Strive for clarity

At Tender Greens, Santa Monica, they had these pictures on the wall, with the most profound messages. I’m gonna share them with you because I think they are worthy of being shared, each and every one. They are of the same quality as the Tender Greens food is, if you ever have a chance to try it, do!

Strive for clarity

Since so much of the Three Principles of Mind, Consciousness and Thought, are about clarity, I took this as a good sign. We all have an innate wellbeing, but sometimes our thinking get’s muddled. It can be like a snow globe, which when shaken just turn a white blur, like a snowstorm. But if you let the globe be, it will settle, and there will be clarity. The same goes for our thinking. Once we stop trying so hard to think things through, moments of clarity usually come, and you just know the answer to whatever issue you were struggling with. Ever had that happen to you? You stop thinking about an issue, and at the gym, in the shower or driving your car, you suddenly get it? Had any recent moments of clarity?

Meteoritnedslag i mitt inre

Och så var det ju den där stora insikten ja. Den inträffade under #afkHuddinge, dag två, då Beppe gjorde sin grej – och förresten, har du inte tittat på det så gör det här! Jag fick en så massiv insikt att jag bleknade. Samskapande #skolvårare såg på mig att något stort hänt. Det märktes alltså även utåt.

Inåt var det som ett gigantiskt meteoritnedslag i mitt inre. En insikt större än de flesta jag fått under mitt liv. Kan inte komma på någon som varit fullt så stor. Jo. Förresten, där ljög jag. Eller knappade lite väl snabbt på tangenterna åtminstone. Den gången jag gick från JAG ÄR INTE OK till JAG ÄR OK som inre barometer var större. Och den gången jag insåg att jag inte kan ta ansvar för de val som min dotters biologiska pappa beslutat sig för.

Oavsett, känns som jag mest förhalar. Innan du läser vidare måste du först läsa Vad är X? av Hjärn-Beppe.

Har du läst? I så fall så kommer insikten här:
Ett barns Mats kan vara ett annat barns inre Katla.

Eller kanske:
En människas Mats kan vara en annan människas inre Katla.

I kontexten av skola, och framför allt grundskola, som omfattas av skolplikt, så blev detta ett rejält tillskott av bränsle till min passion att åstadkomma en förändring på systemnivå, en förändring som heter duga! Jag kramade om Beppe efter hans framträdande, viskade i hans öra att han just lagt ytterligare 70 000 ton bränsle på min brasa, och fortsatte ”Din inre Katla var min Mats.”.

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För det var det som gav insikten. Jag har gått på samma skola som Beppe, och blev helt chockad när jag förstod sammanhanget. Och tänk så absurt det där är, att grundskoleelever – men även andra elever av alla slag – i princip hamnar i en klass, med lärare, som hen är så illa tvungen att hantera. Och vet du – det är faktiskt lika snurrigt på andra hållet. Att en lärare kan vara både Katla och Mats, åt olika barn.

Och jodå, jag vet att vi har fritt skolval och att även lärare kan byta arbetsplats. Men oddsen för att jag klickar (vilket INTE betyder att vi blir bästa vänner som inte ställer några krav på varandra) med alla i en klass bestående av sisådär 25-35 andra individer är ärligt talat ganska kassa. It’s a gamble hur man än gör i en sådan situation. Så länge ramarna är detsamma. Och det är den brasan som fick påfyllning under #afkHuddinge – den där livligt brinnande elden inuti mig, som handlar om att fråga vad vi ska med skolan till!

Som sagt – världen skapas inte av människor utan mellan människor, som Bob Hansson sa. Så vad händer när en individ uppfattar en annan som sin inre Katla? Vad gott kommer av det?

#blogg100 gav mig Rasmus visdom på pränt

Och för det är jag oerhört tacksam och glad. Han hoppade på utmaningen att blogga dagligen under 100 dagar och det med besked. Rasmus är min coach, min vän och tillråga på allt Supercoach Academy-kollega, och oj vad han ger bra tankespjärn den mannen. Dessutom formulerar han sig väldigt väl, tycker jag.

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Under 100 dagar (från den 1 mars då #blogg100-utmaningen drog igång) kommer Rasmus skriva om hur det egentligen fungerar, det där med tankar och känslor. Så följ hans blogg på www.klarsikt.se – och gillar du hans sida på Facebook kan du enkelt dela vidare hans förståelse av världen med andra.

Har du nånsin försökt sätta ord på din förståelse av världen?

The Mandala of Love

During the final day of Supercoach Academy Connection Weekend I was doodling, like I usually do, and the sum of the entire SCA2014-experience until that very moment came to me.

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It truly is all about love. Love is the answer. Regardless of what the question is. Love is it. Humans have unlimited capacity to love. However, I don’t use my unlimited capacity to its fullest, but I sure am working on it. And the funny thing is, the more I love, the better my life gets.

I feel love for you. Yes, You!
How does that make you feel?

Happy St Paddy’s day, y’all!

So, isn’t it a treat to happen to be in New York City on March 17th, staying at a hotel just two blocks off Fifth Avenue, where the St Patrick’s day parade takes place?

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Turns out the mayor of New York didn’t participate in the parade since gay groups are NOT allowed to wear anything identifying them as gay, and both me and Rachel applaud that decision. We found a group of people along the side walk who want that to change, and we gladly joined them:

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My answer to this? Why, we are all one, connected, regardless of all the labels we put on each other to try to separate from that connectedness. And for us all, I wish a learning sustainable world.

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Prejudice honors no one. Prejudice serves no one. What would the world look like without it?

SCA2014 Connection weekend, day four – on top of the world!

