Recommended film.
Alpha
Set 20,000 years ago in Europe, Alpha follows an ancient hunt in the harshest of environments. The story focuses on a young first time hunter who eventually befriends a wolf. This movie is currently being screened on Netflix and my whole family really enjoyed it.
The obvious exceptionally challenging times depicted in the film, created the toughest of mindsets and a connection to the earth that’s long been forgotten. Collaboration was essential for survival. Those that stood out and had the greatest respect did so because it had been earn’t. It was a time without slackers and freeloaders and instead only those that lived with a courage of responsibility could survive. A time without being able to demand respect and leadership without proof and demonstration of capability. The relationship between the wolf and the young man is beautiful.
A great quote in the movie is:
“Life is for the strong. It is earned, not given.”
Highly recommended.
This weeks video.
Overcoming Resistance – Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield is a best selling author who knows all about self sabotage and the forces at play that stop us getting on with what we want to do. Resistance isn’t something that professionals don’t feel, it’s something they know how to overcome and keep small. We tend to believe that professionals at any endeavour are superhuman and were born without the sabotaging influences lesser mortals have but they too battle the same resistance everyday.
The short video has Steven discussing resistance.
Saying of the week.
“You will not be punished
for your anger, you will be
punished by your anger. "
– Buddha
Recommended Read.
The Gift Of Anger
Ten spiritual lessons for the modern world from my grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi
by Arun Gandhi
This is a wonderful book devoid of the sometimes confusing and cryptic terms in spiritual writings.
It is a great insight into the mind of Mahatma Gandhi. Any emotion can be alchemised into a positive creative energy. Every time we are jealous, judgemental and unkind, we feed the part of us that’s keeps us small and in fear.
Anger is certainly one of the most potent emotions that although cannot be avoided at times, often controls people’s lives for a lifetime.
A great read which is summed up in the quote from the book below:
“If you want peace in the world, we have to find peace in ourselves.”
A question I got asked this week.
"Why do we only hear about toxic masculinity and not femininity?"
The most interested audience in my work has become young men.
They often feel lost, unheard and even ostracised in modern society.
A subject that is coming up more often in the media, schools and literature is a term that started on the fringes of social media called ‘Toxic masculinity'.
I have heard on a couple of occasions this week that this term is now being introduced in schools, which one can assume is for young men to be aware of their own potential destructive capabilities.
What this will more likely create though is male guilt through being singled out, which is what our modern fragile society often do and have become. Finger pointing and blame prevent us from seeing our own role in the grand scheme of life, because being responsible is not just out of fashion but actively discouraged.
Toxic masculinity cannot really be discussed without toxic femininity because both sexes can behave in a way that create destructive outcomes.
The ways and means may be different but destructive nevertheless.
Schools would do better focusing on life enhancing values independent of sex and how this would enrich the lives of everyone around them.
I know this to be true because the young people I coach love the philosophy I teach them as if they’ve found buried treasure. I felt the same way when I discovered them when young.
The power of such innate life enhancing values is that they are timeless and reach far beyond the short term, often restrictive beliefs of current societal trends and fads.
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