Hi there

How do I begin to write a newsletter about not using words, when the only way to express myself is by engulfing myself in the very thing I am trying to move away from?

I have developed a strange relationship with words over the past few weeks and considering my passion for them, I cannot believe how I have come to barely rely on them of late.

On the weekend, I finally found time to catch up with a very special person in my life. He lives on the other side of the world and we organised ourselves enough to be able to chat and see each other on skype.

We have chatted online for well over a year and have bonded, even though we have never met in person.
Connecting on skype and seeing each other for the first time felt like old friends meeting up for a quick chat. It was so exciting.

The irony of our Sunday morning chat is that we have been trying to communicate for a few weeks already and some technical glitch or another has prevented us from being able to use our words at all.

Finally, the cams are set up and communication begins.
We can see each other and our faces light up before we even utter the word “Hello!”.
Silence …
I can hear him, but he cannot hear me!
“Hello darlin’?”
Even though I am speaking to him, he cannot hear me at all. Clearly there is something wrong with someone’s connection and without saying a word, he falls silent too.
He waves.
I wave.
He blows a kiss.
I blow a kiss.
He shrugs his shoulder to indicate that something is wrong.
I tap my ear and give him the thumbs up to tell him I can hear him.
He wiggles a cable and does a few more signs to tell me his side is working fine …
Before you know it, words are not needed!

The whole time we are laughing at how silly this all is, yet our Soul’s are far too wise to think this is anything less than perfect.
We had one of the best conversations I have had in a long time and I reassured myself that our months of communication and my one-sided bond with him is mutual.

We all take words far too seriously and we hang onto them for recognition, validation and as a benchmark of the strength of a relationship.

Last night, while out to dinner with a friend of ours, Greg and I noticed a very well-dressed Italian man. With a look, half a word and a nod, the two of us had a full conversation about how Italian he really was and we both knew exactly what the other was talking about.
Not until our friend had commented on the connection that we have and the ability to communicate beyond words, did my heart begin to settle about a few upsetting conversations I have had of late.

Those conversations can best be described as ‘empty promises’!

I can sit in silence and hear truth, care and love echo through hand gestures and smiles over thousands of miles. I can mumble senseless words and hear the bond between a friend.
Yet, countless words that have been shared with me have let me down. (Interjection … I have allowed them to let me down.)

Words are neutral. They are either spoken from love or from fear. They are however, always someone’s truth. Even if they are that ‘empty promise’, in that very moment, it is all the person is able to offer and is therefore their truth.

I took the time to ask someone why they said one thing and did the other and his response to me was this: “I’m just here for fun, so it doesn’t matter what I say. The person should know it’s all said in jest.”

I am everywhere for fun. I live for fun. Yet my words are never said in jest.

Maybe it is my fearlessness about hearing and saying the truth, but I can’t help but notice that words seem to hold the least value in a world that is smothered in communication.
I can go so far as to say that the ‘empty promise’ has become the new international language.

From service delivery to commitment from a loved one, the last thing we should be relying on in the modern world of communication is the power of a word.

So, what now? What if words can’t be trusted? What do we do with words, when we don’t know how to use them?
Become the foreign traveller!
When Greg and I were in Italy, we came across a village that was so tiny it was almost not on the map. There were no tourists and we knew we had clearly stumbled onto a precious find.
We parked the rental car and before we were able to step out of it, an old villager approached us and began speaking to us in Italian.
She couldn’t speak a word of English and besides our two or three phrases, we couldn’t speak a word of Italian.
It took a few tries, but in no time we had worked out that we had parked in the one space that was blocking the entrance to her home. We could park a car space to the left or to the right, but we could not park there.
She babbled on in Italian and we responded in English, yet our energy, gestures and signs said far more than words could ever express.

We went on our intuition of what the old villager was trying to say and she understood our sincerity. In the end, after the car was moved and we strolled down the village road realising that there really wasn’t very much to see, Greg and I looked at each other, and without words we turned back to the car and headed to more touristy places.
Use words!
Carry on and speak to each other. However, take your own responsibility for the interpretation of the words and for the need to have someone express them to you anyway. Trust who you choose to love, a little more from sign language and a little less from the words. Don’t try to learn their language, but rather listen to your own.

And if all else fails and the communication still fails … Smile and wave!
Be aware that sometimes the wave might mean good-bye!

Because, ‘empty promises’ are still someone’s truth, in anyone’s language.

Contemplate this …

You are more you when you are not talking. Listen to who you are.

Greg’s View on the Split Personality of You

There are two parts to all of us. We travel through life as both Soul and Ego. Soul is brave, lives in the present, loves unconditionally and is everything and everyone. Soul…well…just is.

Ego loves us dearly and all it wants is for us to be safe. As a result, ego wants us not to change and grow. It wants to keep things as they are because it is known and safe. It wants to control everything to ensure that there are never any surprises.

A bridge connects the soul and the ego. The closer the two are to each other the stronger the bridge. If they grow apart the bridge starts to crumble and can eventually fall away completely, resulting in a kind of split personality, where they appear to be different people and one cannot relate to the other, even carrying different memory.

This bridge is fragile and needs to be nurtured. Keep the ego close but see it as the movie it is meant to be. Listen to your gut… listen to soul. It is not possible to live completely in soul and still be in the body so this is not the aim. Keep the bridge strong between the two and you will grow. The bridge is the love you have for you, like the glue holding a healthy relationship together.

The story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a good analogy. Dr Jekyll is a likeable and kind man with many friends, but he has a dark side. He takes a potion to bring this dark side, which he calls Mr Hyde, to life. Over time though the potion becomes unnecessary and Mr Hyde takes on a life of his own, being a cruel, bitter and remorseless being. Jung always spoke of not ignoring your shadow and this story represents the dire consequences of not heeding this advice.

So, ensure you give your Mr Hyde his dues. Nurture the ego without becoming it, because you are Dr Jekyll. Always remember who you truly are and not who everyone else wants you to be.

You can see that this is all about how you relate with you. This influences how you relate with others and contributes to what is happening in relationships in the world today. While you lack love for yourself the bridge is long and fragile and you do a lot to be what others want of you. This is how people lose themselves in relationships. Work on you first. Get that bridge shorter. Ensure that ego and soul are happy bed buddies and then you can reach out and relate to others in a way that will be healthy and fun for you.

Blogs

Project me
The project is well underway and the blog is growing in readership. I would be so grateful for your following on the blog and I have included two different ways that you can become facebook followers.

Please click on the link on the right hand side of the blog and follow me via the web.

Or

Follow the blog via facebook

Oh God Knows – The talk of the world

Greg’s now blogging too and you can check it out and subscribe by following this link.

He has an opinion and wants you to have yours and share it with him.

Step aside

After years of working behind the scenes, our company is about to launch a website for children and their guardians, unlike anything that is out there at the moment.
You can follow its progress and start to get the inside track through a blog which will be launched soon. We’ll keep you posted on this very exciting project.

Lifeology - Courage, consciousness and a sense of humour

We have recently launched our company website and are excited to share it with you. For information on Lifeology and us visit http://lifeology.biz

Always

Jodene & Greg

Hi there

By the incredible responses from my “project me” blog, I’m assuming that many of you have joined me on my daily journey of making this year one that is solely about my happiness. It’s about putting me first and living my truth.

“Project me” is more than a blog.

Writing is my passion and life purpose and so the idea of blogging every day excites me!

“Project me” is tougher and it daunts me and plays with my self esteem. I started it many years ago, when a very dear client of ours said that she was doing the very same thing and I have slowly shaped my life and transformed my self esteem, walked new paths to happiness and completely metamorphosised my appearance.

With all this on my side I asked myself how hard blogging about my daily life could be?

That all depends on only one thing … how much of the truth I actually tell.

Not to the readers, but to the individuals in my life, because they would need to read that truth that I did not have the courage to tell them.

I have no problem telling the world the truth and I am so proud to be into the third year of writing these newsletters with a knowing that every one of them has been in such truth.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much of the truth I do tell myself and find that expressing it to others or acting it out is where my shadow lingers.

Isn’t this discussion just absurd?

I am talking about being proud that I speak the truth.

When people have been commenting about my blog to me, they have been praising me for my bravery in … you guessed it … telling my TRUTH!

Here’s a thought! Isn’t truth who we are? Isn’t truth SOUL? Isn’t truth the real person that is all knowing and powerful? Isn’t truth the human being who wants to live out this life in total joy and abundant happiness?

We even go so far as to lie about the lie. We lie and say that we avoided the truth because of the hurt or pain it would do to another. That’s really as far from the truth as anything. We avoid the truth because of the consequence that we don’t want to deal with, yet we have no idea that the consequence is exactly what the Soul is after.

A machine works. It doesn’t need an instruction manual to tell itself how to work. It is built to operate in perfection and it does. We are exactly the same. We are exactly who we should be and we think, do and live exactly as we have created ourselves to.

Now the trouble starts, however, because we begin to try and control the machine. We look outside of ourselves and we see how everybody else is operating and we are too afraid to just live as we were designed to.

Be careful of that statement!

This is where the truth of who we truly are begins to slip away. We think that because we are all machines, we need to functions like each other and there is nothing further from the truth. On the outside, we might look the same in many ways … yet we have all been wired very specifically. There is no one person wired the same as anyone else.

