We've been having some nice warm summery weather here in the UK and I've been finding that the trowel and the watering can have been shouting rather louder than blogging. Last year, while we were moving house, I put The Secret Of Life on the backburner for a few months to give me a chance of keeping my life in some sort of sane balance, and all of a sudden, it seems like a good idea to do the same again this year. All this means is that I'll be posting once or twice a month instead of once or twice a week over the summer, which will allow me to revitalize and bounce back all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when the leaves start to fall from the trees again.
In the meantime, the best way to keep track of my occasional posts might be to subscribe to my feed or register for email updates (if you haven't already done so). You'll find all the necessary clickable bits in the sidebar. This might be a good idea, because I've got some interesting posts planned in the next few months, including one with the intriguing title "Ten Words That Can Heal The World'. I'm hoping you'll like that one...
A couple more things this time: you may remember my earlier posts about neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor's remarkable experience during her stroke. If so you may be interested to download Taylor's recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, the first of a new series of spirituality interviews which Oprah is running as a follow-up to her Eckhart Tolle - New Earth series.
(Additional note: Some readers have pointed out that Jill Bolte Taylor has also written a book about her experience. You can find it here.)
And finally, here's a video which reminds us of a very important factor in using the law of attraction: trust. I described this element as 'letting go' or 'non-attachment' in my 'Heart Of The Secret' series of posts, but 'trust' is another excellent way to look at it.
It's easy for those of us who are motivated to produce art in some form or other to become pessimistic about our chances of finding an audience. After all, there are so many demands on people's time these days. But the guy in this video turns this idea on its head, quietly trusting that his audience will come... and it seems to work for him!
I found this inspiring - do take a look...
In case you didn't catch the name, the singer in the video is called Terry Prince. Incidentally, I came across this video on a blog called Bold Thoughts by David Hooper. (David has written a book on the law of attraction, the audio version of which is available on free download.)
Secret Simon. Have a good summer vacation. I will look forward to your posts as always.
Posted by: Chase March | May 15, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Simon, we each make an unconscious commitment to ourselves whenever we choose to trust our own intuition. Its a way we honour our authentic self. Its been suggested ~90% of what we believe to be knowledge isn't true. Whenever we believe in knowledge about something, we can also unlearn that knowledge, change our perception and reorient trust.
Posted by: Liara Covert | May 18, 2008 at 02:07 PM
Thanks Chase - I really appreciate having you as a reader!
Posted by: Simon | May 18, 2008 at 09:41 PM
Hi Liara - It's like I just wrote in a comment on another blog: most of us go round making so called 'logical' decisions about things, ignoring the fact that we have insufficient evidence on which to base those decisions. And like you say, even when we do have evidence, it can often be wrong. In the face of all this, it often makes more sense to trust in our intuition.
Posted by: Simon | May 18, 2008 at 09:50 PM
Hi Simon,
I do hope you have a great summer and enjoy yourself on your break. I will be checking to see your new posts. I will miss you allot.
Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby
Posted by: AngelBaby | May 19, 2008 at 03:43 AM
By the way I have seen this before on the news, I live in Los Angeles, California. This guy is amazing!
Love and Blessings,
AngelBaby
Posted by: AngelBaby | May 19, 2008 at 03:45 AM
I loved the video Simon - thanks for that. It's really relevant to myself and my partner because we work in the music business, and we are working alot with musicians who are extremely talented and are at the stage of their career where they are trying to get gigs and sell their CDs.
Cheers - Robin (have a good summer!)
Posted by: Robin | May 19, 2008 at 05:14 AM
Hi Simon,
I can understand your need for a vacation,but I sure am gonna miss ya! Loved the video.
Have FUN!
Posted by: HomeSpun Granny Aka "Athena" | May 19, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Simon, learning to listen to your intuition is a fantastic idea. It can also be useful to explore Toltec writings like the Four Agreements. You can glimpse some key ideas here:
http://blog.dreambuilders.com.au/journal/2008/5/18/don-miguel-ruiz-4-agreements-worth-reflection.html#entry1845812
Posted by: Liara Covert | May 20, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Simon,
Enjoy your garden and thanks for sharing the video.
Posted by: Mark | May 20, 2008 at 10:43 PM
I can sure understand the need to take time off, especially when it's gardening time. I'm looking forward to the time when I can garden once again, in the actual earth, instead of in pots.
Will miss you, Simon...hope you have a wonderful summer! And I'll look forward to when the leaves turn and you're back!
Posted by: Marion | May 23, 2008 at 12:10 AM
Thanks for your good wishes everyone! Just to clarify, I'm not going away exactly - I'm just going to blog *less* over the summer. I still hope to do a post or two a month - and I also hope to call in from time to time on my favorite blogs.
Angelbaby - It's interesting that this was a local news item for you. Have you been down to the pier to hear the guy in person?
Robin - It's still a challenge for any artist to break through to an audience, but I guess the internet makes things easier. It gives you a shop window in which to lay out your goods - and then trust that people will stroll past and take a look. (And if all else fails, of course, there's always the pier....)
Athena - Like I said on your blog, I'm sorry you've dropped the 'goddess' avatars. Having seen your photo, you look much more like a goddess than a granny!
Liara - Thanks for the link.
Mark - Thanks! - and today we were lucky enough to enjoy another garden here in Leeds, strolling past an astonishing display of rhododendrons and azaleas at Temple Newsam House.
Marion - Is the delay because you intend to make a lot of changes in your garden, I wonder, or because the ground is still frozen?! My options here are a bit limited too - for the former reason. It's no good planting up beds which will later be done away with. But there's still lots of tidying up to do - and it's not only the garden which is calling me, there's the paintbrush too. There's decorating to do...
Posted by: Simon | May 23, 2008 at 09:58 PM
Simon, glad the link was useful. If you liked that post, I would encourage you to read more about Toltec Wisdom. let me know if you're looking for particular suggestions.
Posted by: Liara Covert | May 25, 2008 at 01:20 AM
I read "My Stroke of Insight" in one sitting - I couldn't put it down. I laughed. I cried. It was a fantastic book (I heard it's a NYTimes Bestseller and I can see why!), but I also think it will be the start of a new, transformative Movement! No one wants to have a stroke as Jill Bolte Taylor did, but her experience can teach us all how to live better lives. Her TED.com speech was one of the most incredibly moving, stimulating, wonderful videos I've ever seen. Her Oprah Soul Series interviews were fascinating. They should make a movie of her life so everyone sees it. This is the Real Deal and gives me hope for humanity.
Posted by: Jolee | May 31, 2008 at 01:42 PM
It's great to hear from you, Jolee. I hope you'll call again!
It would certainly be a challenge to turn Jill Bolte Taylor's experience into a movie. But if they could make 'The Diving Bell and The Butterfly'...
Thanks for mentioning that Jill Bolte Taylor has written a book about her experience. I've added a link to it in the post.
Posted by: Simon | June 04, 2008 at 09:48 PM
Nice of you to share Jill Bolte Taylor's experience. Every human being can open their minds in new ways. Hearing stories helps each person move further along a journey.
Posted by: Liara Covert | July 04, 2008 at 07:22 AM