All my life I have struggled with the two sides of my personality. On one hand I have the ruthless instincts of a warrior and the other, the compassionate instincts of Ghandi.
For so long now I have played an internal tennis match back and forth driving myself crazy but after watching the news I believe all human beings are asking themselves the same question.
After much soul searching, I suggest the following solution; rather than fighting our instincts maybe it’s time we give ourselves a break and think like the Godfather but act like Ghandi.
Now some of you are probably thinking that the two cancel out each other but Mr. Ghandi beat the British army without hurting anyone. The reason he was able to do this was because he was ruthless in sticking to his principles. No matter what his opponents tried, he refused to give in and he refused to hurt anyone.
It is also a sad fact of life that there are many people out there that will hurt their fellow human beings just to get what they want. So by thinking like the Godfather, you will be able to protect yourself from these people and still have the compassion to act like Ghandi.
So many people in this world say they want world peace but the moment they get close to power their Godfather instincts take over.
If we put the needs of the world first it becomes easier to be more like Ghandi.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
End of the World, New Beginnings
According to the Mayan calendar, 2012 is the year the world comes to an end but for me it is the year that Chris’s world begins.
This year my acting is going to enter its most successful phase, my poetry will be published and my business will majorly take off. Tony Robbins eat your heart out!
Setting goals is my favourite pastime; achieving them is my life’s purpose.
I believe that when we set New Year’s resolutions it is very easy to get distracted and lose focus on our goals. That is why I see the first of January each year as a new beginning.
People often ask me how I stay so positive and seeing each year as a new beginning helps me avoid negativity.
There have been many years in my life where I have not achieved my goals but there has not been a single year where I have not moved towards them.
So I say to you, and to myself, that the Mayan calendar was wrong. 2012 is not the end, it is simply a new beginning.
Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.
This year my acting is going to enter its most successful phase, my poetry will be published and my business will majorly take off. Tony Robbins eat your heart out!
Setting goals is my favourite pastime; achieving them is my life’s purpose.
I believe that when we set New Year’s resolutions it is very easy to get distracted and lose focus on our goals. That is why I see the first of January each year as a new beginning.
People often ask me how I stay so positive and seeing each year as a new beginning helps me avoid negativity.
There have been many years in my life where I have not achieved my goals but there has not been a single year where I have not moved towards them.
So I say to you, and to myself, that the Mayan calendar was wrong. 2012 is not the end, it is simply a new beginning.
Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Seeing all the angles
2011 is rapidly coming to a close and I have spent most of my time this year deep in thought. During this time I have made some interesting discoveries about myself and the world.
My biggest discovery this year is the belief that it is important to see all the angles and take a holistic view of life.
The old me was homophobic, selfish and believed in ruling the world. This year I have discovered that the only thing that matters is peace and love.
I am a Catholic Christian who has taken a big interest in the philosophies of Buddhism and during this process I have realised that all of the world’s religions just want to bring us together.
This year has also seen me join the fight to end extreme poverty. Lifting 1.4 billion people out of poverty can only be achieved by everyone “doing a small action times by lots of people” Global Poverty Project.
Personally I now know that until this year I had been trying to beat my disability but now that I am trying to be a social advocate I see that my disability is a strength not a weakness.
I have changed everything from the way I shop to the way I think in this year and in order to keep the wheels of life turning in my direction I will continue to take a holistic view and encourage my friends and family to do the same.
I personally pledge to no longer be blinded by ignorance.
My biggest discovery this year is the belief that it is important to see all the angles and take a holistic view of life.
The old me was homophobic, selfish and believed in ruling the world. This year I have discovered that the only thing that matters is peace and love.
I am a Catholic Christian who has taken a big interest in the philosophies of Buddhism and during this process I have realised that all of the world’s religions just want to bring us together.
This year has also seen me join the fight to end extreme poverty. Lifting 1.4 billion people out of poverty can only be achieved by everyone “doing a small action times by lots of people” Global Poverty Project.
Personally I now know that until this year I had been trying to beat my disability but now that I am trying to be a social advocate I see that my disability is a strength not a weakness.