I speak to people, daily, who are so detached from the truth that they cannot even see when they are lying to themselves.

Ah … you have all been reading this and thinking about the little white lie here or the huge big deceitful act there. These non-truths are just a by-product of the only truth that matters.

YOUR OWN!

I did it for years! I went on a journey to find my truth and now that I understand that I am nothing but my truth, I smile at myself endearingly and I acknowledge all that I did! I became less and less afraid of the responses, abandonment and consequences of telling the truth. It became less about everyone else, and more about myself.

That’s what transformed me!

Not into someone new, but back to me …

I want to share a tip with you that I discovered recently, while having a panic moment about making a choice in my life (because our choices and actions are all our truth).

I imagined myself in a world of my own, isolated on an island with no one watching me at all. I gave myself the freedom to say and do whatever I wanted without any consequence from the outside world. On that day, I still chose NOT to do something, even though no one in the world would have been any wiser as to my action. On that day I discovered something that has truly changed my life forever. I trusted myself and discovered that I don’t need the safety net of society to keep me in check … if anything, the boundaries that hold us in place are the exact ones that prevent us from living our very truth.

This year, I’m not telling myself the truth and I’m not telling anyone else my truth either. This year I am my truth!

Contemplate this

He says, “there is nothing in this world. There is only truth.”

She says, “there is nothing else in this world but truth.”

Greg’s View on getting to know you

Sometimes music just pops into my head for no reason. I will not have heard the song recently and there is no apparent external prompt. This time it was “Getting to know you” from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I”. The reason this is bizarre is because it is not a favourite of mine (although if you knew me then a show tune popping into my head would not surprise you).

I then thought carefully about the words and related it to the myriad of relating that is happening in my life. When we meet someone and immediately “click” with them we know them already. We often say that we recognise them from somewhere or that it is like we have known them all our life. They are easy to talk to and understand us like few others do, even though we have just met.

We then embark on a process of “getting to know” them: what work they do; where they live; are they married?; do they have children? Yet these things do not alter our perception of the other because we know them. I have to correct the last sentence: these things should not alter our perception of the other but sometimes they do. When we learn things about the other that make us uncomfortable, because they reflect something within ourselves, often our perception of them does change. I know that I can get very uncomfortable with people who are very much like me because of the very fact that I see a lot of me in them.

“Once I got to know them I realised they weren’t for me,” I’ve heard myself say on occasion. This isn’t entirely true because in hindsight I knew deep down that they were never for me right from the start. The ego just needed to work it out for itself. If you have ever read Malcolm Gladwell’s “Blink” then you would see my point that in the very instant that we meet someone we already know whether we will get on with them, how special they could be in our life, and whether we would want to spend more time with them. Conversation is not necessary.

This is not to say that conversation is not important in a relationship of any kind. On the contrary, communication with the other is necessary and healthy but only to minimise confusion by the ego, the Soul does not need this communication. The Soul knows.

Also, please understand me when I say “they were never for me”. We can never make a wrong choice and there is never an experience that shouldn’t have happened but, in this case, the reason for the experience may have been purely for the ego.

Every day we are relating with someone very special in our lives; someone more important than anyone we will meet. That someone we call “me”. The same observations apply to this relationship: we already know who we are, why we are here, and everything we need to know in order to get there. The constant chatter to ourselves is our ego and this is what changes the perception of ourselves (only our perception of ourselves can change). However, we are so used to the ego as it is the very world around us (I’ll explain this in more detail in a future discussion) that we battle to hear our Soul or sometimes even choose not to hear it. Any internal voice that is justifying and analysing is ego; the Soul just knows and does not have to justify.

Listen to what you feel deep within. Listen carefully. You already know the people you meet. You already know you.

Project me

Waking up every day and living consciously is an incredible experience. It’s only been two weeks and I am in awe at the power of choice. Project me has been all about choosing. The choice to do things differently … to put myself first, to live happy, to love myself  … and the choice to blog about it. The teacher in me wanted to share this with the world so that I could inspire and the gift in return has been the most inspirational support and love imaginable. At the end of each day, I just can’t wait to blog and, as the writer, all I want is for more and more people to be inspired to create their own projects.

On that note, I have a special favour to ask you! When reading the blog posts, please make time to DIGG or TWEET or share on FACEBOOK so that the project can spread and more people can choose.

Please subscribe to the RSS feed in the right hand corner or under the blog post. The advantage of subscribing to the feed is the notification that you will receive everyday in your inbox.

And lastly … don’t be shy to comment … you don’t know how impactful your words truly are!

Once again … thank you for the amazing support!

Exciting change for Jodene and Greg

We are both so proud of ourselves and cannot believe that two years have passed us by. Behind the scenes, we have been creating our individual journeys and walking our exciting paths, side by side. We are both great fans of change and challenges and so we are underway with thrilling changes that are going to be shared with you next month.

Look out for it … although we think it will be blazingly obvious!

In truth …

Jodene & Greg

Hi there

Despite our varying beliefs and upbringings, we all seem to take advantage of this time of year to holiday, to see friends and family we have not found enough time for and to indulge in all the good things in life pretty shamelessly. Retail sales boom, even in a recession, and by this time the majority of us have plans for new year’s eve. We make phone calls we have been meaning to find time for and send ecards to people we have been promising to see. We have more time for facebook, status updates and cute applications as tokens of care. Presents, food, quiet time and loved ones become the centre of attention and all of a sudden we have all the time in the world to talk to one another.

And what do we choose to talk about? Our hopes and dreams of course! Hopes that next year will be better than this one drawing to an end. Wishes to win lottos and make money from magic. Dreams of being less stressed about llife. Desires to leave this past year behind and start afresh.

It’s all the talk these days. Everyone is either winding down from the year or gearing up for the next one. Even though there is much excitement about the future, the conversations are all based on the benchmark of the months that have flown past. No one got away unscathed by loss of some kind, financial burden or emotional turmoil. However … no one was without blessings, miracles and moments of happiness and laughter either. In the midst of a year filled with chaos, change and daunting choices, I found myself focusing on the future and working so hard to get to where I was going in order to make the current situations better.

Greg gives a look while listening to me at times. It’s not condescending. It’s not belittling. It’s not pleasant either! It’s a look that tells a story. It tells a story of a woman who has so much going for her; who is smart and beautiful; who wakes up every day and does what she loves; who never gives up and who knows that she can manifest any dream into reality. She has big dreams. She has a world of love to give. She knows what she has to offer. She’s getting the look though!

During ‘the look’ part of the conversation, Greg doesn’t say anything. Not because he’s trying to intimidate me or make me think about what I’m saying. He’s genuinely fallen into silence and confusion. My best friend IS confused at to the way in which I WAS expressing all of my excitement. Yes, you’ve got it. Greg gets the look when he is trying to work out how I am able to see all the wonderful things in my life, yet I am always setting the benchmark on the past and working away from something. I used to be very overweight, I never groomed myself because of my low esteem, I was bitterly unhappy in my unfulfilled career choices, money issues hounded me and relationships were in disarray. Then I started moving to improve my life.

Mistake of all mistakes … and the resolution to Greg’s ‘look’: I was moving AWAY from the issues.

Moving away from the weight issues because I never want to look that way again.
Moving away from the money issues because the stress of it is unbearable.
Moving away from past patterns to avoid the repetitive issues in my relationships.

“Stop!” said the look.

“Stop moving away from, because as long as you do, you will only perpetuate the cycle,” Greg told me.

“Start!” said my special friend and great teacher.

“Start moving towards the exciting dreams you have and the image you hold of yourself,” he guided me.

“Leave the past where it belongs and move towards …”

Greg gave me the tool to change my life that day and since then I have made such wonderful plans and progress. I cannot wait for next year and desperately need a break. Not because the year was so trying but because I want to be well-rested for the incredible adventures next year holds for me.

In this time when we give so many gifts and good wishes to everyone around us, please stop and give yourself a gift too. When you wish everyone a happy new year, please stop and wish yourself. When you rest, do it to get the energy you are going to use in making your dreams come true. When you make plans, create them by looking forward at the wonder of all you can achieve, and when you indulge in festive foods, do it because it’s delicious and not because it’s the last binge before the fat-busting begins!!!

“Merry, merry” in whatever you believe my friends and enjoy the journey as you move towards an amazing you!

Contemplate this …

Everything is a gift, even if you wish you could return it.

Gregs view on being goal-less

Everything stands still when we have no passion. The world around us appears to stick in a pattern – a frustrating, dull, repetitive pattern. So we plan and push things to get the wheel of life spinning again. We push so hard and plan the next move but nothing happens and then the frustration grows. After pushing and planning for what seems like forever we collapse in a heap of frustrated despair, ready to give up when … the world starts moving again.

These moments are important indicators of how to approach life. Zen doctrine speaks of being “goal-less” and “going with the flow” but this doctrine needs careful interpretation. Self-awareness brings with it a broad, overarching Soul purpose – a reason for living that is so non-specific yet motivating. The broadness of this purpose is important – it is not something material but an inner desire so deep it exists regardless of what is happening around you. It rests deep in your subconscious; an unwavering light that the darkness can never put out.

