How to Communicate so People Understand You

Authentic communication is about building trust. And you need a connection to build trust. When trust is broken, we either find fault or blame someone else. Miscommunication creates misunderstanding, severing any meaningful connection.

To rebuild connection requires first that you calm the buzzing mind. When you're overwhelmed with waves and waves of thought, it's very difficult to pick up on where the other person is coming from - you're consumed with your own point of view.

Rather allow your thoughts to run their course and reconnect with a calm, clear, present state of mind. This establishes common ground on which to rebuild a relationship. When you slow down and connect with the present moment, free from mechanistic bombardment, you'll be more receptive to life force energies around you.

Be open to any images, thoughts, feelings, words, perceptions, emotions or energies to gain deeper understanding of other perspectives.

Just as the radio is designed to pick up different frequencies, so the manner in which you interpret another message may be varied. The key is to remain open to the feedback loop; as soon as you close yourself off by projecting qualities of right/wrong, good/bad, deserved/undeserved, you stave off any meaningful connection.

Clear communication may consist of asking the person if what you picked up on is indeed what they are thinking or feeling. This clears the space for the other person to respond authentically while developing empathy for their feelings. It's important to talk about how you feel and what you need in order to establish a basis for cooperation and understanding.

To connect with how you feel, bring your awareness down to your heart centre. Only through prolonged yoga and meditation have I managed to reconnect more with feeling states. Males may struggle to express their feelings as we've been conditioned by media, upbringing, education, that it's a sign of weakness to express feelings. We either bury them or project them instead.

Become aware of your state of consciousness - contracted, relaxed or expansive. Identify how certain states affect your overall well being and how you communicate or relate these to other people.When you're contracted or fearful, your communication and thoughts are shaped by negativity. Invariably, it's difficult to have your needs met when you're projecting negativity.

But when you're open and expansive, it's easier to connect with what you want. You can communicate your needs by making clear requests to grow your relationships. It's important to do the same when you're playing the role of receiver; remain open and responsive by listening whole-heartedly to what the other person is saying.

Think of authentic communication like a dance. When you're grooving with a partner your movements are in sync. Your attention needs to be in the present moment to stay in flow and to make the dance rhythmical. Authentic communication works much the same way; remain open to your own thoughts and feelings, and try to listen and understand where the other person is coming from.

How to be a Player in The Connection Economy

The mechanistic (top-down) paradigm of the industrial growth economy served a purpose - economic growth at all costs. We're now starting to see the limitations of this system or way of looking at the world.

As populations grow, we have to work harder to extract more resources to fuel this model of economic growth. But we live on a finite planet - presently we are operating at 2 and a half times the earth's capacity to sustain us. The military industrial complex, this mechanistic world-view has run out of purpose. It merely serves continued disconnection and separation.

It says, I'm willing to cut down huge portions of the Amazon rain forest, killing hundreds of thousands of indigenous species in the process, so long as I can make a profit. Or, I'm willing to drop bombs on innocent people's head's from drones controlled remotely, so long as I can make a profit.

The connection economy understands that we are all connected and form an integral part of the larger way systems operate. Creative, inspiring, dynamic, inter-connected systems (like the ones found in nature) thrive holistically.

To play in the connection economy requires understanding the inter-connected way systems and people operate. Strike up strong relationships with people who have similar interests, talents, values or vision to yours. Come together on a common platform and work for the good of all involved.

Learn through action. We have no real idea of what the connection economy could look like because it hasn't been developed before and there aren't any predefined paths to take us there. We have to learn from trial and error. If you want to be a leader in the connection economy, you'll need to be highly responsive and resilient to increasingly complex and change-oriented environments.

Personal growth is integral to the connection economy. You have to constantly use a growth mindset; I messed up here, what can I do to improve next time? There's no parrot-fashion, text-book learning. Essentially you'll apply your knowledge, skills, talents - then go back to the drawing board to refine the process until you've mastered a project.

Focus in the connection economy should be on personal growth as well as highly valued and connected relationships.

Understand your current context to create your vision. Our human context is one of rapidly changing environments, systems and memes that require unique adaptability and resilience. How you go about applying such concepts to your own context is key. Only by grappling with this idea, talking about it, turning it inside-out and outside-in, can we understand our place in the connection economy.