I have changed everything from the way I shop to the way I think in this year and in order to keep the wheels of life turning in my direction I will continue to take a holistic view and encourage my friends and family to do the same.
I personally pledge to no longer be blinded by ignorance.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Chasing cars
By Chris Van Ingen
Can you hear the environmental alarm bells ringing, can you believe the shocking seven news report stating that we are buying cars at a rate of more than one per person? How long are we going to continue to drive our planet into the ground?
Last time l checked whether you a man or a women you only have one butt so how can we drive more than one car at a time.
In the not to distance future there is going to be a major oil crisis because we continue to buy these gas guzzlers.
It hasn’t escaped my attention that along with the increase of traffic there has also been an increase in respitory illness. A coincidence?
It is clear that we need transport no one is denying that but more than one car per person isn’t that taking consumerism to fair.
There is no point having two cars if there is no planet to drive them on! The late great Arron Spelling had a 100 hundred car garage, what the!
Please close your eyes for 2 minutes and ask yourself do you really need more than one car or is the second car just pure ego?
Before you buy your next car think about the planet, it is time for us to stop chasing cars.
“Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.”
Can you hear the environmental alarm bells ringing, can you believe the shocking seven news report stating that we are buying cars at a rate of more than one per person? How long are we going to continue to drive our planet into the ground?
Last time l checked whether you a man or a women you only have one butt so how can we drive more than one car at a time.
In the not to distance future there is going to be a major oil crisis because we continue to buy these gas guzzlers.
It hasn’t escaped my attention that along with the increase of traffic there has also been an increase in respitory illness. A coincidence?
It is clear that we need transport no one is denying that but more than one car per person isn’t that taking consumerism to fair.
There is no point having two cars if there is no planet to drive them on! The late great Arron Spelling had a 100 hundred car garage, what the!
Please close your eyes for 2 minutes and ask yourself do you really need more than one car or is the second car just pure ego?
Before you buy your next car think about the planet, it is time for us to stop chasing cars.
“Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.”
Monday, June 13, 2011
Life Manifesto
By Chris Van Ingen
My friends, with strength, courage, skill and wisdom we should do whatever it takes to keep people we love safe. Further more we should use those same values to make a difference in the world, from this day forward I ask you to become a spiritual warrior but the message of peace will be our only weapon. With the protection of the universal spirit we will never back down from any enemy no matter how large a threat of pain or death confronts us.
I urge everyone to hold true to the fighting spirit of humanity and keep honour, faith and justice in our hearts like the noble warriors that have gone before us. Today it is time for the world to place our life at the universal alter, so that fear has no power over us. In all things our thoughts will be clear and our actions will be quick.
There are many things we must be if we want to be free. We must take a holistic view of life and if we can, try to be gentle. A person should be a warrior ready for the fight or at least a leader prepared to do what’s right. The world should take care of the business of life and do everything we can for our fellow man when in strife.
We should learn the skills of art so we can express the wisdom in our heart .It is essential that humanity be well versed in the spiritual intimacy of sex and its power; A practice we should study for many an hour.
It is said mixing religion, sex and politics is wrong but if we truly understand these topics we will always get along. We should never neglect our spirit because faith will get you through when life is on the edge of a knife. All of us must keep an open mind on warfare, business, philosophy and more if we want to find the truth everyone searches for.
I humble myself with the taking of this oath and will stay true to it forever so help me God.
"Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction".
My friends, with strength, courage, skill and wisdom we should do whatever it takes to keep people we love safe. Further more we should use those same values to make a difference in the world, from this day forward I ask you to become a spiritual warrior but the message of peace will be our only weapon. With the protection of the universal spirit we will never back down from any enemy no matter how large a threat of pain or death confronts us.
I urge everyone to hold true to the fighting spirit of humanity and keep honour, faith and justice in our hearts like the noble warriors that have gone before us. Today it is time for the world to place our life at the universal alter, so that fear has no power over us. In all things our thoughts will be clear and our actions will be quick.
There are many things we must be if we want to be free. We must take a holistic view of life and if we can, try to be gentle. A person should be a warrior ready for the fight or at least a leader prepared to do what’s right. The world should take care of the business of life and do everything we can for our fellow man when in strife.
