controversy. First, it is apparent that mass belief (in the hundredth monkey effect in this case) is a force of social change. Second, the necessity of taking responsibility for one’s self, one’s choices and one’s life circumstances cannot be abdicated.
Another perspective is offered by Elaine Myers (The Hundredth Monkey Revisited: Going back to the original sources)
“Instead of an example of the spontaneous transmission of ideas, I think the story of the Japanese monkeys is a good example of the propagation of a paradigm shift, as in Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. The truly innovative points of view tend to come from those on the edge between youth and adulthood. The older generation continues to cling to the world view they grew up with. The new idea does not become universal until the older generation withdraws from power, and a younger generation matures within the new point of view.”
“What the research does suggest, however, is that holding positive ideas (as important a step as this is) is not sufficient by itself to change the world. We still need direct communication between individuals, we need to translate our ideas into action, and we need to recognize the freedom of choice of those who choose alternatives different from our own.”
There is additional evidence that individual consciousness can affect the mass consciousness.
Hagelin, J. S., Orme-Johnson, D. W., Rainforth, M.,Cavanaugh, K., & Alexander, C. N. (1999). Results of the National Demonstration Project to Reduce Violent Crime and Improve Governmental Effectiveness in Washington, D.C. Social Indicators Research, 47, 153-201.
This research project was conducted in Washington D.C. to demonstrate the potential for reducing crime through the practice of meditation. Approximately 4000 practitioners of transcendental meditation (one of many types of meditation) came to Washington D.C. and practiced meditation for an 8 week period. The maximum decrease in violent crimes during this time was nearly 25%. The maximum reduction occurred when the maximum number of participants were present. Note that the criminals were not practicing meditation and had no idea that it was happening. This is an example of the potential for individuals to influence large masses of people through a “morphogenic field.” It works both ways of course.
The researchers estimate that the number of advanced practitioners practicing meditation in an area that is required to effect this change is the square root of one percent of the population of that area. 10,000 is the square root of one percent of ten billion (the world population rounded up to an even number). In other words, a change in the operating paradigm of the entire world can be dramatically shifted by 10,000 individuals. One could see this as a sustained positive revolution without bloodshed, violence, or destruction.
Through an effect of “Morphic Resonance,” the paradigm balance of the entire planet can be shifted by individuals who make positive changes in themselves, discipline and cultivate their Spiritual faculties, and intentionally extend their conscious intent to the whole. When the time is ripe for evolution and change, the local Universe becomes supercharged with energy. This energy can manifest its effect when there is a force or a nucleus of change around which it can precipitate. This is such a time. This is also a time of much challenge, change, and chaos. Within this brew, there are also other, less positive, nuclei around which energy can precipitate as well.
Peace is a shared experience, not an imposed one.
This subject illuminates several important points:
* An individual’s consciousness, energy, and actions do influence the collective.
* Many individuals acting collectively have a much larger influence on the collective.
* These facts are inspiring, encouraging, and uplifting to a very large number of individuals.
John W Hill is the Author of Changing the Paradigm and creator and genius behind http://1paradigm.org where he offers a comprehensive FREE course
A paradigm is a way of thinking with a set of assumptions and boundaries that define what is possible, what is not possible, and how things work. Paradigms are built on other paradigms. At the heart of it all are two core paradigms that explain everything that is destructive in our world and everything that is constructive. From this understanding, a path is presented for shifting the dominant paradigm to the constructive win-win way. This path is one of personal growth and transformation. The book is a training manual for healers, spiritual warriors, seekers and finders. It is a practical course based on the real experiences of real people. The content draws on Judeo-Christian, Eastern, Native American, Mystical and Shamanic traditions. The application of this training is both a personal growth process, and by extension, a method of contributing to a major paradigm shift.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Remaining Positive in the Face of Illness - By Samantha Harris
Over and over again, studies have shown that maintaining an attitude of optimism has positive effects on health. Though people often disagree on exactly how this works – perhaps there is a spiritual aspect to it, or perhaps it is a matter of the physical state of the brain – there is undeniable evidence that people with positive attitudes tend to live longer and healthier lives. It is perhaps not easy, but certainly easier, to remain positive when your overall health is good. However, a good outlook on life may prove most beneficial of all when one is diagnosed with a chronic or fatal illness.
Firstly, it is important to distinguish between a chronic illness, which can be managed for years, and a terminal illness, which leads to death, usually in a short amount of time. Neither type can be cured, but someone with, say, diabetes might live for decades by taking insulin every day, whereas someone with pancreatic cancer may die in a few months despite receiving the best treatment. Despite the fact that these are two very different situations, the coping skills and techniques to deal with them often overlap. While an optimistic outlook will not cure either kind of illness, it will almost certainly improve the patient’s quality of life, whether that life extends for years or weeks.