This begs the question: how do you best encompass your unique vision, values and talents moving forward? Such concepts are critical to gaining a deeper understanding of how to apply yourself in the journey of self-discovery. The connection economy is based on a deeper understanding of self and other, as well as understanding how to relate to the greater whole.

Are you ready to be a player in the connection economy? What's your next action step? Do you need to go back to the drawing board to redefine your context first? Or, do you need some time for self-reflection to understand yourself and others better? The choice is yours. The connection economy is not shaped by limitation, scarcity or separation. The possibilities are endless. Your move.

You Are What you Eat

The old maxim, you are what you eat, could never be truer. When it comes to food, we live in the best of times, and we live in the worst of times.

Here's an important question to ask yourself when it comes to your food; "How old is your food?"

Most food that comes from industrial agriculture has had to travel 1500 to 2000 miles to get to your plate. In this case it's at-least a week old. How much nutritional value can you be getting from this type of food? Maybe 40% of what you need if you're lucky.

Food produced by industrial agriculture is treated with herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides. On top of this, most of the food has been genetically modified. All these chemicals create massive soil desertification and destroy whole environmental ecosystems.

Just take a look at fertilizer. Fertilizer is made up of 3 minerals - NPK. These include,

• nitrogen
• phosphorus
• potassium

But healthy soil needs 52 different minerals to thrive, so what about the remaining 49 minerals? When soil is deficient, plants are deficient too. They've weakened to the point that they become susceptible to attacks from super bugs. 

This means chemical companies like Monsanto are happy because they reap the benefits ($) of this ever downward spiraling cycle of mineral depletion. The more bugs, the more chemicals that need to be sprayed, the more toxic our food becomes. But industrial agriculture is big business!

What's more is that by the time you get this mass produced, mono-crop food, you then cook it. This kills off the remaining nutrients in the food. When you cook food your immune system reacts to it as a toxin. The cooking process bastardizes the food in such a way that the body doesn't recognize it. It therefore has to work overtime to try and break it down.

So you have to make sure that at least 51% of your diet is raw so that you don't overburden an already exhausted immune/adrenal system. 

The best form of preventative medicine is nutrition. If you're eating whole, natural, organic or wild fruit, veggies and superfoods then you've got the essential ingredients to fight off any disease. This is a more effective way to deal with health rather than using pharmaceutical drugs to try isolate your problem. 106,000 Americans die every year due to the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.

You are what you eat. "When in doubt, use nutrition first," Dr Roger Williams.

How to Use Intention to Get What You Want

There are practical ways to develop intention. A lot of them focus on heightening one’s intuition.  But firstly, one should learn to still the chattering mind. You can do this by…

• Observing the inflow and outflow of your breath with one-pointed awareness. This will sharpen your mind.
• Observing the sensations in your body with equanimity.
• Observing your thoughts. Imagine you’re lying on your back on the grass outside and each thought is a cloud in the sky. Your thoughts, just like the clouds, will come and go.

Such practices will help you bring your awareness to the present moment. You can practice these techniques during 20 minutes of meditation every day. It’s important to remember to practice from a non-judgmental perspective.

Likewise, it’s important to transfer this mindfulness into your daily life. So whether you’re at home observing your dogs, your children or your partner, or at work, observing your colleagues – stay present to what’s arising in the moment.

Once you've created some space around your thoughts and feelings, you’ll be ready to create your intention. However, it’s useful to create a connection with the object of your intention first. If it’s someone with whom you have a bond, send them your intention. Or communicate your intention to the person you wish to send it to, so they can be open to receiving it. If it’s an animal or plant you wish to send an intention to, keep it in your mind’s eye.

The next step is to enhance the connection by building compassion. Bring your awareness down to your heart centre to increase the flow of compassion between all living beings. Radiate this light all around your body and then send it out to whomever you wish to send it to. This creates incredible powers of healing.

To further enhance compassion, take on other perspectives. This could be a family member, a colleague, a loved one or a beggar. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine what their hopes, fears and dreams could be like. Be present and vulnerable to this compassion. Feel it fully, meditate upon it.

