21. Responsibility

Take full responsibility for your own life and the objectives you set for yourself. The definition of responsibility is the ability to respond. When an event occurs that you would rather had happened differently, a blaming individual will try to say it was soeone else's fault or it was the climate or the economy that is to blame. You, as a responsible person will say I take ownership of this situation. You will not say "I was minding my own business when... happened." You will say "How can I make this situation better ?" You will always focus on the solution rather than the problem or the perpetrator of the crime

20. Power

In all areas of life, it is important that you become as powerful as you can. Martial Arts teach the code of the warrior and how to be a powerful fighter. The changes that you receive from the Way of the Warrior teach you what it feels like at a gut level to be powerful. This is an aspect of "The Zone". Find this space and find yourself in it. Personal Power is important if you are to achieve the things you want in life. It is granted freely by Life if you put in the work needed to achieve it but it would be a grave mistake to ever think that your personal power was yours to use as you pleased. That is an idea of the Ego. In truth, you belong to the Power and are an instrument of its intention. Power is physical, mental, emotional, artistic and financial. You need to learn and cultivate all aspects of your power.

19. Learning

Remember that one learns by doing, not simply by attending lectures. There is a hierarchy in learning. If I tell you you forget, if I show you, you remember but if I get you to do it, you will have it forever.

18. Self-Parenting

Learn to become your own parent - to listen to your own inner signals and to trust what your inner guide, your instincts tell you. This is what it means to be autonomous. It is a big part of self-reliance. Once you establish it, it will serve you all your life. That part of your mind that knows what is true is called Buddhi in Sanskrit. It is the parent part of your mind and always wants what is best for your higher good.The key to being a healthy self parent is to develop the "Adult" part of your personality as set out in the books "Games People Play", "TA Today" by Eric Berne and "I'm OK, You're OK" by Thomas A. Harris.

http://www.internet-of-the-mind.com/im_ok.html

http://www.paulstips.com/brainbox/pt/home.nsf/link/13082006-Understanding-the-games-people-play

17.The Life You Were Born to Lead

Before you were born, you were given a special gift to bring to the world and embodied into just the right circumstances for your gift to flower. No-one told you that you were given this gift, how to find it nor what to do with it once you had found it. Once you have been born, your job is to find your gift and give it to everyone who needs it. If you give your gift, your life will be filled with happiness and magic. Sometimes these gifts are revealed in dreams and through meditation.Sometimes an exceptional teacher will have the insight into your nature to be able to tell you what it is and how to develop it.

16. Paying the Price

In this world, you can have anything that you want as long as you are willing to exchange something of value for what you want. People who learn to expect something for nothing,(The Something-for-nothing Brigade) usually wind up getting nothing in real life.

15. Doing the Right Thing

Learn to do the right thing always, simply because it is right, and not for the sake of the approval of others. Doing things for external approval is people-pleasing behaviour. It is craven and unattractive and completely insincere. To act simply because it is right is also known as acting indifferently. Acting this way means that you are simply meeting the need that you see in front of you. Acting indifferently does not mean that you don't care; it means that you have no attachment to or desire for the fruits of your action or any advantage you might gain. It is said that good actions are better than bad actions and that indifferent actions are the best of all because they destroy bad sanskara (karma). Indifferent comes from the Latin for not to carry in two - it means to act from unity.

14. Attitude vs Conscience

Do not worry so much about examining your conscience as about examining your attitude. Conscience is about guilt which is a destructive, corrosive emotion. Attitude is about how you think about people things and situations. It is about what you say about them. Because "Your attitude determines your altitude.", it is important that you remain upbeat, positive, optimistic and that you operate from a place of good will to all, assuming the best in others unless you are proven wrong. Marcus Aurelius once said : "A person's life is what his thoughts make of it."
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/marcus_aurelius.html

13. Uniqueness

Remember you are unique in all the world, a very special person in the Creation who is dignified, important, a very special human being with a major purpose in life and you are completely irreplacable.

12. Character vs Reputation

At all times, be more concerned with your character than your reputation.Your character is what you are while your reputation is merely what others think you are. Having said that, your reputation is important. If anyone ever defames you, sue them without hesitation.

11. Keeping Perspective

No matter what happens to you, remember to laugh at yourself. Dr.Wayne Dyer in his "Rule No.6" story reminds us not to take ourselves so damned seriously. This helps us to remain grounded and to keep our true perspective on things. (The Power of Intention).

10. Mind The Pennies

Always keep a strong grip on your finances. You do not have to be born poor in order to become poor. READ : The Richest Man in Babylon - George S Classon.

9.Experiment with Life

Be courageous in your willingness to experiment with life. Do not let mundane considerations prevent you from asking the "What if...?" questions. Experimentation is natural to you as a child but as we grow older and take on more and more cares and worries we lose the ability to experiment. The tendency is to grow more fearful and to become rigid in our thinking. Resist this change. Take up painting and sculpture and know that there is a block of your time allocated each week where you go into your studio and practice your art, experimenting with new materials and techniques. This will help you to keep your mind flexible.