There are many resources for people dealing with chronic or fatal illnesses – even a simple Google search will bring up dozens of options. Looking at these resources, certain themes appear again and again. The first is the idea of staying connected to those around you, preventing isolation. Some will talk about a “network of support,” whether it includes family, friends, a disease-specific support group, a counselor, or all of the above.
It is important to remember that everyone deals with illness differently, and thus there is no single approach to maintaining positivity that will work for everyone. Some people may gain hope from reading everything they can find about their illness in order to prepare themselves, and others find it easier to avoid overloading themselves with information and instead deal with each day as it comes. Neither approach is wrong.
Even the most fatal cancers are not always a death sentence. About half of patients with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the lining of the chest or abdomen, die within eight months of diagnosis. However, scientist and author Stephen Jay Gould lived with mesothelioma symptoms for 20 years before succumbing to a different type of cancer altogether. He famously penned an article for Discover magazine called “The Median Isn’t the Message,” referring to the median life span for mesothelioma patients and describing how such statistical averages can be misleading, failing to encompass the reality of variation. Instead of thinking he would die within eight months, he reviewed the literature on the disease and realized his otherwise good health and positive outlook would likely put him in the 50% of patients who lived longer.
Of course, it is difficult to straddle the line between a healthy positive attitude and false hope – Gould is a statistical outlier among those with mesothelioma symptoms, and the vast majority of people diagnosed with the disease will not live nearly as long. However, accepting the possibility of death does not have to involve refusing to fight it. In his article, Gould says “I find nothing reproachable in those who rage mightily against the dying of the light.” “Rage,” in this sense, does not have to equate to debilitating anger – it can refer metaphorically to fighting the effects of a chronic or fatal illness by refusing to allow it to eliminate the joy and hope from your life.
Hyper Links
positive effects on health: http://happinessisaskill.blogspot.com/2009/04/healing-power-of-mind-is-your-best.html
mesothelioma symptoms: http://www.mesotheliomasymptoms.com/
The Median Isn’t the Message : http://www.cancerguide.org/median_not_msg.html
Firstly, it is important to distinguish between a chronic illness, which can be managed for years, and a terminal illness, which leads to death, usually in a short amount of time. Neither type can be cured, but someone with, say, diabetes might live for decades by taking insulin every day, whereas someone with pancreatic cancer may die in a few months despite receiving the best treatment. Despite the fact that these are two very different situations, the coping skills and techniques to deal with them often overlap. While an optimistic outlook will not cure either kind of illness, it will almost certainly improve the patient’s quality of life, whether that life extends for years or weeks.
There are many resources for people dealing with chronic or fatal illnesses – even a simple Google search will bring up dozens of options. Looking at these resources, certain themes appear again and again. The first is the idea of staying connected to those around you, preventing isolation. Some will talk about a “network of support,” whether it includes family, friends, a disease-specific support group, a counselor, or all of the above.
It is important to remember that everyone deals with illness differently, and thus there is no single approach to maintaining positivity that will work for everyone. Some people may gain hope from reading everything they can find about their illness in order to prepare themselves, and others find it easier to avoid overloading themselves with information and instead deal with each day as it comes. Neither approach is wrong.
Even the most fatal cancers are not always a death sentence. About half of patients with mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the lining of the chest or abdomen, die within eight months of diagnosis. However, scientist and author Stephen Jay Gould lived with mesothelioma symptoms for 20 years before succumbing to a different type of cancer altogether. He famously penned an article for Discover magazine called “The Median Isn’t the Message,” referring to the median life span for mesothelioma patients and describing how such statistical averages can be misleading, failing to encompass the reality of variation. Instead of thinking he would die within eight months, he reviewed the literature on the disease and realized his otherwise good health and positive outlook would likely put him in the 50% of patients who lived longer.
Of course, it is difficult to straddle the line between a healthy positive attitude and false hope – Gould is a statistical outlier among those with mesothelioma symptoms, and the vast majority of people diagnosed with the disease will not live nearly as long. However, accepting the possibility of death does not have to involve refusing to fight it. In his article, Gould says “I find nothing reproachable in those who rage mightily against the dying of the light.” “Rage,” in this sense, does not have to equate to debilitating anger – it can refer metaphorically to fighting the effects of a chronic or fatal illness by refusing to allow it to eliminate the joy and hope from your life.