We should learn the skills of art so we can express the wisdom in our heart .It is essential that humanity be well versed in the spiritual intimacy of sex and its power; A practice we should study for many an hour.
It is said mixing religion, sex and politics is wrong but if we truly understand these topics we will always get along. We should never neglect our spirit because faith will get you through when life is on the edge of a knife. All of us must keep an open mind on warfare, business, philosophy and more if we want to find the truth everyone searches for.
I humble myself with the taking of this oath and will stay true to it forever so help me God.
"Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction".
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A little bit of insurance...
By Chris Van Ingen
Today I attended the ‘Having a Say’ conference rally calling for a fair go for all people with disabilities. With all my persuasive skills I call on the state and federal governments to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
With a growing number of Australians living with disabilities, the scheme aims to provide a better quality of service to people with disabilities and reduce the financial burdens that people living with a disability face.
Everyone that attended the rally knows what it’s like to fight for funding and how disempowering that can be and it is clear that a national disability insurance scheme will be a major step forward in empowering all people with disabilities.
The whole crowd cheered in agreement when campaign director, John Della Bosca, said, “that the time had come for a new approach to how disability services are structured and funded in Australia”.
With more than two million Australians affected by significant disability, doesn’t that give us two million reasons to do something about it?
Here’s a reality check; God forbid but any one of us can end up with a disability at any time. Wouldn’t you feel better if there was a structure in place to make sure you are taken care of? If you answered yes, then join with me and all fellow supporters to demand a fair go for people with disabilities.
For further information on the campaign go to www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au
“Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.”
Today I attended the ‘Having a Say’ conference rally calling for a fair go for all people with disabilities. With all my persuasive skills I call on the state and federal governments to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
With a growing number of Australians living with disabilities, the scheme aims to provide a better quality of service to people with disabilities and reduce the financial burdens that people living with a disability face.
Everyone that attended the rally knows what it’s like to fight for funding and how disempowering that can be and it is clear that a national disability insurance scheme will be a major step forward in empowering all people with disabilities.
The whole crowd cheered in agreement when campaign director, John Della Bosca, said, “that the time had come for a new approach to how disability services are structured and funded in Australia”.
With more than two million Australians affected by significant disability, doesn’t that give us two million reasons to do something about it?
Here’s a reality check; God forbid but any one of us can end up with a disability at any time. Wouldn’t you feel better if there was a structure in place to make sure you are taken care of? If you answered yes, then join with me and all fellow supporters to demand a fair go for people with disabilities.
For further information on the campaign go to www.everyaustraliancounts.com.au
“Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.”
Monday, January 31, 2011
People Power.
By Chris Van Ingen.
Over the last few days, we have been lucky to witness yet again the rebirth of people power.
Once again the people of Egypt are doing what they did centuries ago; standing up for the basic rights of all human beings.
How is it possible that in a world where we have learnt so many lessons that a man who is supposed to lead his people repeats history and oppresses them for the last thirty years?
The events of the past few days show that people will only put up with dictatorship for so long. Everyone deserves to be free. Everyone deserves the right to more than two dollars a day.
Readers please watch the unfolding events in Egypt and use them as motivation to change the world. All we need to do to make the world a better place is to act. I ask you to join me in the movement to unite the world and if you’re reading this I know you want to.
“Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.”
Over the last few days, we have been lucky to witness yet again the rebirth of people power.
Once again the people of Egypt are doing what they did centuries ago; standing up for the basic rights of all human beings.
How is it possible that in a world where we have learnt so many lessons that a man who is supposed to lead his people repeats history and oppresses them for the last thirty years?
The events of the past few days show that people will only put up with dictatorship for so long. Everyone deserves to be free. Everyone deserves the right to more than two dollars a day.
Readers please watch the unfolding events in Egypt and use them as motivation to change the world. All we need to do to make the world a better place is to act. I ask you to join me in the movement to unite the world and if you’re reading this I know you want to.
“Remember to keep the wheels of life turning in your direction.”
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