When Zen speaks of being “goal-less” it does so in the context of being aware of this Soul purpose because then all other goals and planning become immaterial. Once in touch with your Soul purpose, whatever you do will be another step towards reaching it. But my point is that there still is purpose; you are still moving towards something – you are not some free agent just floating through life. What is also a relief to understand is that this purpose should never overshadow the golden rule of life to have fun. You may choose not to achieve your purpose in this lifetime – this is the power of choice that we have given ourselves.

“Going with the flow” also needs some explanation for the purposes of this discussion. Think of a stick floating on the surface of a river. The river is flowing in a direction – towards the sea. It always flows in that direction until it reaches the sea – its Soul purpose. And so the stick also always heads in that direction. It may choose to get stuck between some rocks for a while until heavy rains lift the water level and it moves over them. It may also choose to take the slow route by following the inner edge of a bend in the river where the current is slower and the reeds are thicker. It may choose to beach itself during a storm and stay there for years before the river gets to that height again. But in all cases it is still going with the flow but it is sometimes choosing to resist the push of the river. That is the “stuckness” that we feel: the river is flowing around us but we have chosen to get caught in the reeds.

So, I have mentioned passion, Soul purpose in the context of being “goal-less”, and “going with the flow”. These are the elements of happiness. Think of it this way: you know you are going to eventually get to achieving your purpose (getting to the sea) because you have the faith that you are heading that way, a knowing that every river does; you have the choice to follow any route you want to while floating on that river (you can even beach yourself) but you will always be following that river to the sea; in making those choices you may make things more difficult for yourself by getting caught in reeds of behind rocks but it is always your choice; and, your passion for floating on the river will ensure that you will continue floating no matter what. What I’m saying is that understanding your Soul purpose is the greatest gift you can give yourself because it makes every event in your life worthwhile. It also allows you to have fun along the way without the stress of having to plan and analyse your every move.

You already know what your Soul purpose is, all you have to do is listen. Use this time in the holidays to listen; to slow down and just float on the river of life, without the bother and stress of planning. Despite your best efforts, 2010 will take care of itself … and you will continue to float with the river. Have fun in 2010!

Look out!

Greg and I are so excited about the changes in Jodene.co.za and Oh God Knows that await you on your return from your holidays. We have thrilling business ventures to reveal, a redesign of our corporate image to unveil and long awaited personal development talks to announce.

We have been blown away at the number of people who follow us and have held every message of thanks and acknowledgement of our work very dear to our hearts. You have been such a part of our magnificent 2009 and we cannot wait to continue our journey of dreams with you.

Our wish for you

Have fun!!!!!!

Move towards

Jodene & Greg

Hi there

One of my fondest childhood memories is also, to my recollection, my first memory. It was a beautiful sunny day and my father took my sisters and me outside to see the money that had grown on the ‘money tree’. There were notes stuck on branches of the fat, round bushy tree and coins were lying all around its trunk.
“Money grows on trees,” he told us.
It was not true, of course. I, however, chose to believe him for the longest time.

Although the seed was planted when I was so very impressionable, I grew up and eventually discovered that someone who I looked up to and trusted with all my heart had told me a silly tale. He planted a seed and left it to grow, with or without his knowing of the impact his statement had ever made on me.

As the years passed, other seeds were planted too.

“You only succeed if you work very, very hard,” was planted in the barren garden of my beliefs.
“You are Jewish, which means you have to believe in this or that,” grew in the corner of my belief garden and so did many other seeds about life, love, success and myself.

Before long, I was tending a garden of beliefs that was scattered with seeds I had simply gathered along my life journey. I watered them with my fears and tossed the soil with my blind acceptance.

“You are incomplete if you don’t experience the gift of having a child,” sprung up between the shrubs of relationship seeds that were planted by family, friends and society.
“You have to fit in somewhere and define yourself within some frame of reference, Jodene,” blossomed into a frightfully big evergreen in the centre of my garden of beliefs.
“That’s not how you make a living.”
“That’s not an appropriate statement.”
“That’s not a healthy attitude.”
“That’s not a healed approach to life.”
“That’s not’s,” grew throughout my garden of beliefs at such a rapid rate that it began to overrun any pretty flowers I had planted and watered with love, hope and self worth.

In time I was lucky enough to realise that I needed to tend my garden.
I began to pull out the that’s not’s and plant my own seeds. Seeds of dreams, seeds of hope and seeds of happiness. I planted them under the shade of the trees that had been growing for years. Sadly, even though I watered the seeds of dreams, hope and happiness, they could not blossom at will and had to adapt to the surroundings of the well established trees of belief.

Confidence grew but could not be seen through the dense leaves of past criticism.
Beauty flourished but was overshadowed by the thick bark of old imperfections.
Wisdom blossomed but spread thin along the damp earth of childhood ridicule.

From where I stood I saw the pretty flowers of dreams and happily watered the beautiful blossoms of self worth. I tended the trees of beauty and wisdom and pulled out the ‘that’s not’s’ as soon as I saw them grow again.

What I did not realise was how everyone else was seeing my garden of beliefs. You see, when they stood at the gate and peaked in, the first things that caught their eye were the oldest and grandest trees of them all. The ones that had been growing since I was just a child and overshadowed the burst of colour and pretty flowers that they shaded. Those seeds were planted long ago and I was so focused on planting new dreams and happiness and pulling out the obvious ‘that’s not’s’, that I missed something very important about gardening in my beliefs: while watering my hopes and dreams, I was also feeding my old beliefs.
As I fed the earth that nurtured my beauty, the big old tree ate off the same fertiliser. Even though I chose my own seeds I hadn’t noticed that I chose to plant them under the shade of old beliefs and trees that had been planted by everyone else but me.

This very important realisation came to light while battling to comprehend why I am very easily influenced by what other people think is good for me or, in most cases, bad for me.

My garden is filled with happiness and self worth.
So why do so many only notice the branches of relationship crisis, an imperfect physical appearance, think I am neurotic, think I thrive on crisis and most often than not … a doormat to everyone else and totally selfish to my own needs?

Well, that is the shade of the big tree, you see.
The memory of old clouds the blossoms of my content in what I define as happiness in my relationship choices.
The picture in my mind of a hefty girl with braces and glasses tarnishes the beauty I now embrace.
The fight for attention while I was growing up obviously still lingers, even though I am noticed and appreciated just as I am. Of course I am. I planted that seed after all.

It all blossoms and flourishes, yet, whenever anyone comes to visit my garden and stares through the gates before entering, they see the pretty flowers but always point out the big tree; a tree that grows, but which I have long stopped consciously tending or nurturing, yet it has been there for so long that it overshadows my new beliefs every once in a while.

Before I return to tending my garden, I’d like to share a few tips with you in order for your own garden of beliefs to flourish:
The old seeds of belief will never truly go away, even if you stop watering them. They have grown into huge big trees but they don’t have to overshadow the seeds you choose to plant.

It doesn’t matter how many seeds other people planted, remember that you can choose any seeds to plant and nurture.

When people see the old trees, and many might, don’t forget about all the seeds you planted. Those are the ones you need to focus on even when totally overshadowed by the leaves of doubt.
For many, you have learned to show the world the pretty flowers you chose to plant but ignoring the fact that the big trees are there will still limit where and how your dreams grow.
Don’t forget to weed the garden and get rid of the ‘that’s not’s’. They are all the little beliefs that grow and are sometimes disguised as your own little seeds.

Don’t ever try tend someone else’s garden, because you’ll neglect your own and leave the gate open for others to plant unwanted seeds all over again.

Take the time to know the difference between the that’s not’s’ and your own seeds, because far too often we pull out the wrong plant and don’t even leave the tiniest root of remembrance.

Before I go back to tending my garden and watering my blossoming dreams and happiness, I would like to offer you one little seed. Plant this seed at the entrance to your garden of beliefs so you never forget to pass it by. This is the seed of discretion. This will help you to take a careful look at all that you say and do to others – for until you have tended your own garden and distinguished the ‘that’s not’s’ from the blossoming flowers, be reminded that the initial seeds which have grown into overshadowing trees in your own garden were once planted by someone who was not tending their own.

Contemplate this

Seeds grow where you plant them.

Greg’s View on relating to yourself and others

There are two large old oak trees that live in a park near to me. This is their story.

The groundsman from the park authorities was given the task of planting another park designed by an experienced landscaper. He had been a landscaper for years and was very good at this work and got great pleasure from seeing his parks grow over the years. He always loved planting oak trees because of how big they grew and their broad canopy. Today would be no different: the plan called for the planting of oak trees in the park he was to plant.

He dutifully instructed his team to prepare the soil in the area where the trees were to be planted. They tilled the soil and watered the area well. They dug a big hole and poured in some fertiliser and compost to make sure that the trees’ roots took. They placed the first little sapling in its hole and closed it up.

Now it was time for the second oak to be planted. The groundsman paced out a sufficient distance and instructed his team to dig another hole. This hole was prepared the same way as the other and the second oak sapling was tenderly placed into it.

After many years of growth, the two oak trees stood very proud and independent in the park. Many birds roosted in them and people sat in the coolness of their shady canopies.

Eventually, despite the groundsman’s attempts to space the trees far enough apart, the two trees grew together, their branches intertwining. This did not bother the trees, which simply adjusted their growth to accommodate the other, while they both continued to grow.