Hyper Links
positive effects on health: http://happinessisaskill.blogspot.com/2009/04/healing-power-of-mind-is-your-best.html
mesothelioma symptoms: http://www.mesotheliomasymptoms.com/
The Median Isn’t the Message : http://www.cancerguide.org/median_not_msg.html
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know ( by Stacy Johnson)
Huffington Post recently put up a story called You're Out: 20 Things That Became Obsolete This Decade. It's a great retrospective on the technology leaps we've made since the new century began, and it got me thinking about the difference today's technology will make in the lives of tomorrow's kids.
I've used some of their ideas and added some of my own to make the list below: Do you think kids born in 2011 will recognize any of the following?
Video tape: Starting this year, the news stories we produce here at Money Talks have all been shot, edited, and distributed to TV stations without ever being on any kind of tape. Not only that, the tape-less broadcast camera we use today offers much higher quality than anything that could have been imagined 10 years ago -- and cost less than the lens on the camera we were using previously.
Travel agents: While not dead today, this profession is one of many that's been decimated by the Internet. When it's time for their honeymoon, will those born in 2011 be able to find one?
The separation of work and home: When you're carrying an email-equipped computer in your pocket, it's not just your friends who can find you -- so can your boss. For kids born this year, the wall between office and home will be blurry indeed.
Books, magazines, and newspapers: Like video tape, words written on dead trees are on their way out. Sure, there may be books -- but for those born today, stores that exist solely to sell them will be as numerous as record stores are now.
Movie rental stores: You actually got in your car and drove someplace just to rent a movie?
Watches: Maybe as quaint jewelry, but the correct time is on your smartphone, which is pretty much always in your hand.
Paper maps: At one time these were available free at every gas station. They're practically obsolete today, and the next generation will probably have to visit a museum to find one.
Wired phones: Why would you pay $35 every month to have a phone that plugs into a wall? For those born today, this will be a silly concept.
Long distance: Thanks to the Internet, the days of paying more to talk to somebody in the next city, state, or even country are limited.
Newspaper classifieds: The days are gone when you have to buy a bunch of newsprint just to see what's for sale.
Dial-up Internet: While not everyone is on broadband, it won't be long before dial-up Internet goes the way of the plug-in phone.
Encyclopedias: Imagine a time when you had to buy expensive books that were outdated before the ink was dry. This will be a nonsense term for babies born today.
Forgotten friends: Remember when an old friend would bring up someone you went to high school with, and you'd say, "Oh yeah, I forgot about them!" The next generation will automatically be in touch with everyone they've ever known even slightly via Facebook.
Forgotten anything else: Kids born this year will never know what it was like to stand in a bar and incessantly argue the unknowable. Today the world's collective knowledge is on the computer in your pocket or purse. And since you have it with you at all times, why bother remembering anything?
The evening news: The news is on 24/7. And if you're not home to watch it, that's OK -- it's on the smartphone in your pocket.
CDs: First records, then 8-track, then cassette, then CDs -- replacing your music collection used to be an expensive pastime. Now it's cheap(er) and as close as the nearest Internet connection.
Film cameras: For the purist, perhaps, but for kids born today, the word "film" will mean nothing. In fact, even digital cameras -- both video and still -- are in danger of extinction as our pocket computers take over that function too.
Yellow and White Pages: Why in the world would you need a 10-pound book just to find someone?
Catalogs: There's no need to send me a book in the mail when I can see everything you have for sale anywhere, anytime. If you want to remind me to look at it, send me an email.
Fax machines: Can you say "scan," ".pdf" and "email?"
One picture to a frame: Such a waste of wall/counter/desk space to have a separate frame around each picture. Eight gigabytes of pictures and/or video in a digital frame encompassing every person you've ever met and everything you've ever done -- now, that's efficient. Especially compared to what we used to do: put our friends and relatives together in a room and force them to watch what we called a "slide show" or "home movies."
Wires: Wires connecting phones to walls? Wires connecting computers, TVs, stereos, and other electronics to each other? Wires connecting computers to the Internet? To kids born in 2011, that will make as much sense as an electric car trailing an extension cord.
Hand-written letters: For that matter, hand-written anything. When was the last time you wrote cursive? In fact, do you even know what the word "cursive" means? Kids born in 2011 won't -- but they'll put you to shame on a tiny keyboard.
Talking to one person at a time: Remember when it was rude to be with one person while talking to another on the phone? Kids born today will just assume that you're supposed to use texting to maintain contact with five or six other people while pretending to pay attention to the person you happen to be physically next to.