Next, it’s important to state your intention as a positive outcome in the present moment. Describe or feel your intention to have a clear picture or sense of what you’d like to create. Visualize your intention with all 5 senses.

Practice visualization with words, metaphors, pictures or feelings to see what works best for you. As an athlete visualizes his/her performance before an event, so you must visualize your intended outcomes.

You can do this to change just about anything – a negative emotion, a limiting belief or attitude, or to overcome a barrier that stands in the way of your potential. Practice, practice, practice! Building intention is like building any muscle – the more you work it, the stronger, more powerful, articulate and clear it will become.

One last tip: outline your intention, communicate it clearly, and then let it go! Don’t crave, cling to, or try to avert any particular outcome. This will block the flow of energy in your intention. Rather learn to stay present to whatever arises in the moment once you've put your intention out into the universe.

What's your 'Cantillation?'

A cantillation, in its traditional form, serves as a guide for choirs chanting sacred texts. In the same way a conductor conducts an orchestra, a cantillation drives harmonic singing or chanting. However, a ‘cantillation’ can also be described as your special gift or talent that gives your life joy and purpose as well as union with the absolute.

Why’s this important? Well, if you would like to live a more meaningful life it’s important to know what your gift is. This can, for example, help you transition from career to calling with greater ease and accuracy.

Another reason why it’s important is that it serves as a rudder during times of choppy seas. Stress is the number one cause in us losing our way and becoming ‘unbalanced.’ Knowing your ‘cantillation’ acts like a homing pigeon so you can realign with your north star – what’s important to you; your vision quest.

You can get back on track to doing what you do best – giving of your gifts and talents.

Knowing your ‘cantillation’ is essential to staying in flow. It gives you something to grip on to when the degree of challenge you’re engaged in notches up a level or two. This isn’t of course the only part of overcoming tough challenges. Things like mastering states of consciousness such as your feelings and thoughts need to be considered too.

And understanding context and connecting with vision and values are also important aspects when trying to stay in flow.

But knowing our ‘cantillation’ and applying it ruthlessly in the face of surmounting challenges helps us learn and grow. Why else are we here; other than to give of our gifts?

New Economy (Cooperation) vs Old Economy (Competition)

The industrial growth economy was built on competition - more for me means less for you. I'll fight and trample you on my way to the top of this hierarchical system, and I'll do it by any means necessary. There's no place for second best here.

The problem with this type of economy is that it's fear-based. It's built on the maxim that if I'm right, you must be wrong. Or if I'm good then you must be bad. And if I'm successful then I deserve it and if you're unsuccessful then you deserve that too!

In this type of economy we're always coming from within the perception of limit and scarcity. And this has led us down the path of self-destruction - personally, relationally and environmentally. The inherent inequality in such a system raises questions about the growth economy. Which leads us to....

The connection economy. The connection economy is built on trust, interest, curiosity and excitement - I want to participate because I'm passionate and this aligns neatly with my talents.

If the connection economy is built on cooperation, how do you go about building trust? You build trust the same way you build any relationship; through communication. And a good starting point is to create empathy and understanding.

How do you build understanding? You can build understanding by listening - listening to your customers, your parents, your children, your friends. Authentic communication is communication that's centered on a balance of heart and mind, feelings and thoughts, meeting each others needs, making clear requests and taking on other perspectives.

Of course it's useful to have some assimilation of either vision or values to create the initial connection. But from then on, the connection economy is all about working together for each other as well as something greater than self or other. The connection economy requires the ability to hold multiple perspectives.

And more complexity requires a higher level of psychological maturity. If you want to participate in the connection economy you need to unlock greater psychological flexibility.

How Intention can Lower your Error Rate

Greater intention leads to fewer errors in the creative process. The evolutionary process has been driven by creativity which is based on trial and error.

If you find yourself in the creative space and you want to reduce your error rate (and let's face it, who doesn't want less errors) you'll need to work on building intention. You can do this through training. And the training would require you to develop heightened powers of attention, belief, motivation and compassion.

Attention: where you place your attention, energy flows. This is critical to developing greater intention. Your can train your attention by bringing your focus to the present moment and by observing your thoughts and feelings. This will give you greater insight into what drives your behavior. Accordingly, it becomes easier to mitigate errors from the creative process because you immediately notice and override any thoughts that aren't aligned with your vision.