Every now and then there would be a storm with strong winds that would cause the trees’ branches to part and then come back together again. Neither tree had a problem with this and neither resisted the movement brought on by the wind. The trees parted and moved together again, parted and moved together. Every time there was wind this parting and moving together would happen and the trees would continue to grow and host their own brooding pairs of birds and insects. Each would continue to draw their own water and nutrients from the soil and absorb their own carbon dioxide and produce their own oxygen. Each tree would photosynthesise their own sunlight.

One particularly stormy evening the wind blew so hard that the intertwining branches started hitting against each other really hard, yet the trees did not try to stop this. The wind continued to blow and the branches continued to hit against each other until, eventually, the main branch of the one could take it no longer and broke and crashed to the ground.

In the morning, people gathered to inspect the storm damage and pitied the tree as it stood there with its one branch severed and lying on the ground. It looked sad and pitiful in the morning sunlight. The park authorities came by during the day and removed the broken branch and cleared all the other debris from the park and a week later no one could even tell there had been a storm. The two trees stood proudly next to each other, basking in the sunlight and continuing to grow. Yet there was a distinct difference from before the storm. The two trees still looked the same healthy, proud oak trees but there was something different. Only regular visitors to the park recognised the difference: the trees were no longer intertwined. There was a gap between them wide enough for a pigeon to fly through. The sun shone between them and the rain fell gently through the gap. Other than that there was nothing different about the trees and they continue to grow as they always have, until one day they will grow no more. And, quite possibly, if they choose to, their branches will once again intertwine and they will experience one another once again. And they will be fine either way for they know that they are there in the park to produce acorns so that other oak trees can grow and for animals to live in them and for people to sit in their shade. This they are certain of and so it is not important whether their branches intertwine or not. It doesn’t matter if their roots venture into the same soil. They continue to grow regardless.

We can learn from these oak trees. They know what they want to do and understand that this all that is important. Therefore they can intertwine with each other quite comfortably, they can be blown by the wind and their branches can part and move back together effortlessly, and they can be parted forever and this does not change that they are an oak tree in a park producing acorns and shade.

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With blossoming dreams

Jodene & Greg

Courtesy of Osho Tarot

Hi there

Once upon a time there was a man whom everyone called ‘the fool’.

Villagers from far and wide spoke of this man and their encounters with him and felt him even more foolish as he wandered aimlessly from one village to the next.

He was known to arrive in a new village with a dance in his step and a tune on his tongue, in search of a vacant piece of land to build his new home on. He was not interested in purchasing a building someone had previously lived in, but rather chose to create his home according to his perfect design.  Once the specific piece of sought-after land was located and he had marvelled at all it had to offer him, the fool began to build himself a home.

Word spread of the fool and upon comparing stories, the villagers from far and wide thought him to be an even greater fool than they had before. Whether the northerners or the southerners spoke, they all described the identical home he built and rebuilt. The same garden he planted and the familiar path he paved from the street to his front door. They laughed at the fool when they reminisced about the same smells of aromatic cooking that filled the air. They could not believe how foolish he was and all laughed at his home, which was always incomplete. You see, the fool’s home was elaborate and ostentatious, yet one thing was always amiss. With all the majesty of the fool’s house, he had forgotten to put a front door up and it constantly stood wide open for any uninvited character to enter.

“What a fool!” the villagers from far and wide laughed.

The fool was undoubtedly proud of his home, even though it was incomplete and he surely seemed proud of the furnishings and decor he spent many hours making. His garden blossomed and fresh herbs grew in the windows. The collaboration of aroma from his cooking and the sweet sounds of his tune filled the air.

“Cinnamon?” the villagers asked each other. They had never been able to identify the smell that lingered from his home.

“Folk song?” they wondered, for they had never heard such a melodic tune either.

“I ate of the food the fool cooked,” announced one villager, “and found the spices too rich for my palette. Yet he refused to change the recipe to suit my tastes and I swore never to eat from his plate again.”

“What a fool,” said the villagers.

“I was not drawn to his song,” said another villager, “and requested he select a more familiar tune to sing. Yet, he refused and I swore never to keep his company again.”

“What a fool,” said the villagers.

“His doorless home beckoned me in,” whispered a villager, “and I entered it unannounced. He was nowhere in sight and I stole from his home.”

“Was he not concerned for the wellbeing of his possessions?” asked another.

“Should he not have secured his home after he had lost his valuables?” questioned another.

“What a fool,” said the villagers.

The villagers were bemused at the naive foolishness of the man and wished him good riddance when he refused to change his ways to please them.

“I trampled his beautiful garden,” laughed one villager proudly, “in the hope of seeing him saddened or frustrated just once.” The villagers had many hardships and felt bitterness and disappointment about many things.

“What gives him the right to pass through this life unscathed by hurt and pain?” questioned a bitter villager.

Villagers from far and wide could not relate to his blissful disposition and thought him to be deceitful.

“His happiness was a plot to lure us into his web of ill repute,” one villager said.

“His elaborate home, that did not belong in our simple village, was a cunning trick to coax us into his world of madness,” a very wary villager said.

“He thought we would allow him to settle in our villages,” laughed another.

“What a fool,” said the villagers.

For his uniqueness and his misunderstood contentment, the fool was slowly driven out from the villages that he called home. The more settled and content he appeared and the friendlier and openly inviting he was to his neighbours, the fewer villagers trusted the enigma.

The villagers all had the same story to tell about the departure of the fool from their village. They heard the melodic tune grow more distant as the sun rose and were certain the he had left the village by sunset.

“Never to return,” grinned a villager.

“What a fool,” they all laughed.

Days after the fool had departed, the doorless house stood wide open with the familiar scent lingering in the air. Yet none of the villagers from the north or the south entered the vacant home.

“He left without consideration for any of us,” groaned a villager.

“After a while, the stench of rotting food, withering flowers and spoiled cooking polluted our village,” another said angrily.

“We knew he had arrived in our village with ill intentions,” shouted another.

“What a fool,” said the villagers.

As the fool arrived in yet another village, his untarnished disposition and unwavering tune filled the air. He searched for his vacant plot of land and built his identical home without a door. He filled the air with the same aroma that many had not appreciated and sang the same melody that had been rejected. His flowers blossomed despite being previously trampled and he invited villagers into his home despite being robbed, mocked and unwelcomingly treated.

“You are a fool,” one villager told the man.

She had heard a lot about this fool and longed for his arrival in her village. She had wondered whether his cooking was as unique as her own and his song as different.

Finally, her longing was satisfied by his arrival.

She ate of his food and savoured it. She listened to his melody and lost herself in its perfect tune and she danced amongst the blossoming flowers of his garden.

All around her, villagers scorned her for accepting the fool into the village with such welcome arms.

“He will not leave if you continue your frolicking,” warned a villager.

“Why would you want him to leave if his disposition is so refreshing and his food is so comforting?” she asked. “Surely our weary selves are grateful for a welcome and lavish home to eat as guests and sing as neighbours?”

“Who builds a house without a door and skips through the streets with a blissful demeanour, knowing he has been stolen from?” asked a villager, “and builds another house with no door?”

“Only a fool,” shouted a villager.

“Why does he not learn from his foolish ways when his food has been disapproved of and his song has been mocked?” asked another who had changed many of his ways to fit into the comfort of his village.

“Whose flowers are trampled, yet he does not fence them in?” questioned another.

“Only a fool,” chuckled a villager.

“Does he never learn?” questioned another, “and protect himself from the
inevitable?”

“Does he not know that he will never be accepted or trusted?” wondered another, “and that he will wander aimlessly forever?”

“Why, do you think, he arrives in yet another village with such a song in his voice and a skip in his step?” asked another, “if he has been driven out of a village only a few hours before.”

“Because he is a fool,” cried the villagers.

One quiet evening, while sitting on the outside steps of the doorless house, and staring at the beautiful blossoms, she breathed in the perfect aroma and listened to his magical tune.

She also wondered about the fool.

She waited for him to bring a bowl of food for her to savour and started to sing her own tune that blended harmoniously with his.

“If you fill the air with such aroma and harmony upon your arrival and your departure, why do you allow such a stench to remain in the memories of the villagers?” she asked.

“I do not leave a stench at all,” he responded.

“I leave a fully furnished home, a healthy cooked meal, fresh vegetation to feed from and abundant wealth hidden throughout the house,” he told her.

“It only takes one person within the village to walk through the doorless house and discover all that I have left behind as my gesture of gratitude for their hospitality.”

“Yet no one ever enters,” she told him, “and that does not make you feel the fool?”

“Certainly not,” he said, “for I am contented.”

“Are you not weary of wandering from village to village after all these years?” she asked him.

“I am contented wandering,” he reassured her, “and will continue to wander until I am unconditionally welcomed into a village.”

“I cannot welcome you into the village,” she spoke to the fool, “but I can welcome you into my life.”

“I have no need to tamper with your unusual spice or shy away from your unique tune. I wish to help you tend your garden and will never steal from your doorless home,” she assured the fool.

The fool said nothing, but accepted her gesture with gratitude.

“I only have one request,” she asked.

“Anything,” said the fool.

“I wish to know your real name?”

“My real name” the fool responded, “is, LOVE!”

“And I only have one request of you,” he asked her.

“Anything,” she responded to love.

“Build me a door!” Love asked her, knowing that his wandering was over.