Retirement plans: Yes, Johnny, there was a time when all you had to do was work at the same place for 20 years and they'd send you a check every month for as long as you lived. In fact, some companies would even pay your medical bills, too!
Commercials on TV: They're terrifically expensive, easily avoided with DVRs, and inefficiently target mass audiences. Unless somebody comes up with a way to force you to watch them -- as with video on the Internet -- who's going to pay for them?
Commercial music radio: Smartphones with music-streaming programs like Pandora are a better solution that doesn't include ads screaming between every song.
Hiding: Not long ago, if you didn't answer your home phone, that was that -- nobody knew if you were alive or dead, much less where you might be. Now your phone is not only in your pocket, it can potentially tell everyone -- including advertisers -- exactly where you are.
I've used some of their ideas and added some of my own to make the list below: Do you think kids born in 2011 will recognize any of the following?
Video tape: Starting this year, the news stories we produce here at Money Talks have all been shot, edited, and distributed to TV stations without ever being on any kind of tape. Not only that, the tape-less broadcast camera we use today offers much higher quality than anything that could have been imagined 10 years ago -- and cost less than the lens on the camera we were using previously.
Travel agents: While not dead today, this profession is one of many that's been decimated by the Internet. When it's time for their honeymoon, will those born in 2011 be able to find one?
The separation of work and home: When you're carrying an email-equipped computer in your pocket, it's not just your friends who can find you -- so can your boss. For kids born this year, the wall between office and home will be blurry indeed.
Books, magazines, and newspapers: Like video tape, words written on dead trees are on their way out. Sure, there may be books -- but for those born today, stores that exist solely to sell them will be as numerous as record stores are now.
Movie rental stores: You actually got in your car and drove someplace just to rent a movie?
Watches: Maybe as quaint jewelry, but the correct time is on your smartphone, which is pretty much always in your hand.
Paper maps: At one time these were available free at every gas station. They're practically obsolete today, and the next generation will probably have to visit a museum to find one.
Wired phones: Why would you pay $35 every month to have a phone that plugs into a wall? For those born today, this will be a silly concept.
Long distance: Thanks to the Internet, the days of paying more to talk to somebody in the next city, state, or even country are limited.
Newspaper classifieds: The days are gone when you have to buy a bunch of newsprint just to see what's for sale.
Dial-up Internet: While not everyone is on broadband, it won't be long before dial-up Internet goes the way of the plug-in phone.
Encyclopedias: Imagine a time when you had to buy expensive books that were outdated before the ink was dry. This will be a nonsense term for babies born today.
Forgotten friends: Remember when an old friend would bring up someone you went to high school with, and you'd say, "Oh yeah, I forgot about them!" The next generation will automatically be in touch with everyone they've ever known even slightly via Facebook.
Forgotten anything else: Kids born this year will never know what it was like to stand in a bar and incessantly argue the unknowable. Today the world's collective knowledge is on the computer in your pocket or purse. And since you have it with you at all times, why bother remembering anything?
The evening news: The news is on 24/7. And if you're not home to watch it, that's OK -- it's on the smartphone in your pocket.
CDs: First records, then 8-track, then cassette, then CDs -- replacing your music collection used to be an expensive pastime. Now it's cheap(er) and as close as the nearest Internet connection.
Film cameras: For the purist, perhaps, but for kids born today, the word "film" will mean nothing. In fact, even digital cameras -- both video and still -- are in danger of extinction as our pocket computers take over that function too.
Yellow and White Pages: Why in the world would you need a 10-pound book just to find someone?
Catalogs: There's no need to send me a book in the mail when I can see everything you have for sale anywhere, anytime. If you want to remind me to look at it, send me an email.
Fax machines: Can you say "scan," ".pdf" and "email?"
One picture to a frame: Such a waste of wall/counter/desk space to have a separate frame around each picture. Eight gigabytes of pictures and/or video in a digital frame encompassing every person you've ever met and everything you've ever done -- now, that's efficient. Especially compared to what we used to do: put our friends and relatives together in a room and force them to watch what we called a "slide show" or "home movies."
Wires: Wires connecting phones to walls? Wires connecting computers, TVs, stereos, and other electronics to each other? Wires connecting computers to the Internet? To kids born in 2011, that will make as much sense as an electric car trailing an extension cord.
Hand-written letters: For that matter, hand-written anything. When was the last time you wrote cursive? In fact, do you even know what the word "cursive" means? Kids born in 2011 won't -- but they'll put you to shame on a tiny keyboard.
Talking to one person at a time: Remember when it was rude to be with one person while talking to another on the phone? Kids born today will just assume that you're supposed to use texting to maintain contact with five or six other people while pretending to pay attention to the person you happen to be physically next to.