Belief: uncovering your beliefs is a key aspect of mindset training. How do your beliefs shape your motives for action? And are they aligned with the direction you need to move in? If for example, you have a limiting belief that prevents you from achieving your goals, you would need to deconstruct its narrative by either questioning or contradicting the base upon which that narrative was built. Then you can go about replacing that old narrative with a new, more connected and relevant belief.

Motivation: closely aligned with belief is motivation. If you're connected with your purpose then entering a 'flow' state can become relatively easy - depending on if you've got the skills to match the challenge. But as soon as you notice any form of resistance or negative, fear-based thinking or feelings, this will automatically influence your ability to stay in flow. Unless of course you've very intentionally learnt to relaxed into the resistance to reconnect with your purpose. A good way to establish motive is to become familiar with the thoughts and feelings that drive your behavior. These will determine if your motive is reluctant or whole-hearted.

Compassion: Compassion, I think, is linked to perception and perspective. If you have the ability to take on multiple perspectives, without the need to judge or blame, you're on the path to building compassion. The goal should be to integrate different perspectives, while still being aligned with your vision. Building compassion and empathy for other sentient beings builds authentic communication skills and more connected relationships.

All 4 of these aspects - attention, belief, motivation and compassion - can be used to enhance intention. And enhanced intention means fewer errors in the creative process. Which means you can work faster and more accurately towards your goals!

How to Develop a Sustainability Mindset

Sustainability is a relatively new term that has gained traction over the past few years due to the rise of the green movement. However, when it comes to sustainability there are numerous ways to apply the term. For example, it could be applied to one's business, the environment, food systems or climate change.

But for the purpose of this article I will break the concept up into 2 parts for a clearer understanding of how to reconcile the difference between mindset and sustainability for more traction.

Mindset: one of the most effective ways to get a grip on mindset is through the personal experiential perspective (PEP). How do you do this? By becoming aware of what drives your behavior. How do your ideologies, assumptions and world-views shape your identity. And do they serve your personal growth? Linked to an understanding of mindset are things like mastering states of consciousness, such as your feelings and thoughts. And progressing up the stages of psychological development - are you able to take on a first, second, third, fourth and fifth person perspective? Obviously the more perspective you can hold, the greater the complexity. This requires one to be very relaxed and open (use an expansive mindset) so as not to get overwhelmed by such complexity.

Sustainability: when it comes to sustainability I mean understanding a global systems perspective (GSP). What do you need to understand a global systems perspective? You need knowledge of the limits of the industrial growth economy on a finite planet. You're also gonna need an understanding of how fossil fuels have shaped this economy to the determinant of the environment. Climate change and global warming are starting to radically affect global systems. And if you were talking about financial systems you would need a comprehensive understanding of how debt-based, usury and fractional reserve banking contribute to booms and busts on world markets, together with increased inequality.

In order to reconcile sustainability and mindset you need an overview of the global systems perspective as well as an overview of the personal experiential perspective. If you're sitting on the 100th floor of a building and you look out down at the streets, cars, vendors and sidewalks below, you'll quickly get a good systems perspective of the way a city operates.

But if you want to incorporate a mindset perspective you're going to have to get down onto street level to have some conversations with people to understand where they're coming from. Can you integrate not just your perspective, but the perspective of the guy sitting next to you as well? And what about the perspective of your community, your city, your country and the world?

Now that we have some understanding of how mindset (a personal experiential perspective) and sustainability (a global systems perspective) work, what are some of the concepts that emerge out of this reconciliation?

Well, above all, we'll have to work towards building local, resilient communities. And how do we do this?