Contemplate this …

Do you dare to be called a fool?

Greg’s view on the world

Greg’s view on the foolishness of love

Just like it has never been seen as endearing to be foolish, love has grown to be disliked too.

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved in return”, says the artist, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, in the beautiful film about love, Moulin Rouge. The strange thing is that it is not something that needs to be learnt as we are all borne of unconditional love. It is something within us that needs to be rediscovered.

Love is the true experience of life. It is the one emotion that incorporates all that we are and wish to be. It takes us places we would not have otherwise gone; it makes us do things that we would have not attempted otherwise; it makes us foolish. Like all experiences in life, love has its ups and downs and the greater the ups, often the greater the downs. The key is to enjoy the downs as much as the ups. Often the downs can be characterised by bitterness and hate but there is still nothing but love.

What defines a fool? They have a poor reputation; one given to them by those who do not take risks because they claim they are too clever to make mistakes. A fool is innocent, pure and trusting. They rely on their inner knowing to guide them. Even though their ego may see an abyss ahead of them, they keep going. They stroll off the edge with the faith and knowing that has typified many of the great leaders and warriors of history. Think of the great explorers who set out to prove to people that the world does not end and you cannot sail off the edge. How similar is love? Every experience of love is different yet we choose to see it as the same and this is what makes it the same. This is what results in repeated patterns in love. The patterns provide our ego with comfort but rob our soul of experiencing.

To be a fool in love it is necessary to abandon the mind. Laugh at the mind and its antics as it tries to anticipate what will happen next and how the other will react to your words and actions. Go with what you want to do and say. If you find yourself stopping yourself then you know that the innocence is being disturbed.

I recently experienced unrequited love. This is something that is written about a lot. It is an uncomfortable space but one that needs to be seen for what it is – love with yourself. Hindsight can make you look stupid because your actions were never reciprocated. Yet, the gift you give yourself is to see how you can abandon all rules and norms and be yourself regardless of how it may seem. Have you tried to “dance like no one is watching”? We have all heard the saying but for some of us it is more difficult than it may sound. It requires you to listen to what you hear in the music and to respond how you want to respond, not how you have been taught to respond, which fits in with the rest of the crowd. If you are one of those who criticises others for how they dance you will find this even more difficult. Try it though because when you have mastered this you are starting to get the concept of being foolish in love.

Then take another step and do it again…foolishly.

Ask Jodene

The response to the sex and intimacy talks has been fantastic, but many people have asked how they are able to benefit from the courses in their private capacity. Please contact me or Skype me and we will assess you concerns about your personal relationship to sex and intimacy.

I am offering one complimentary session of 30 minutes (in private or via Skype) and then R350 per session (maximum 1 and a half hours).

Please take note of the November seminar dates.

Ask Greg

If you are between the ages of 29 and 31 and life is unusually distressing, confusing or frightening, you are not alone. This inevitable time in our lives is known as Saturn return and Greg is here to help. Contact him for one complimentary session (in private or via Skype) and then R350 per session (maximum 1 and a half hours).

Greg also counsels in the spheres of archetypes and the collective unconscious, dark night of the soul and ego and soul.

Be foolish

Jodene & Greg

Hi there

Our apologies for being a touch late with the September newsletter, but we can enthusiastically blame a fantastic holiday in Italy for our belated burst of inspiration. That’s only half true though, because I also have to admit my inability to settle into the message I wanted to share. I could spend hours sharing stories of the things I learned about myself, Greg and the experience of thinking I knew myself until I was thrust into the unfamiliar surroundings of a foreign country. Yet the only message I want to share with you is about someone called Ephineah (Ee-fee-nee-ah) and the lessons she taught me in the most incredible twist of fate.

I never expected to be so captivated by the magnificence of Italy and the more I took in the history of the power of the Roman Empire, the greater my need to get back to writing.  However, the more I toyed with the idea of setting my second novel in Italy, the more I realised there was only one thing holding me back: Ephineah. She was holding tripping me up at every turn and haunting my confidence in my ability to write.

Who, you ask is Ephineah?

Ephineah took me one and a half years to write and became the fictional character that put every ounce of self worth and esteem on the line. Out of fear, I shelved the idea twice, but picked it up again, when my passion for writing won the battle.

When I read it for the final time before handing it to Greg, I cried. Some of the tears where from pride and the other’s were shed in the panic of hearing him say that I had not been bold enough and that it fell short of making the impact he knew I could make in the world.  Greg decided to bring the book with on our trip and pulled it out to read on airplanes, trains and in hotel rooms. The more I saw it, the lower my esteem sank and within a few days, the first draft of my novel was the big elephant in the room.

Prior to leaving for Italy I was asked to write a brief on the novel, for marketing purposes, and captivated the essence of the entire story in just a few sentences:

Ephineah is a story about learning to live your truth, listening to the innocence of the child within and giving your dreams the freedom to sore before your body ails under the denial of your Soul.  It is the story of listening to voices. Every one of them has a message waiting for you to pay attention and start living as though you were dreaming.

In my first few days of strolling the streets of Rome, the knowledge that my best friend and most honest critic was making his way through the pages of the book was haunting me.  I spent days attempting to strike up conversations about his opinion of it, but Greg, as the incredible friend that he is, refused to play into my low esteem. He avoided commenting and the less he said, the more I decided he hated it.

Every once in a while I would have a glimmer of self worth and reminded myself that I was born to write and that it didn’t matter if Greg absolutely hated the book, I was a writer and  I would get published. In those moment’s my Soul didn’t care much for the ramblings of my low esteem and no matter how I tried to roam the Churches and slender alleyways as a fascinated tourist, the writer in me forced itself forward at every occasion.

Ephineah tells the story of a woman, and the ailing of her body because of the denial of her life purpose and the fears she allowed to fester in her attempt at avoiding the path it would take to greatness. Ephineah, on the other hand, knows the greatness of this woman. It is the story of their relationship and the voice that never lets us fall short of our dreams.

That’s the twist of fate.

I created Ephineah and not until I doubted my own ability to write, did she awaken me to this month’s message: Ephineah is about listening to the voices.

However!

Everyone is mumbling and the voices mull into each other and echo through the world like the rustling of leaves. Everyone is mumbling, but I don’t need to. Everyone is mumbling, but you don’t need to either.

Ephineah is about hearing the voices! And the only voice we need to listen to is our own.

We mumble because we are afraid of the consequence of the words we are bursting to speak; so we say half truths, tell half stories and express half of our hopes and dreams.

I mumble because I am unsure of the response to my stories of stories of Pagan Rome, of Goddesses and of a woman who learned to heal by talking to the Ocean and dancing with the moon.  If I don’t go back to the drawing board and speak in my bold clear voice, then Ephineah will be a mumble in the world of books. If I do, then I might face criticism, disapproval or having to defend my beliefs and stand alone against the multitudes who disagree with my opinions.

Either way, unless I find my voice, I will be nothing more than a whisper when my Soul is shouting out for me to make a booming noise.

My holiday was filled with adventures I could share with you and each one of them could easily create the tapestry of life lessons I wish to convey, but that would defeat the very purpose of my message.

That is because I don’t have one.

There is nothing I can say or do that would ever shine a torch brighter than the one you hold up for yourself. No voice that echoes from my lips is more powerful than the message you have to tell yourself.  I’ll give you a clue: it’s the one you don’t want to listen to. The one that is telling you to stand up and be who you truly want to, despite the fear of loss, failure, being crucified or burned at the stake. It is the voice that is telling you, you are more! You are greatness! It is the voice of the wind that howls through night and sends all the little leaves who are mumbling, in a flurry of envy.

I finally realised that Greg didn’t have to read the first draft of the book for me to know I had been far too conservative in my writing and only once I voiced it to him did he respond to me. My friend smiled, and with compassion, he confirmed what I had known all along. This is not a question of whether I am a writer, but rather the difference between being the mumbling of the leaves or the voice of the wind.

The second edit of Ephineah begins today, with the extraction of the chapters that were not so brave and the inclusion of the controversial truths I want to share with the world. While I write mine, I encourage you to start the chapters of your own.

I cannot let the moment pass by to thank my two other dear friends who read Ephineah. Belinda and Mara, reading my story and finding it flawless has given me more gifts than you will ever know. Your love for Ephineah made it so much easier to face my challenges of the months ahead and the rewriting process and your feedback has solidified the plot, the characters and my determination to have the world meet her: Ephineah!

Contemplate this …

Amongst all the noise in your head, what is your voice saying?

Greg’s View on YOU

Recent events in my life have brought me to a stark realisation and these events have not been limited to a particular part of my life either. I have realised that it is most important to reveal your truth to yourself and stay in integrity with yourself, because then sticking out the difficult times is less traumatic. I’ll put it in context for you by telling a story:

There is a boy who is very popular at school because he always goes out of his way to have people like him and to impress them. He busies himself with helping people with their homework, studying hard to achieve good results, doing favours for people, even some he does not even like. This keeps him happy because his need to be liked is being fulfilled. However, he still feels hollow inside and unappreciated. His efforts to help are hollow and untrue to who he his and this fuels the need to be liked even more. Eventually he finds himself surrounded by people he cannot relate to and who do not understand him…lost in the need and so lost to himself. His life is pointless and unsatisfied.