So, time for the last and final day of the second of four weekends of Supercoach Academy. A half day of class, with reflections, sharing an an exercise, and afterwards hugs and more hugs.

Went to Salisbury hotel afterwards and met up with Rachel. And man have we had a blast of a time, let me tell you! Amongst other things we went up to the Top of the rock, that is, the Rockefeller Center.

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Behind me you can see the Empire State Building. Great view as you can see from this picture. From up there New York and Manhattan seem almost serene. Then I came down to street level, and the hustle and bustle of the city takes a firm grip of me again. It’s a weird feeling to be in such a vertical place as much of mid- and downtown of Manhattan is. I have been able to rest a bit from this vertical experience by going into Central Park. The nature, trees, green expanse and being able to look far ahead have been soothing.

What would happen to the residents here, if they didn’t have the ability to have some horizontal space such as Central Park provides?

SCA2014 Connection weekend, day three

Looking back at today I am very thankful that Silvio and I took a walk south in Central Park this morning, on the way to the venue. I miss nature, staying in the bustling city of New York, on Manhattan.

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We walked past a sign stating this was The Swedish Cottage, but me and Silvio both agreed it looked more Austrian or something. But there was a sign stating it had been transported here from Sweden during the 1880s or something.

Coming close to the west border of the park, we could hear the thump thump of the city, almost like the heartbeat of it. I felt it was almost something I could touch. But I wasn’t ready to leave the expanse of nature and horizontal views just yet, so we walked a few more blocks inside the park instead, before finally venturing out into the land of tall buildings, plenty of people, the hustle and bustle of the city.

In the third day of Connection Weekend I got so much. Insights. And love. Tears. Big feelings. Hugs. Mara Gleason is really awesome, so if you have a chance to meet up with her, do, you won’t regret it!

After class I tagged along some friends of SCA, and have had an absolutely lovely evening! But am tired now, and ready to go to sleep, to rest up for the last half day of this second SCA2014-weekend.

And then the third leg of this journey begins. I am headed to a hotel, where I will also get a new room mate. My friend Rachel whom I’ve known for 20 years but have never met away from keyboard has come up from Alabama to meet up with me. Isn’t that amazing?

SCA2014 Connection weekend, day two

Wow, what a day. Mara Gleason was our guest teacher/guide/conversation partner for the day, and it’s been a ride alright!

But it actually started with me finding Silvio down at the cafeteria of the hostel when I came down for breakfast, and he asked if I wanted to take a walk up to Columbia University. So we did, and it was really nice. Extra special since my little brother went there recently – looked like a really nice campus to spent time at!

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Took the tube to Times Square, where I got off to walk the last blocks to the venue for the training. Two major things happened there today, major for me that is. The first was when I volunteered to be coached by Mara, which gave me reassurance concerning an assignment I’ve just taken on. The second was a one-on-one coaching exercise where my SCA-colleague Sacha Ivis guided me through a very significant meeting with one of my oldest and still alive & kicking squiggles.

Only SCA2014-participants might get the meaning of that right now, but there will be more on it here, sometime, for sure. But briefly, squiggles is what happens when I get stuck on a thought, and just can’t seem to let it go. Feels familiar?

SCA2014 Connection weekend – day one

So, I have spent five days on Long Island at Max and Mary’s place. Oh. And Angie, not to forget, Angie the beagle, the sweetest dog alive! There will be more on her later though.

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Leaving from Ronkonkoma, picture courtesy of Mary Riley

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Me and Mary after my ticket was bought

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Windy and cold in New York City, outside Penn Station

Day one of the Connection weekend of Supercoach Academy flew by in a jiffy, and it has been a day of plenty full-body goose bump experiences, or God bumps, as my fellow SCA-student William calls it. For me, they let me know I am in touch with energies both within and without, and it has surely been a great day. Look forward to tomorrow!

After the class was out, I got on the tube to 103rd Street station, and walked a block to the New York Hihostel, where I checked in. Relaxed for a bit until my dinner date showed up.

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Silvio Nardo stay at the Hihostel just like I do, and suggested an Ayurvedic restaurant when I said I prefer vegetarian. Great food! Wanted to commemorate the occasion, but found out that it’s not very easy to do selfies from a mini iPad.

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The waiter gladly helped us though.

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Good spot, The Ayurveda Cafe, with a nice story behind it.

Once back at in my room, I went to open my padlock for my locker… But it just wouldn’t open! So I had to walk down to reception asking for their help to break into my locker…

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All in all a day filled with adventure, and in the words of Silvio, explaining the feeling he has around the Three Principles It’s like you are a beginner every day. I really like that, because there sure is a special sensation when you are new at something and do it for the love of it, wondrous to the magic of it. And really, isn’t that a great way to go about life?

Skillnaden som gör skillnad

Så säger min nyvunne vän Dennis Westerberg, som är ytterligare en pärla mitt liv berikats med sedan #skolvåren-resan började på Twitter en februarikväll 2013. Han är fascinerad av skillnaden som gör skillnaden, och jag märker att det där är något jag verkligen gillar. Det får igång mig.

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Det är dessutom en fantastiskt bra fråga att ställa, använder den både på mig själv och mina coachklienter:
Vad är skillnaden som gör skillnad?

Ställde frågan till min dotter också, i samband med att hon kände att hon fått ökad förståelse för ett område som de arbetat med i skolan. Hon tänkte en stund och sen samtalade vi lite om hennes funderingar. Hon landade i att hon inte accepterat att hon inte förstod, utan att hon varit ihärdig och ställt frågor tills hon nådde känslan av förståelse som hon eftersträvade.

Vad är skillnaden som gör skillnad i ditt liv?