A somewhat random collection of things we have found inspirational…
“Our greatest fear”
Marianne Williamson’s passage – “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…” – knocked me speechless the first time I encountered it. I (along with many others) originally believed it came from Nelson Mandela’s inaugural address, but this is not the case.
Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra and The Big Noise
Inspired by the success of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, Sistema Scotland has started a similar project, The Big Noise. Watch the clip on Youtube, then buy the DVD!
Carl Jung: ‘Memories, Dreams, Reflections’
A combination of autobiography and biography by Aniela Jaffe, this book includes some of the last published thoughts by Jung. It’s a good introduction to his ideas. Originally published in German in 1963, a translation by Richard and Clara Winston is available in both US (New York: Vintage Books) and UK (Flamingo) editions.
TS Eliot ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’“There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet”
I still find this poem a powerful, moving and inspiring expression of the ways in which we can sabotage ourselves from saying what we really want to say.
Transatlantic Sessions
Especially when broadcast early on Friday evenings, I’ve found this to be the perfect ‘end the week’ relaxation therapy. Folk, bluegrass, and country musicians from Scotland, Ireland and the USA playing together, with views of stunningly beautiful scenery interspersed ….
NaNoWriMo
Like many people, I’ve had a half-finished novel lying around for years. My son and his wife had participated in this annual writing challenge for 6 years, and I’d admired their persistence, but didn’t really ‘get it’ until I participated for the first time last year. Completing a 50,000 word first draft of a novel in a month gave me the confidence to continue writing fiction.
“What the Bleep Do We Know!?”
This film has been a worldwide sensation and attracted both devoted followers and fierce condemnation. It’s a funny and thought-provoking blend of ideas about quantum physics, neurobiology and consciousness. DVD is widely available.
Baba Ram Dass: ‘Be Here Now’
Originally a research psychologist (Richard Alpert) became one of the leading lights in bringing Indian spirituality to the West in the early 1970s. This book was life-changing for many, though some people found that attempting to ‘overcome ego’ could be profoundly unhelpful.
Dass, Ram (1971). Remember: Be Here Now. San Cristobal, New Mexico: Lama Foundation (Currently available from Amazon USA but not Amazon UK)
John Lennon ‘Imagine’:
“Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for”
Still an inspiring set of lyrics ……
The Landmark ‘Curriculum for Living’ courses.
I first participated in this in 1999, and found these courses completely life-changing. My confidence and feeling of personal freedom were transformed. Some people dislike the evangelistic zeal with which those who have participated talk about it, and the constant encouragement to enrol on the next course – but I regard the time and money spent a real investment, and continue to apply what I learned daily.