• Support local businesses. When you buy from international businesses you're still supporting the old economic system that's reliant on heavy, carbon-producing fossil fuels to get their products to your market. And this is unsustainable from multiple levels - environmental, economic and social.
• Grow your own food or support local farmers. Locally produced organic food is not only better for you (higher mineral content) but it enhances local communities and restores ecological systems to their natural state through biodiversity. Local organic farming is way more sustainable than industrial agriculture because it doesn't use chemicals or toxins that negatively impact the environment or people's health.
• Produce your own energy. Nowadays things like solar panels are becoming cheaper to install for businesses and houses. Hook some solar panels up to your roof and take your house off-grid. Get your mates to do the same. Imagine the financial impact this could have in the long-term! Not being reliant on faulty, or increasingly expensive utility services (driven by peak oil/coal) is definitely one way to become more sustainable. 
• Work on building thriving local, collaborative communities. How do you do this? Well, there's no right or wrong way. You gotta figure it out as you go along (use trial and error). But key to collaboration is communication. Are you having the types of conversations that will get you to move in the direction of building local, resilient communities? If not, what's stopping you? Who can you network with to build more coherence into your model of sustainability? Do you need a mentor or coach to help guide your sustainability project? And are you working at meeting each other's needs as well as the needs of the community at large?

These are some of my top tips to get you started on the road to a sustainability mindset. You can fill in the meat of the skeleton as you progress towards a more abundant and sustainable future!

How to Connect with Authenticity for Greater Success

What stops us from being authentic - from stepping into the unique power we all have to offer? Normally, it's some type of fear.

• a fear of failure
• a fear of not being good enough
• a fear of being misunderstood
• a fear of not having the necessary skills or talents
• a fear of circumstance (often produced by some type of past pain)
• a fear of the unknown (what I call existential fear, or fear of the future)
• a fear of losing control or not being in control
• a fear of not having everything you need to take action (an extension of the fear of not being in control)
• a fear of rejection
• a fear that you might actually succeed! God forbid!

All these types of fear stem from I call the victim mindset. And the victim mindset is built on limitation and fear. There are 2 ways to dissolve this mindset so you can be more authentic and abundant.

1. Become mindful of the victim mindset and the words it uses like, "You don't understand me!" Thoughts that arise out of the victim mindset are usually fear-based. They keep one stuck in a rut. It's therefore difficult to be motivated to take action aligned with your vision and purpose if you're being drained by such negative thoughts. Just becoming mindful of these thoughts and how they prevent you from taking relevant action can loosen their grip.
2. Relax! You can do this by bringing your awareness to your state of consciousness (what you feel). If you're fearful, you'll more than likely be tense, hard and closed. If you're relaxed you'll be open, flowing and soft. The only way to move from tense to relaxed is to surrender to what you're feeling in the present moment. Only by allowing yourself to feel whatever you feel fully, can you transcend any uncomfortable feeling (tension). 

Note: tension may not necessarily be a bad thing. Healthy tension can actually be very useful in helping one to engage with the creative process.

Now that you've relaxed and created some space around your thoughts, you can connect with who you are and what you want (authentic identity). 

You're ready to draw up a unique vision for the type of life you wish to live. And you can begin to set relevant goals and take aligned action to reap the benefits of more 'authentic' success!

The Benefits of Growing your Own Garden

Have you ever stopped before a meal and taken the time to appreciate the work that's gone into the food on your plate? Have you ever put yourself in the shoes of a farmer to know what it's like to produce your own food?

Often it takes a huge amount of back-breaking work just to get those blueberries into your morning smoothie, something we take for granted.

Growing your own garden and harvesting your own food (however small that amount might be) can raise ones appreciation for the finer things in life, such as good quality food! Here are some other benefits to growing your own garden:

1. Time in the garden is quality time spent in nature. And any quality time in nature is restorative, reviving and revitalizing to ones mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Being active outdoors literally lifts ones spirits, clearing any anxiety, stress or build-up of frustrations over a period of time. Gardening also grounds ones energy. Radioactive waves from WiFi, computers, and cell phones can be extremely damaging to ones health. Gardening, and connecting to earth energy by either having your feet or fingers in the soil, clears any form of radioactive build-up.

2. As mentioned, gardening will provide you with a greater appreciation for the food on your plate and how that food got from field to fork. This makes one a more conscious and enlightened consumer. Truly understanding what you're putting into your mouth and body results in greater awareness around which foods affect your health. You might think twice about consuming Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's); chemically-laden, pesticide-laced food crops or meat injected with hormones and anti-biotics. Gardening connects you with the natural cycles and principals of how and why to eat certain foods.