So he decides to find out who he is but the truth scares him so he stays in the hollow space he is in. However, he now knows that this space is not his truth, even though he doesn’t fully understand what his truth is. This is enough to trigger change, which culminates in depression. Everything at this time appears dark and upsetting leading to irrational thoughts and random emotion. He is truly feeling lost to himself.

Yet there is a spark…a pilot light burning deep within him, guiding and comforting him. He has a choice: remain in the space he is in and continue to be plagued by the glimmer and spend his time dodging it, or turn to the light and ignite the flame. He chooses the flame.

His truth becomes clearer over time and all along he experiences events in his life that appear to discredit this truth. They are difficult times that lead to doubt, concern, upset and discomfort. Yet the flame is intriguing; he is mesmerised by its light and so he continues to follow it.

Now, years down the path, he is faced with situations that involve sabotage of his work, a broken heart and financial insecurity, yet he remains calm. His reactions are not explosive, nasty and vengeful. He is driven by purpose; a knowing that is now a raging fire that no amount of darkness can put out. Despite the chaos he sees peace. Despite what people are saying and doing around him, he knows with defiant certainty that the flame is all that matters and, because the flame burns so deep within him, it cannot be taken away. Although he may be discredited and heartsore, his path remains true…to himself and his purpose.

Never give up on you. It is the one thing that can never be taken away. And don’t be concerned that you may not have found your pilot light because it is there, burning faithfully, waiting for you to turn up the gas when you are ready. You will know when you are ready and it will be a time when you are cold and miserable for that is when the need for warmth is greatest; a warmth that will come from within.

Once again I give credit to my friends at TUT… A note from the Universe for this inspirational message: “No matter how things appear; no matter what you’ve overheard; and no matter how many people think otherwise… nothing can stop you, no one can hurt you, and you and I still have forever and ever”. You’re in your truth, just stop lying to yourself.

Personal Development Courses

Sex and intimacy plays a prominent role in our lives, as does the status of our relationships. Of all the situations we face, relating takes its biggest toll on our esteem. It is virtually impossible to box esteem and if it has been damaged due to the lack of a healthy personal relationship to sex, it has the potential to send a ripple effect of failure through all areas of our lives.

Jodene is constantly called upon to offer assistance to her clients in the arena of sex and intimacy and has finally launched her long awaited talks

Ignite the passion within – awakening the sexual being

Secretly, countless individuals suffer the silent war with sex and battle to find fulfillment or express their desires and needs. Our bodies were designed to enjoy these pleasures, yet we have shattered our feelings of worth and lost the essence it takes to totally fulfil our sexual appetites.

This course, for women, awakens a joyous journey into the discovery of how beautiful, sexy and alive you truly are. It will teach you how to ignite the flame deep within and give you the tools to overcome the obstacles that stand between you and a truly orgasmic sex life.

Cost: R250

Date: Tuesday 20th October 2009-10-02

Time: 19:15 for 19:30 to 22:30

Connection and intimacy – breaking barriers within sexual relationships

Communication, chemistry and commitment are the three C’s of a truly powerful intimate relationship. Without the confidence to express fears or desires, and if the needs of the individuals are not met, a sexual relationship is in jeopardy.  Our self esteem is battered because we do not communicate or explore our own boundaries and the fear of failure puts unnecessary strain on the beautiful art of sex and love making.

Ladies, this course shares the tools to speaking, exploring and enjoying the adventures between you and your sexual partner. It closes the doors to uncertainty and opens the floodgates to fun and passion and a lasting sexual relationship.

Cost: R250

Date: Tuesday 27th October 2009-10-02

Time: 19:15 for 19:30 to 22:30

Set your sex life on fire – introducing play, passion and adventure

There is no greater playground than the body, yet so many of us hold back on letting go and having fun with the adventures of sex. Secretly, many of us would love to add spice and a dash of dare into the mix. Jodene is very aware that confidence is key and shares tips to boost the esteem and surprise your lover with passionately adventurous and fun evening and even days.

This course helps ladies take control of the flame and gives great ideas that will have your men giving up rounds of golf and drinks with the boys for.

Cost: R250

Date: Tuesday 29th October 2009-10-02

Time: 19:15 for 19:30 to 22:30

To book for any of the courses or for more details, please contact Jodene on 0741563363 or mail her on manifest@jodene.co.za .

Please take note that these courses are for the ladies, they are discreet and you will all be able to ask anonymous questions during the evenings.

These talks are also available as a girlie party setting in conjunction with an upmarket adult store at an additional charge of R50 per person and a minimum of 10 ladies.

With love from our voices

Jodene & Greg

Hi there

I’m writing this month’s newsletter feeling very under the weather and nursing a nasty chest infection that has had me coughing and wheezing for almost a week. It keeps me up at night and leaves me exhausted and drained during the day. It hasn’t attacked my head or my nose but instead has totally isolated itself in the cavity of my chest. Blatantly, sickness has engulfed my heart.

I am a firm believer that we are only susceptible to illness or injury when the energy field around a specific area is compromised due to emotional or mental imbalance. It does not always have to be negative though and sometimes feeling unhealthy can be a celebration of realisations and facing fears.

Mine did not feel much like a celebration, to be honest, but more like a cry out for some form of acknowledgement about my self perception. I don’t mind being sick and always use my time to truly nurture my body and listen to messages it is sending me. I rest as much as I can, make sure I’m well nourished and spend time with me; listening to myself.

Alright, so I panicked a little after the tenth person told me how severe the flu was and that people were dying from it and ended up doing a Google search on the symptoms I should look out for. In my search I stumbled across a site that listed the most common diseases in the world. The commonality was frightening, maybe not to the naked eye, but to someone who understands energy and more specifically the chakra systems of the body.

The facts: heart disease, breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia and lung cancer are among the top most common killers in the world.  All of this was being discovered while trying to settle my curiosity as to the swine flu epidemic and whether my correlating symptoms should be cause for concern.  Although I had none of the symptoms, it did place in my palm the final piece of the puzzle: swine flu attacks the immune systems as does HIV/AIDS.

Ironically, the energy field in the body that controls the immune system is none other than the heart.

Right, so my heart was trying to tell me something.

The past month, now that I think about it, has been filled with issues of the heart.

My heart sang when I finished my novel and gave it to my three dearest friends to read. I ached when I made decisions about my longstanding businesses. I fluttered when I contemplated a potential relationship and ripped a little when we were not meant to be. It beat a little faster when my landlord gave me no option but to move and I was clueless as to where I would live. It pounded a lot when I realised that amidst it all I had begun the countdown to an overseas trip that Greg and I have dreamed of sharing as best friends. My heart cried out when I realised that my travels coincided with the anniversary of my father’s passing, an operation my mother is having, my sister’s birthday and a religious holiday. There were days when it beat steady as I outlined new business plans and others when I felt as though it would stop at the fear of my creative juices eventually running dry.

Yet, all of these phantom rhythms never managed to distract it from the true melody it plays in my chest. A constant tune that pumps through my body and beats away while I live my life.

It did not take me long to assume that my heart had merely asked for some time out from all the goings on in my life. By day five, I began to realised that it might not have been as simple as that. As the Universe always does, the synchronicities of my conversations with people and the events of my limited contact with the outside world, gave me a much great gift:

Innocence!

Greg had his own realisations of this and we shared much of the impact it was making on his life. My contribution was pride in his awareness, without thinking he and I had the same lessons to learn.

Innocence!

A dear friend of mine moved far away and our main correspondence is now via Skype. What better time to catch up than when I’m lying in bed with all the time in the world to chat. What is the main story she has to share with me? A real life scene from one of the greatest romantic comedies ever – Love Actually. By day three of a tale about catching glimpses in the passageway, stumbling over the simplest hello and literally crashing into each other in the hallway, I had to admit a truth to myself. I felt envy at the pure innocence and free spirited energy in which my friend was dealing with the flittering of her heart.

Innocence!

That best describes the energy of a child and within a few years of being exposed to the world most of us have lost the ability to see life through innocent eyes. It almost speaks of naivety in the context we use it and label someone who seemed to know no better. Innocent, as opposed to the guilty party, is yet another understanding.

Once again, the great teacher Osho puts it into the context with which my eyes were opened and my heart could finally be heard:

“You are just like an onion, layers upon layers, but if you peel the onion, soon you will find fresher layers inside. Go on deeper and you find more and more, fresher layers. The same is true about man: if you go deep into him you will always find the innocent child…And to contact that innocent child is therapeutic.”

I write with the constant reminder that getting published is a huge challenge. I tackle my business challenges knowing that we are in economic crisis. I have planned for my holiday with the words ‘tight budget’ in the forefront of my mind. I am more afraid of being hurt by commitment than wanting to be committed and I am moving my life with uncertainty as to whether I will be happy leaving a place I really love. However, I pride myself in having faith that all will work out in the end and that life is exactly as it should be.

That is like having all the right ingredients but no oven to bake it in.