Retirement plans: Yes, Johnny, there was a time when all you had to do was work at the same place for 20 years and they'd send you a check every month for as long as you lived. In fact, some companies would even pay your medical bills, too!
Commercials on TV: They're terrifically expensive, easily avoided with DVRs, and inefficiently target mass audiences. Unless somebody comes up with a way to force you to watch them -- as with video on the Internet -- who's going to pay for them?
Commercial music radio: Smartphones with music-streaming programs like Pandora are a better solution that doesn't include ads screaming between every song.
Hiding: Not long ago, if you didn't answer your home phone, that was that -- nobody knew if you were alive or dead, much less where you might be. Now your phone is not only in your pocket, it can potentially tell everyone -- including advertisers -- exactly where you are.
Decode the Happiness Coach by Xu Li ( Thank You Xu Li for this lovely article)
In Hinduism and Buddhism, there have been the swami and the guru; in Greece, the mentor, and in the West, in physical and literary form, the teacher and sage.
Times and priorities have changed. In today’s fast-paced society, the modern guide for spiritual fulfillment comes in a new form—professional life coach.
After quitting her job at Cathay Pacific Airways Hong Kong, Shveitta Sethi, in her 30s, became someone who helps people pursue happiness in life. This began as a hobby when she was still a flight attendant, but now she has fully devoted herself to the joy-spreading business and is trying her best to make this world a happier place.
With an impressive sign of smile besides her name on her business card, Sethi branded herself a happiness coach, a trademarked niche for a life coach that facilitate the growth and achievement of goals for individuals looking for more happiness and who want someone to listen and help.
Born into a military family in India and who moved to Hong Kong in 1989, Sethi has been living in this city for almost 20 years. She has seen people suffer from great pressure here despite the affluent material life, and developed a strong drive and responsibility to spread happiness and make Hong Kong a happier place. She believes happiness is a skill—the more we practice, the better we are.
With a MBA degree from the University of Hong Kong, she may have a mind of a potential entrepreneur, but more importantly, she has a heart of a philosopher.
“I think I should be awarded a degree in HAPPINESS instead,” she laughed, “as I am doing well in the business of ‘selling’ happiness.”
Moreover, as a keen reader who also enjoys writing self-help columns and blogs, Sethi has becomes more and more recognized for her work as a happiness coach.
She said there are five conditions for a happy life: material, spiritual, intellectual, relationship and health. If people can have achievement in each of these areas, they then can be considered as having a happy life.
However, nowadays, in a metropolis like Hong Kong, more and more people lead stressful lives because they put too much attention on money -- their only source of happiness.
“It is because of the lives we lead. We live in a society where money talks,” Sethi said. “People today are too busy with earning money. They work so many hours a week and have too many things to do, so other important things like relationship, family and health get left out.”
She added, “Rarely do people get time to sit down and really think about what they want out of life and the steps necessary to take them there.”
Consequently, she said people gradually slip into “reactive” lives. “That is, they only take action in response to things that happen to them. They look for a new job when they lose their old one; they begin to take care of their health only after they've been sick.”
According to Social Indicators Research, 37 percent of the people on Forbes list of the wealthiest Americans are less happy than the average American, which signifies that money alone sometimes cannot promise happiness.
“We live in a world of so much information that it is easy to become confused. Life coaching helps the individual clarify their wants, needs and values,” says Chan, president of Hong Kong's Coaching Community, a leading association of coaching professionals.
And this also applies to Hong Kong. According to a random telephone survey by Lingnan University’s Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) in October 2008, the percentage of unhappy people is actually highest among the highest income group.
Therefore, in Sethi’s eyes, to some extent, the recent financial crisis is good. “Finally you have a chance to stop and think about what is really important in your life and what else I can do in addition to making money.”
And so she hopes that the economic tsunami could provide an opportunity for people to value something else -- like family and health – as a measure of true happiness in life.
As to her methods, she hopes that the lessons learned and the benefits derived from life coaching will sound like homespun advice -- plain common sense of the sort dispensed by mothers and best friends over coffee, rather than academic instructions from books.
“That’s because I have a degree in LIFE, not in psychology,” she laughed. “If these strategies and steps weren't straightforward and easy to grasp, people wouldn't do them.”
Unlike teachers of the past, or today's other mentors, a good life coach does not give out the secrets to happiness, but instead unlocks the potential that resides in anyone to live a fulfilling life by getting them to take charge.
“As a happiness coach, I never give orders or instructions to others what to do,” Sethi said. “I help them see the possibilities and the positives, and we set out steps that they have created in consultation with me.”