3. In gardening you can reap the healthy rewards of harvesting and eating your own homegrown, organic (if produced without chemicals & fertilizers) fruits and veggies. There's no food more nutrient and mineral rich than wild, organic or homegrown produce. This is because you're eating food whose mineral content is far less deficient than the commercial mono-crop produce found in big-chain supermarkets.

4. By gardening and producing your own fruit and vegetables, you reduce your reliance on the supermarket. What a fantastic thought to think that you're no longer dependent on the fluctuations of food and oil prices on the stock market. This will not only save you money in the long term, but you're also doing your bit for the environment. We all know that industrial agriculture, with its reliance on chemicals, fertilizers and heavy carbon producing fossil fuels is one of the biggest contributors to soil desertification and climate change. Cutting out trips to the supermarket increases resilience and greatly reduces reliance on a no longer sustainable industrial agriculture system.

5. And finally, gardening is a great way to increase vibrant, connected, and cooperative local communities. As more and more systems (political, financial, climatic) start to break-down, nurturing and supporting local communities by way of shared gardening practices means you're less susceptible to global economic melt-down. And if you and your mates are growing different types of fruits and veggies then you can come together to share in the abundance of your labor. There's nothing better than a Sunday lunch with friends or family prepared with stuff grown from your garden. Plus, it just tastes better!

If you're looking for a better connection with nature that gives you more awareness of the food you eat, start a garden. And persuade your friends and family to start one too. Begin to realize some of the benefits mentioned in this article for yourself. Reconnect with the rhythms of nature by getting your hands and feet in the soil. Happy gardening!!

10 Ways to Become a Better Communicator

In this post I outline 10 ways to become a better communicator. Here they are.

1. Become aware of your state of consciousness (your feelings). There are 3 main states that determine your outlook on life and they are; contracted, neutral, expansive. Notice how your assumptions, ideologies, premise, perceptions and projections are shaped by your motive for participation - which can either be reluctant or whole-hearted depending on your state of consciousness (see above).

2. Express clearly and concisely your feelings. Then link these with the speed of light to your wants, desires and needs. For example, "I feel frustrated because I have a need for honesty, which in this instance, is not being met."

3. Go into any conversation with an open mind. Don't profess to know the absolute truth to any given situation. This just severs any meaningful connection that may be developing between 2 people.  Rather try stay open, without the need to determine the outlook of another person's perspective.

4. Seek out other people with differing points of view, but who at the same time have a stake in the project you're engaged in. Ask yourself how can you integrate these different points of view into your vision. Broaden your horizons. Grow, stretch!

5. Notice how you fit into the overall project or system in which you're based. Examine closely your role in the outcome of events. How does your behavior and communication shape external environments? To what extent are you managing relationships to get the best out of all involved?

6. Listen with empathy. Can you authentically put yourself in someone else's shoes? Can you take on another perspective without the need to judge, blame or find fault, but merely to observe?

7. Listen to your own ideological points of view, as well as other stake holders' perspectives. And don't forget to relate this back to the overarching theme of why you're here and what you're trying to achieve (vision, goals, mission).

8. Take a break from your inner circle of dialogue. Remove yourself completely from the decision making process. And clear the air to allow yourself some space to reflect and contemplate the outcome of events. Let the answers arise intuitively out of this clear space.

9. Be relaxed, open, flowing - like water. As a river flows, follow the path of least resistance. Allow yourself to be fully present, to live in the moment, opening yourself up to personal growth.

10. Once you've experimented with these communication techniques, go back to the drawing board. Notice what's working and what's not working. Approach the concepts that aren't working from a different angle for a fresh perspective on how to move forward. And keep learning!

Did you find this article useful? Please let me know in the comments box below.

Quiet Mind = Better Communication = Better Decision Making

Have you ever tried to make an important decision or solve a complex problem when your attention is diffuse?

It's nearly impossible to connect the dots (and be relevant) when you're not present. There's no clarity around your decision making when you're being dragged from thought to thought, from emotion to emotion.

The key to really good communication is present listening. Listening openly to where the other person is coming from (without judgement, but observation) is an art in remaining present. When you're faced with an important decision, bring your awareness to your feelings.