On the Friday afternoon that I first began to feel my chest tighten, I was lying on my mother’s bed with my sister when her phone rang. It was my nephew who was wondering if a friend might come over to play. My sister was adamant that it was out of the question and I lay there laughing at the desperation her son had in his voice. We worry about whether our debts will be paid on time, if we can sustain the roof over our heads, if the person we love is worthy of our trust – and here a little boy is only worried that he might miss out a moment of fun. My sister reasoned about dinner time, traffic, the late hour and all the obstacles, we as adults, put in the way. The more she debated, the less convincing her concerns began to sound and in the end even I was nudging and telling her to just let them play. With a loving huff she surrendered and life naturally took care of itself. Dinner was on the table on time, the friend was back with his parents without any hitches, neither time nor traffic or any of the adult concerns were even acknowledged to the innocent Souls who were focused on the real reason why we are alive – to have fun!

Allowing the innocence to seep through our daily lives is to surrender to the child within and open our hearts to faith in this magical journey of life. We are all children on a big adventure, sailing the opens seas and looking out for Captain Hook, the giant whale or the stealth submarine. You will never see a child cower away from the chance to fight the bad guy, search for the hidden treasures or solve the puzzle. When the building blocks crash to the ground they laugh and when rain stops them from playing outside they turn their bedrooms into forts. Nothing stops them from having fun and no obstacle stands between them and the innocence with which they face the world.

We all have that child within us and once again I would like to quote Osho:

“The child never dies…nothing ever dies. The child is there, always is there, wrapped by other experiences…Wrapped by adolescence, then by youth, then by middle age, then by old age…but the child is always there.”

I looked at life today and toyed with the innocence of each situation I find myself in:

Yay, I get to find a new home to live in. Woo-hoo, I’m going on a big adventure with my very best friend and time, money or responsibility is just as much fun. My mommy’s getting her sore foot fixed and then we can do all the fun stuff without her having to be sore anymore. My business partner and I are hopping and skipping into undiscovered territory all laced with change and new beginning. And a super duper whoop whoop goes out to all the fun people I’m gonna meet along the way as I put my heart out to the world and find someone to share it with! Do I hear a Yippee?

I have held the ingredients of life for so long and move closer to realising my dreams daily. With each challenge I awaken more to the understanding of life and with every obstacle I amaze myself at the bravery with which I live. Yet, of all the realisations I have had, this feels like the most profound of them all.

I have had the ingredients for so long and now I have the perfect oven with the exact temperature, to watch my life rise into the cupcakes of happiness, abundance, love, joy, prosperity and success.

Finally – I have innocence.

Contemplate this …

The key to innocence is never to have regrets. No regrets!

Greg’s View on the World

Greg’s View on Giving Love with Innocence

I have always heard that it is a greater blessing to give love than to receive. I have listened but never quite understood how it can be possible.

Receiving someone else’s love is such a beautiful blessing that lifts you up and gives you meaning. It motivates you to bounce out of bed in the morning; it causes you to skip through the garden and wear an inane smile all day. It is your life blood. It is therefore no wonder that losing that love is then so painful and tragic: the very thing that was driving your every move is taken away and you are left with nothing.

This is the important difference in giving love without expectation of anything in return: it all relies on you. You choose to give your love or you choose not to. It is not dependent on another and so when you choose not to love anymore you can take responsibility and deal with the pain.

But in order to give that love you need to love yourself. We have all heard this but it is not always an easy concept to grasp. Love yourself? This means loving yourself despite your perceived “weaknesses”; loving yourself whether others whom you love, love you as much or not; loving yourself because you will then have so much love that you will attract others to love.

Giving love should be unconditional, which means it is free of expectation and the resultant anxiety. It is free of past experience. It comes from a place of knowing that is so certain that nothing can shake it. It comes from within YOU and is therefore not reliant on anything or anyone but you.

These are all easy words but how do you roll this out in practice? What helps me is to always imagine myself when I was five (you can pick any age that personifies innocence for you). When I was five there was no expectation of a situation and I lived always for the moment: if I saw the moment as sad then I was sad; if it was happy then I was happy. I did not force myself out of sadness because I wanted happiness and I did not hang onto the happiness because I did not want to lose it. I merely experienced the feelings and these feelings were unique and special because I did not know them from past experience.

And so it should be in giving love: like it is the first time. You have a blank canvass to create the most beautiful experience you know how to in that moment in time and you are doing it without any other painting or artist in mind…it is only you, your emotions and the canvass.

Give of yourself freely and create the love you want to see in the world because then you will see nothing else.

Your comments

Please remember that this newsletter is now interactive and Greg and I would love to have comments and feedback. If you have any stories that could help other or questions to ask, please take a moment and share with us.

Please remember that we are also available for private support via our website, or you can make an appointment to see Jodene for a personal session by contacting her on +27741jodene (563363).

Personal Development Seminars

Jodene will be running new workshops for both corporates and individuals. Over the past months she has come to realise something very important about the world: We are not asking for help, we are trying to understand why.

Manifestation Myths answers the question: why are the tools within the laws of attraction now changing lives as promised

Intimacy and sexuality answers the question: why are we not finding satisfaction and fulfillment within ourselves or with our partners

All will be revealed in next months newsletter or contact Jodene for some pre launch information

Artists in the sun at Zool Lake

On Saturday the 29^th and Sunday the 30^th of August, Greg and myself will be supporting our dear friend Bruce Young at the Zoo Lake for the Artist’s in the sun.  Bruce’s unique gift as an artist awakens any canvas to the beauty of life and joy of living.  Please take a look at Bruce’s website, which also has a map to the venue.

Take a peek at just one of our favourites: byoungart

No regrets

Jodene & Greg

Hi there

A few nights ago I had a dream about a lioness.

She proudly strolled through the city streets with people aimlessly walking by and almost ignoring her presence. I, on the other hand, was petrified of the wild cat and ran for safety. We have all experienced those dreams where we cannot seem to run fast enough or get away from the danger without feeling as if we are getting nowhere. I found myself cowering behind the closed doors of an abandoned shop as I watched the proud lioness make her way through the crowds and toward me.

What a gorgeous creature she was, with her firm, muscular body and head held high. Her eyes pierced with intent as she set the compass in my direction. I watched each step as if she were walking on air and quivered at the thought of the impact one swoop of her paw could have on me. Death.

As she breathed against the glass and obscured my view, I felt the ice cold chills of fear run along my spine and flow into my veins. While she scratched her claws along the door and attempted for force it open, a little boy walked up to the fierce beast and put his small hand onto her head. Stroking her shining coat as he peered through the glass, he looked at me curiously and asked. “Why are you hiding?”

“Because lions are dangerous and I am afraid she is going to kill me.” I cried

“Lions are also proud, brave and show great strength. Not everything is out to hurt you …” Before the lioness could finish her sentence, I shook myself awake and lay, petrified, in the darkness.

It was not the dream that kept me awake, but the thoughts of unfinished tasks and unknown outcomes. There I lay, curled up in my bed, wishing I could return to sleep and silence my mind from the irrationality of its fears. So, I ran from my dreams because I did not like the feeling it stirred within in and I was attempting to run from my waking hours for the very same reason.

Days passed without the image of the lioness escaping my mind. Although she hovered in the background of my thoughts, there was not much time to pay her attention, considering the everyday obstacles and harsh realities I have had to face. When it rains, it surely pours and the more positive affirmations and courageous thoughts I have thrown at the situations, the more turmoil I seem to be finding myself in. The greater the issue, the harder I try and figure out what I am doing wrong and the more I am searching for what I need to change.

No wonder the lioness visited me in my dreams. She had an important message for me that night and if I had not been trying so hard to run from my fears I would have taken heed to what she was saying: “… Not everything is out to hurt you.”

We have to ask ourselves why we wish for smooth sailing lives and turn to religion, spirituality, addiction or medication in the hope that the fear will subside. We meditate, pray, drink or take a pill all for the same reason: peace!

Yes, we might be suffering and riddled with burden but if we do not embrace it, we only perpetuate it.

Stop searching for peace by trying to think, act or be different to who you intrinsically are. Stop thinking that the situations that present themselves to you are out to harm you and stop trying to figure out what you are doing wrong.

Do not pray if you are hoping it will stop you from ever facing illness or pain. Do not meditate if you think it will increase your bank balance or find you true love because you are afraid of being broke or alone. Do not get lost in addiction if you think it will save you from facing the truth of how tough your life is.

All our lives are tough, but that realisation should make us shout “Hallelujah”.

When we face the obstacles in our path without doubting who we are or the choices we make, that is the only thing that will bring about any form of resolution to our current situations. No broken relationship, unsettled debt, lost job, illness or perceived failure is meant to take us from our belief in ourselves. It is all meant to make us stand up and take note of who we are and how we will thrive in the face of the realities of life.

DO NOT CHANGE!

That is the message the lioness was trying to tell me. Stop forcing change and for once in your life, stand firm in your self belief and cling to dreams and eventually you will witness change.

Do not be angry at yourself for feeling afraid or having doubt because that will only perpetuate the fear. Do not think yourself a failure if you have not achieved what you set out to. Do not fight with yourself because of where you find yourself today Rather, ease up on yourself. It is the only way you can hear the roar of your heart and live a brave and proud existence.

Contemplate this …

Happiness is not a situation; it is a state of mind

Greg’s view on the world

The whole purpose of life is to experience the pull between ego and soul.