“Don’t fix things. Fix yourself,” Shveitta said, using a comparison to illustrate her idea: “If you want your garden to be attractive to butterflies, the best way is not to chase after them with a net, but to grow beautiful flowers inside. Naturally, butterflies will come themselves.”
She added, “The answers to a happy life are inside everyone, and I believe each one of us instinctively knows what we want and need to do to be satisfied in life. It is just a matter of bringing it out.”
Indeed, selling happiness is a growth industry that began nearly a decade ago with a large number of social scientists turning out experts in the joy-spreading business.
Studies into the power of optimistic thinking conducted by University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman led to a new branch of social science—positive psychology. Researchers at Harvard, Princeton, Michigan and Kent State are among the leaders in the field.
Christopher Peterson, a clinical psychologist at the University of Michigan, said that there is great interest by the number of books and college courses on this subject and he called it “a hunger to be happy.”
However, at around HK$750 to HK$800 per session for individuals and even more for corporate groups, the “cost of happiness” may be too high for many people.
Times and priorities have changed. In today’s fast-paced society, the modern guide for spiritual fulfillment comes in a new form—professional life coach.
After quitting her job at Cathay Pacific Airways Hong Kong, Shveitta Sethi, in her 30s, became someone who helps people pursue happiness in life. This began as a hobby when she was still a flight attendant, but now she has fully devoted herself to the joy-spreading business and is trying her best to make this world a happier place.
With an impressive sign of smile besides her name on her business card, Sethi branded herself a happiness coach, a trademarked niche for a life coach that facilitate the growth and achievement of goals for individuals looking for more happiness and who want someone to listen and help.
Born into a military family in India and who moved to Hong Kong in 1989, Sethi has been living in this city for almost 20 years. She has seen people suffer from great pressure here despite the affluent material life, and developed a strong drive and responsibility to spread happiness and make Hong Kong a happier place. She believes happiness is a skill—the more we practice, the better we are.
With a MBA degree from the University of Hong Kong, she may have a mind of a potential entrepreneur, but more importantly, she has a heart of a philosopher.
“I think I should be awarded a degree in HAPPINESS instead,” she laughed, “as I am doing well in the business of ‘selling’ happiness.”
Moreover, as a keen reader who also enjoys writing self-help columns and blogs, Sethi has becomes more and more recognized for her work as a happiness coach.
She said there are five conditions for a happy life: material, spiritual, intellectual, relationship and health. If people can have achievement in each of these areas, they then can be considered as having a happy life.
However, nowadays, in a metropolis like Hong Kong, more and more people lead stressful lives because they put too much attention on money -- their only source of happiness.
“It is because of the lives we lead. We live in a society where money talks,” Sethi said. “People today are too busy with earning money. They work so many hours a week and have too many things to do, so other important things like relationship, family and health get left out.”
She added, “Rarely do people get time to sit down and really think about what they want out of life and the steps necessary to take them there.”
Consequently, she said people gradually slip into “reactive” lives. “That is, they only take action in response to things that happen to them. They look for a new job when they lose their old one; they begin to take care of their health only after they've been sick.”
According to Social Indicators Research, 37 percent of the people on Forbes list of the wealthiest Americans are less happy than the average American, which signifies that money alone sometimes cannot promise happiness.
“We live in a world of so much information that it is easy to become confused. Life coaching helps the individual clarify their wants, needs and values,” says Chan, president of Hong Kong's Coaching Community, a leading association of coaching professionals.
And this also applies to Hong Kong. According to a random telephone survey by Lingnan University’s Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) in October 2008, the percentage of unhappy people is actually highest among the highest income group.
Therefore, in Sethi’s eyes, to some extent, the recent financial crisis is good. “Finally you have a chance to stop and think about what is really important in your life and what else I can do in addition to making money.”
And so she hopes that the economic tsunami could provide an opportunity for people to value something else -- like family and health – as a measure of true happiness in life.
As to her methods, she hopes that the lessons learned and the benefits derived from life coaching will sound like homespun advice -- plain common sense of the sort dispensed by mothers and best friends over coffee, rather than academic instructions from books.
“That’s because I have a degree in LIFE, not in psychology,” she laughed. “If these strategies and steps weren't straightforward and easy to grasp, people wouldn't do them.”
Unlike teachers of the past, or today's other mentors, a good life coach does not give out the secrets to happiness, but instead unlocks the potential that resides in anyone to live a fulfilling life by getting them to take charge.