Are you; relaxed and open? Or, are you tense, hard and closed? If you're not as relaxed as you'd like to be, allow yourself the space and time to process what's going on inside of yourself.

Once you've quietened your mind, centered and grounded your body, re-enter the decision making process. Now you'll have greater clarity and perspective. You'll be able to listen more openly to the other person's perspective too. And you'll be able to work at meeting each others needs more fluidly.

Greater clarity means greater perspective, which means more enlightened, co-operative and connected decisions. Which means better results!

The 55:38:7 Communication Equation

Are you aware of the 55:38:7 communication equation?

55% of your communication (as perceived by others) is non-verbal. This includes your physiology, body language, eye contact and gestures.

38% of your communication stems from the sound, projection and tone of your voice.

Only 7% of your communication is based on the content of what you're saying.

I think a large part of these percentages come from ones feelings and thoughts around ones perception of reality. Invariably we struggle to communicate our feelings and needs, which results in miscommunication, a break-down in trust and disconnection.

Next time you're in conversation with someone become aware of your non-verbal ques while remaining open to the feedback loop from other people's body language, gestures and tone of voice. This will often tell you a lot about either your behavior (and what's driving your behavior) or where the other person is coming from.

Open yourself to really listen and talk with presence and see how this influences your motivation, your connections and your results.

The Ultimate 4-Step Success Strategy

In this post I outline the ultimate 4-step success strategy. But like any strategy, it requires persistence, hard work and motivation.

Step 1: Clearly decide what it is you want (connect with your vision and values) and what you are committed to achieving, as well as the price you're prepared to pay to achieve it.

Step 2: Take massive action to bring into fruition your vision, to achieve your goals in alignment with your vision, to turn your dreams into reality.

Step 3: Notice what's working and what's not working by developing heightened powers of awareness and focus (mindfulness).

Step 4: As soon as you notice something that's not working, change your approach (this is the creative power of trial and error) until it does work and you achieve what you truly want.

Begin to implement this success formula this week and see where it takes you. Be seated in your values and lightly hold your vision as you move forward in the direction of your goals. May the force be with you!

What's the Solution to all this Mess? Grow your Own Food!

What's the solution to the world's problems, which I define as...

1. Peak oil and an exponential rise in petrol/diesel prices.
2. Peak debt through loans, mortgages, credit cards.
3. Climate change and extreme weather patterns; with scientists warning of the ever approaching 2 degree rise in pre-industrial temperatures...

My answer is, grow your own food!

Growing your own food not only provides you with free food - cutting out a reliance on industrial agriculture (which uses pesticides, chemicals, fertilizers and antibiotics) - but it also results in healthier, more abundant living.

Preparing your own organic matter by way of compost/mulch, growing your own veggies from seed and even planting your own fruit trees connects you with nature. Growing your own food also grounds your energy so it's not being drained by technology and things like WiFi or radio active waves from cell phones or computers which can cause cancer.

Growing your own food results in you travelling to big chain supermarkets less often, depending on the amount of food you can produce. This means less reliance on carbon-producing fossil fuels which harm the environment and cause global warming. 

Petrol and food (energy) - are 2 primary drivers of the industrial growth economy which have contributed to crippling debt, rising oil prices, global warming and poor health. Growing your own food means that you're no longer reliant on this system (which has become limited) to live a happy, healthy life.

If you don't have a garden then ask one of your friends if you can help turn some part of their lawn into a thriving veggie patch and then split the rewards. Or if you have a balcony, explore various types of vertical gardening. Or try scout rooftops in urban environments that stand empty and turn these vacant lots into urban rooftop veggie gardens.

If this is still not your cup of tea try support local organic farmers. This way you're voting (by placing your money where it counts) for a better future for people and planet. 

Food, and especially either growing your own food or supporting local organic farmers will be one of the keys to relocalizing our economies, remineralizing the earth and mitigating climate change. It's a win-win because producing local food will result in less reliance on heavy carbon producing fossil fuels, less debt (by not being chained to fluctuations in food & petrol prices) and it will have a positive impact on the environment. 

With such severe impacts of global warming and soil desertification through industrialized and factory farming, it's time to get growing!