I was reading through Jo’s blog post and the responses to it and I was overwhelmed by the propensity we have to pontificate over peace, happiness, eternal love and joy … concepts that the soul is only too familiar with. So why do we seek this with such vigour when we are here to experience the pain, anxiety, fear and confusion that comes with having both the ego and the soul? They are so a part of the experience of life: these moments that we so naturally dread and wish to avoid. They give perspective and balance. Without these experiences life would be a monotone of even keel nothingness. We would move from one day to the next expecting nothing but the usual happiness and peace … fooled into believing that we should always focus on the positive and pay no attention to the other side; the side so vital to the experience of life … the side that will give you growth.

Approaching the moments of confusion, pain and anxiety with innocence and the same enthusiasm that we have for the good times is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Without them the journey would not be the amazing adventure it is.

Have fun … or not. Both states are special.

Personal Development Seminar

Half price special

Many of you have expressed your keen interest is the seminar, but have also aired your personal frustrations about the financial implications.

R500 for a full day seminar on Saturday 22nd August 2009 (Johannesburg).

The Universe Requests lays the foundation for any form of change you wish to bring about in your life and introduces you to the 5 fundamental steps as you manifest and awaken the life you know you can live.

For more information or to book please contact Jodene: manifest@jodene.co.za or call her on +27741jodene (563363)

Blog entries

We hope you are adjusting to the change in format and encourage you to follow the links below to read the additional posts linked to this month’s newsletter. Please also use the opportunity to ask us questions or contribute to the discussions that are taking place.

Laws of Attraction: EOLV still spells love

Manifestation myths: The meditation myth

Don’t go changing

Jodene & Greg

Hi there

My Saturdays always begin with a meditation after which I get dressed and drive to the local shops where I consciously spice up the content of my breakfast basket before heading off to Greg’s house for our traditional weekend catch up. While I cook, we share the events of the week and ponder the meaning of it all. The house is filled with laughter and we giggle at ourselves and each other, no matter the how we handled our situations.

A few weekends ago, I strolled aimlessly through the aisles and lacked the usual enthusiasm with which I approach the adventures of my love for cooking and spoiling those I care about. I was too distracted by the question that had been plaguing my mind throughout a very trying week.  “Why is everything in such chaos?”

Some things in my life I am very clear on; the one is that what I do for a living never drains me.  I drain me.  I can confidently say that I have never felt resentful towards any of the work I do, yet there have been times I have felt that I was too tired to write or teach.  That is because my brain sometimes forgets its role and tries to control my life.  Luckily Greg knows the tell tale signs and reels me back to reality.

When I am not asking questions of life, I am being asked to answer other people’s questions.  Greg and I are often both asked to clarify the same curious issues people have about this journey and we always agree that our favourite question is: “What is the purpose of life?”

“To have fun, of course!” Is always our response.  Most people look at us curiously as we confirm that indeed the whole purpose of being alive is to have the time of your life. Live, laugh, love!

On that particular day, Greg was playing on the merry-go-round of life and I was sitting on the park bench wondering why he was having more fun than me.  Avoiding the tears from falling into the frying pan, I eventually surrendered to the emotion and sat with him, sharing the frustration and confusion I had been feeling.  In my lack of self esteem I was unconsciously surrendering to the truth that I had forgotten to have fun.  I felt so helpless that I told him I had no reason to be having fun, even if I tried.  I was being hit from all sides and a lot of it had to do with things that were out of my control.

Tired of trying to coax me onto the merry-go-round, Greg grabbed my hand and dragged me to the rollercoaster that awaited our imaginations.  There he strapped us both in and we began the slow descent with pictures of our own lives filling the canvas of our minds.

It started with a slow climb that I had enjoyed so much, when everything was smooth sailing for a while and I was excited to be alive.  As we reached the top, I had a full view of my life and I breathed in the feeling of flying high. Before I could exhale, I felt a little wobble while everything stood still for a split second and then – screams.  Plummeting to the earth with a petrifying inability to control, see clearly or stop myself from panicking; all I wished for was to go up again.

Greg slammed on breaks and we came to a halt, hanging upside down in the centre of the big loop in the ride.   “Let go!” He was suggesting I release my hands from the tight grip of the bars that protected me from my deathly demise. There he sat, strapped in besides me, waving his hands in the air and loving the excitement of the ride.   It is not that Greg is on the up and telling me to trust and have fun. He is hanging upside down beside me, also dealing with his personal frustrations, fears and insecurities.  My first response was to point out that his life was easier than mine at that point.  What good would that do me because I would still be hanging upside down, clinging to the bars that I did not trust and wishing that part of the ride was over with.    “Have fun!” It is another thing I know beyond a shadow of doubt; that the whole journey is about having the ride of your life.  “Have fun” It is what Greg and I get so right and what we are always admired for.   “Have fun” What happened, you ask?

I forgot! It is really as simple as that.  It is not that I had lost the fact that I should have been having fun; I was crying in Greg’s kitchen because I wanted the fun back.

It is all the other things I lost sight of that took the joy out of the ride.

I forgot that I am brave.    I forgot that I am resourceful.    I forgot that I have survived so much in my past.    I forgot that life never gives me something I cannot handle.    I forgot that I am always in the exact place I am supposed to be in my life.    I forgot to have faith in myself and the process.    I forgot to love myself enough to not give up on myself.    I forgot to be gentle and nurturing to myself when times are rough.    I forgot to put myself first.    I forgot to take time to be grateful for what I do have.    I forgot not to worry about the past.    I forgot not to focus on the future.    I forgot that every situation is for and because of me.    I forgot to tell myself the truth.    I forgot to set boundaries that only I should not cross.    I forgot that pain, fear and anxiety are not to punish me, but the strengthen me.  I forgot to not question what I am doing wrong it rough times, but praise who I am and rely on it when it counts most; for I am HAPPY, FULFILLED, ABUNDANT AND ALIVE!

Collectively:  We have all forgotten to choose to have fun.   We have all forgotten that when we live our lives consciously, everything becomes an adventure.

Take a look at all of the things I forgot and use that to bring awareness back into your life.  Then climb back on the ride, strap yourself in and come play and have fun with us … consciously!

Upcoming Events

Free Open Evening: You are invited to join Jodene and Greg to learn more about the support, seminars and private counselling they offer.  The evenings are either  Thursday 2^nd July or Tuesday 7^th July from 7:30 pm.

Please contact Jodene for further details, via email for further details

Personal Development Seminar:  To be hosted by Jodene at Zenatude in Sunninghill, Johannesburg on Saturday 18 July 2009.  Please email Jodene on book for the event.  Limited space, so book early!

Archetypes Course: Hosted by Jodene and Greg on by weekkly Tuesday evenings, commencing on 14th of July for 8 weeks.

Jodene and Greg have been studying and teaching archetypes for many years and still believe that this is the most profound insight you can give as a gift to yourself.

Contact Jodene via email on  for further information or to book for the course.

Contemplate this: Fun is more difficult than you think. Because you shouldn’t think.

Greg’s View on the World

2010 can be fun – it’s our choice

Sometimes one of the hardest things to do is have fun. We find every possible reason not to.

Next year South Africa hosts the Soccer World Cup. The country has been abuzz with talk of “2010” for four years now. For four years we’ve been looking forward to hosting the biggest event on the sporting calendar. Yet we have yet to get excited. We have yet to start enjoying the fact that we will be the centre of the sporting stage in a year’s time. There is still concern that we will not be able to host it; until recently we even believed that there was a chance that FIFA would move the event. Newspaper reports still focus on the reasons why we will not be able to host a successful event even though FIFA is confident.

Last Saturday a journalist pointed out that there are still no good news stories going around on how South Africa has almost completed the stadia, has upgraded transport systems and is successfully hosting the Confederations Cup. No, instead the papers are filled with the news that the Egyptian soccer team’s hotel rooms were robbed, once again highlighting the crime in the country, despite reports on how this has happened across the world at large sporting events.

So when does the fun begin? When do we start enjoying being the centre of attention and hosting such a great event? We should start before we miss it.

How’s the event you’re hosting that you call “life”? No matter what is happening it should be fun. Even the low points hold anticipation of the high. It is so tempting to take life seriously but it is more refreshing to just let all things go and to approach the days with innocence, purity and trust. Choosing fun does not mean then that you have control of the outcome though, which actually makes it more fun because you never know what will happen! Just as we don’t know how the World Cup will go. All we know is that we can choose to enjoy it!

So choose fun today, tomorrow and in 2010. And enjoy not knowing the outcome.

The world of social networking

Either you’re a tweeter or you have no idea what all the twitter fuss is about.  I can only talk from personal experience when I say that my website hits have quadrupled since tweeting, all the new changes on the site have been from advice and support I have received from fellow twitters; and I have met the most incredibly special people around the world.

This month I’ve decided to share just a few of the special one’s:

Zut_Radio – The truth teller and truly free spirit

DarkDippy – My fellow SA tweet friend who’s full of life and laughs

KhuramMalik – Who helped me change and grow my following

Davidemills – sometimes you just meet the most wonderfully inspiring people

Happy Cow

If you missed the great discussion Pete, the founder of Happy Cow and myself had on my Laws of Attr-action blog, go have a look at what we had to say about “Chaos and being happy in the now”.

There are so many happy, inspiring and motivational reason to visit the Happy Cow website and subscribe to the newsletters.

Please post a comment if you would like to share you views: Post comment

Have fun

Jodene & Greg