“As a happiness coach, I never give orders or instructions to others what to do,” Sethi said. “I help them see the possibilities and the positives, and we set out steps that they have created in consultation with me.”
“Don’t fix things. Fix yourself,” Shveitta said, using a comparison to illustrate her idea: “If you want your garden to be attractive to butterflies, the best way is not to chase after them with a net, but to grow beautiful flowers inside. Naturally, butterflies will come themselves.”
She added, “The answers to a happy life are inside everyone, and I believe each one of us instinctively knows what we want and need to do to be satisfied in life. It is just a matter of bringing it out.”
Indeed, selling happiness is a growth industry that began nearly a decade ago with a large number of social scientists turning out experts in the joy-spreading business.
Studies into the power of optimistic thinking conducted by University of Pennsylvania psychologist Martin Seligman led to a new branch of social science—positive psychology. Researchers at Harvard, Princeton, Michigan and Kent State are among the leaders in the field.
Christopher Peterson, a clinical psychologist at the University of Michigan, said that there is great interest by the number of books and college courses on this subject and he called it “a hunger to be happy.”
However, at around HK$750 to HK$800 per session for individuals and even more for corporate groups, the “cost of happiness” may be too high for many people.
Actually, when people came to Shveitta Sethi for help and consultation, most choose to ask the following question at first— “How much money do you charge for an hour?”
“How can I give a price on happiness? One hundred? One million?” she said. “If someone’s life will be changed by what I say, it is the greatest rewards for me. Not everything can be measured in terms of money, just like happiness.”
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Food for thought????
Why do we buy designer brands? Do they actually make us look and feel better or is it because they make us look better in the eyes of our peers?
I have been pondering over this question and yet often have succumbed to the advertisers and marketers strategy to make me part with unjustifiably large amounts of money with the promise of making me feel and look better.
Last Saturday was one of those days!
I decided to go for some shopping in a swanky mall in Delhi. Had no intention of making a major purchase, but a wonderful marketing strategy (50% -70% discount on all women’s wear accompanied by cheese and wine )by a store called Collective seemed too tempting an offer to just let slip by.
Jostling my way amongst the throngs of women who could not wait long enough to part with cash and in many cases –husbands credit cards, I too managed to find myself right in front of the queue with my husband’s credit card getting hotter with every swipe.
I walked away much heavier in weight and debt. Smile across my face at the huge savings that I had so proudly made. It was totally irrelevant that I had actually spent many zeros on a couple of dresses and a pair of sun glasses. What I was focusing on was the great deal that I had been privy to.
As soon as I got into the car, it hit me that I had recklessly spent a huge amount on things I really did not need.
I was still thinking about my insane purchase when suddenly I heard knocking and saw tiny hands on my car window. Standing outside was a tiny (barely 4 or 5) boy with his front tooth missing gesturing towards his mouth and his belly in a sign that I understood very well. I ignored him at first but the persistence of his gesturing and the inability of the car to move a few centimeters in the traffic made me press down my window and speak with him. He told me he was very hungry as he had not eaten the whole day! A part of me knew this was not true and that this was HIS marketing strategy to make me part with yet some more money. I was enjoying our little conversation and I think he was a step ahead of me as he kept playing along with me and being impertinent yet funny. He kept looking at the traffic light and started to get a bit impatient when he did not see my hand going into my purse. Eventually I gave him a 50 rupee note (just over 1 USD) and he scuttled away with a huge smile on his face and a massive thank you.
With the guilt factor having gone up a few notches , I got back to my reverie and now felt really miserable for having spent an obscene amount of money on dresses and eye wear. How could I spend so much money when 75% of my country was living in extreme poverty? How could I ever justify wearing a garment that could have probably fed a family of 4 for an entire month?
These thoughts led me to analyze my impulsive purchase followed by intense remorse.
Why do we really buy expensive designer wear or any of the status symbols for that matter? What is it that we really crave for?
I think it all boils down to attention and approval. It’s simply a matter of wanting to get noticed and admired. Unfortunately our self-esteem is not really SELF-esteem; it is more a case of peer opinion. If our peer group gives us their stamp of approval we feel good about ourselves. If we manage to incite any kind of envy, that too is a feather in our cap.
Our self-worth is very often related to our net worth and our confidence in ourselves moves with our bank balance. We judge others by the clothes they wear, the car they drive, and the house they live in and so on. By default we judge ourselves by the very same criterion.
I am often conflicted in my thoughts. Part of me hates this attitude of over indulgence and consumption beyond basic necessities and yet at the same time I am pained when I cannot satisfy my hedonistic desires.