8. Welcome Change

The one unchanging fact of the Universe is change itself. In this creation, everything is born, grows old, dies and is reborn. This is the great cycle of life and death, the wheel of karma. The only unchanging element in all that is that which observes, your Self. Change is a natural phenomenon and you should embrace it, trusting that the changes that befall you are for your higher good.

7. Seek out the Unknown

Learn to seek out the unknown and to love the mysterious. You may have a scientific education that demands evidence from the senses for what you have to say, and this is very important, but you must also get to love wandering about in the mysterious, the unknown, the fringes of reality. It is there that you will find the undiscovered and the new ideas. In the 1970s Lyall Watson wrote a book called Supernature that is all about this space where loose ends of science and inconvenient experimental results are blithely ignored. Read his book and go into that world. You could come back inspired to create amazing new inventions.
http://www.librarything.com/author/watsonlyall
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/jul/23/pressandpublishing
http://katherinelyallwatson.wordpress.com/lyall-watson/
http://www.librarything.com/author/watsonlyall

6. Your Most Grievous Loss

The most grievous loss a man can suffer is the loss of a friend. A true friend loves you for who you are and is blind to your shortcomings. Some friendships last your whole life long. A friendship represents a considerable investment. That is to say, an investment of your substance, your time, your energy and your love. To lose a friend through death or distance is a sad loss indeed but it is much more tragic if you lose a friend through a falling-out that could have been avoided. For that reason, you should always do your level best to avoid having cross words with your friends.

5.The Greatest Evil to Befall You

The greatest evil that can befall a man is that he should come to think ill of himself. You were born with high self-esteem. From the start you knew who you were and that you were perfect. Remember back, if you will, to that time and that feeling. Other people, those with low self-esteem will try to make themselves feel better by undermining your self-esteem. This is how bullies operate. You have a natural birthright to high self-esteem. Never allow yourself to think ill of yourself. So long as you act with honour and integrity, no matter what others may say, think or do, you can hold your head up and be proud of who you are.

4. Average people do things right ; You must do the Right Thing

You should study the Wayne Dyer books "Pulling Your Own Strings" and "What You Really Want for Your Children" to find a fuller explanation of this. In short, you need to become a No-Limit Person. The distinction between being averange and no-limit that Dr.Dyer makes is that of doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing and anything else would be insanity. An average person is trained to do things right but couldn't tell you why. The No-Limit person knows why it is the right thing.

http://www.drwaynedyer.com/
http://www.drwaynedyer.com/daily-inspiration

3.There is no Wealth but Life Itself

All the wealth in the world is no good if you are ill or dead. You should have a disciplined approach to all your monetary affairs and always work to maximise your wealth. This MUST be combined with a healthy mind in a sound body. You should read a little philosophy or scripture every day to keep your mind clear and exercise every day to keep your body healthy. Walk, Swim and train in your Martial Arts. The Martial Arts will help you to protect your body from injury. Meditate, eat well, exercise properly and get proper sleep. These will keep you healthy throughout your life so that you can enjoy the wealth that you earn.

2. On Exploitation

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WELL ADJUSTED SLAVE.

There is a legal doctrine called Quantum Maruit which is simply Latin for "The amount earned." It simply means that the labourer is worthy of his hire. You may be asked to do voluntary work for the sake of a good cause. This is a good and generous thing to do. Do it with an open heart and as a gift, expecting no reward or else refuse if you cannot do it in that spirit. If you feel you are being exploited, the chances are that you are picking up some subliminal signals that your generosity is indeed being plundered for the benefit of someone else's bank balance. As the anti-drugs campaign says : "Just Say No !"

Exploitation takes many forms but it is usually in the form of low or absent wages. The person who is insisting that you should work for free is usually very well paid on a regular basis themselves. Ask what the monetary value of whatever is being offered in exchange is. You should have some idea of what the hourly rate for your labour is and refuse to work for less. When I was 14 years old, I was offered the princely sum of £5 per week working in a dusty factory. I refused because I already had a job paying me £22.10 per week plus all the adventure I could handle at sea. Indeed you should realise that exchanging your labour for cash is really a poor bargain. It makes much more sense to exchange your labour for assets which will in turn provide you with cash for years to come.

1. On being conflicted

No tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves.

You need to be clear about where you stand on issues. When you have doubts and inner conflicts go off somewhere quiet to your poustinia or ashram. Meditate a little then reduce the conflict to one sentence or phrase or even one word then reflect on it. Do this by sounding it in mind as you would your mantra in meditation. After a suitable time either the answer will have come to you or not. If not, remain open to hearing it or encountering some lesson to teach you. Be coherent, congruent and cogent.

Introduction

The purpose of this blog is to make all the wisdom I have perceived over the years within myself, together with that from outside sources, available to my son so that he will be able to ask in the future "What would my Dad have to say about this?" and actually have some chance of getting the answer !

Mark, feel free to add to it and update any entries that you think need to be modernised and if there is anything here you find to be wrong, do not hesitate to alter and correct it. Keep working on it in order to pass it on to your own children_ your Dad, Dominic Mulvey