Our comforts and incomes have gone up drastically but so have our demands and desires. There is always that gap which never seems to get filled however much we try.
Overconsumption is no more a disease of the west. So called third world countries are fast catching up with the notion that more is better and many of us are guilty of living up to that maxim.
Why, when once I would just dream of buying a small car and being able to travel at least once to a faraway land do I today I scoff when I have to travel at the back of the plane or my ‘nice’ car is out of action?
What is it about us humans that never gets satisfied?
What do we really crave for?
Why do we always want more?
Is it wrong to aspire for more?
Should we all just become desire less?
But then if there was no desire, would there still be growth? Is it not desire that prompts drive which then leads to growth?
My question has not yet been answered and am still looking for that eureka moment when it will come to me.
Till then I leave you to ponder and share what you think??
Much love and happiness and a very happy and PROSPEROUS 2011
I have been pondering over this question and yet often have succumbed to the advertisers and marketers strategy to make me part with unjustifiably large amounts of money with the promise of making me feel and look better.
Last Saturday was one of those days!
I decided to go for some shopping in a swanky mall in Delhi. Had no intention of making a major purchase, but a wonderful marketing strategy (50% -70% discount on all women’s wear accompanied by cheese and wine )by a store called Collective seemed too tempting an offer to just let slip by.
Jostling my way amongst the throngs of women who could not wait long enough to part with cash and in many cases –husbands credit cards, I too managed to find myself right in front of the queue with my husband’s credit card getting hotter with every swipe.
I walked away much heavier in weight and debt. Smile across my face at the huge savings that I had so proudly made. It was totally irrelevant that I had actually spent many zeros on a couple of dresses and a pair of sun glasses. What I was focusing on was the great deal that I had been privy to.
As soon as I got into the car, it hit me that I had recklessly spent a huge amount on things I really did not need.
I was still thinking about my insane purchase when suddenly I heard knocking and saw tiny hands on my car window. Standing outside was a tiny (barely 4 or 5) boy with his front tooth missing gesturing towards his mouth and his belly in a sign that I understood very well. I ignored him at first but the persistence of his gesturing and the inability of the car to move a few centimeters in the traffic made me press down my window and speak with him. He told me he was very hungry as he had not eaten the whole day! A part of me knew this was not true and that this was HIS marketing strategy to make me part with yet some more money. I was enjoying our little conversation and I think he was a step ahead of me as he kept playing along with me and being impertinent yet funny. He kept looking at the traffic light and started to get a bit impatient when he did not see my hand going into my purse. Eventually I gave him a 50 rupee note (just over 1 USD) and he scuttled away with a huge smile on his face and a massive thank you.
With the guilt factor having gone up a few notches , I got back to my reverie and now felt really miserable for having spent an obscene amount of money on dresses and eye wear. How could I spend so much money when 75% of my country was living in extreme poverty? How could I ever justify wearing a garment that could have probably fed a family of 4 for an entire month?
These thoughts led me to analyze my impulsive purchase followed by intense remorse.
Why do we really buy expensive designer wear or any of the status symbols for that matter? What is it that we really crave for?
I think it all boils down to attention and approval. It’s simply a matter of wanting to get noticed and admired. Unfortunately our self-esteem is not really SELF-esteem; it is more a case of peer opinion. If our peer group gives us their stamp of approval we feel good about ourselves. If we manage to incite any kind of envy, that too is a feather in our cap.
Our self-worth is very often related to our net worth and our confidence in ourselves moves with our bank balance. We judge others by the clothes they wear, the car they drive, and the house they live in and so on. By default we judge ourselves by the very same criterion.
I am often conflicted in my thoughts. Part of me hates this attitude of over indulgence and consumption beyond basic necessities and yet at the same time I am pained when I cannot satisfy my hedonistic desires.
Our comforts and incomes have gone up drastically but so have our demands and desires. There is always that gap which never seems to get filled however much we try.
Overconsumption is no more a disease of the west. So called third world countries are fast catching up with the notion that more is better and many of us are guilty of living up to that maxim.
Why, when once I would just dream of buying a small car and being able to travel at least once to a faraway land do I today I scoff when I have to travel at the back of the plane or my ‘nice’ car is out of action?
What is it about us humans that never gets satisfied?
What do we really crave for?
Why do we always want more?
Is it wrong to aspire for more?
Should we all just become desire less?
But then if there was no desire, would there still be growth? Is it not desire that prompts drive which then leads to growth?
My question has not yet been answered and am still looking for that eureka moment when it will come to me.
Till then I leave you to ponder and share what you think??
Much love and happiness and a very happy and PROSPEROUS 2011
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