Last Saturday, I held a charity cabaret evening to raise some funds for Nirvana School and also Shivia .

It was a wonderful evening with many brave people fighting their way through torrential rain, lightning and flooding. I haven’t been in the middle of such ferocious rainfall since my time in Pondicherry, South India many years ago when I visited Nirvana School.

By the way, here is a letter from Pondicherry .

About from the charity aspect of the evening, the idea was to also make it a fun and unusual event to get people from all background together. As it was, it turned out to be a magical evening and it was just as if  many old friends were coming together after a long time.

In the period of just two hours, many new friendships were formed and already a lot of my friends have connected and become friends with each other.

This proved to me once again how easy it can be to bring people together and create new friendships and harmony.

Simple really, just choose an unusual event, spread the word, be the host and the "connector" and let magic occur. Of course, wine is only optional!

To end, here is a cute video for Friday and the end of the week. It is all about a pair of different animals getting on really well with each other.

If animals can live together like this, then sureIy so can humans:-)

Seven years ago, I had this idea of getting a few friends together for a picnic in Regents Park. And I suggested that they also invited their own friends.

And so the “Friends and Friend’s Friends Picnic” was born.

I have held such a picnic every year now for the last 7 years and this summer it will be the 8th picnic. Some years we have had glorious sunshine and other years torrential rain and even gale force winds. Yet a hard core of die-hard friends have attended every year.

So I am proud and delighted to announce this year’s picnic on Sunday 12th July in Regents Park.

The idea is simply to get a lot of friends and their friends together. I invite all my friends and they invite all their friends and they invite their friends and so on……and before we know, there will be 100’s of friends, new and old, coming together in a spirit of fun, unity and playfulness.

Everyone is invited to bring their own food and drinks plus some extra to share. We will also be playing football, Frisbee, hula hoops etc for fun, so bring those trainers and sports gear. And of course children are most welcome. If you haven’t got any, borrow some for the day!

We may also be having some African drumming and singing. Bring along any musical instrument that you would like to play.

People ask me why Regents Park? Well, to me it is the best maintained and the most diverse of the London parks and has so much to offer.

It really is a place to make hay whilst the sun shines

Regents Park is the reason why I chose to live where I do now – I visit the park 3 to 4 times a week, sometimes quite early in the morning .

If you have not yet visited the “secret garden”, then I am happy to give personally guided tours

There are lots of things you can do in Regents Park. There is boating on the lake, heronry and waterfowl collections to visit, and of course the world famous Rose garden.

Please note that this picnic will be happening no matter what the weather is on the day! We are in the middle of a heat wave right now and chances are it will still be very hot on our picnic day, so it should be a great day out for all of us.

The details are as follows:-

Date: Sunday 12th July 2009
Time: 1pm till 9pm
Location: Regents Park at the London Mosque end. Use the Mosque as your landmark, as its minaret is visible from almost anywhere else in the park.

Directions:

Enter the Park via Hanover Gate, turn left and you are there. You will see a children’s play area. The chosen picnic spot is the whole of this semicircular area of grass and there is room for at least a 1000 people.

Parking : You must pay for parking within Regents Park even on Sundays till 6.30pm. Alternatively, you CAN park free on single yellow lines on Prince Albert Road, and around St Johns Wood High St.

Nearest Tube stations: – St Johns Wood and Baker Street

For further clarification, please call me on 07803 950 250. Keep this number with you on the day, in case you are lost. Remember that Regents Park is huge.

Please invite all your friends and ask them to invite their friends. Lets see how many people we can get there this year – the largest crowd we have had so far is almost 300.

Do let me know if you are attending. The theme for this year’s picnic is “Make It Happen!”.

So that we get an idea of the numbers coming, please confirm your attendance by mailing me at Friends Picnic 2009

You can also confirm you are coming via Facebook .

For further information and clarification, just contact me.

If you are not able to come to London for this picnic, then no matter where you are in the world, how about organising your own? Tips to hold your own “Friends and Friend’s Friends” Picnic:-

1. Choose a date (if it is not Sunday, 12th July)

2. Choose a venue. Make sure it is large enough to hold the number of people you expect to come.
Tell people that the picnic will go ahead no matter what the weather.

If it is winter where you are, then hold an indoor picnic!

3. Create a theme for the picnic - such as “Friendship, Fun and Hope”, let your imagination run wild!

4. Invite everyone to bring their own food and drinks plus some extra to share. Arrange some games and sports if the venue permits this.

5. Insist that people bring their children. If they don’t have any, ask them to borrow some for the day!

6. Choose an unusual theme or activity such as African drumming and singing. Invite people to bring along any musical instrument they would like to play.

7. Also invite people to come and share some of their unique skills such as dancing, juggling etc.

8. Be prepared to have a lot of fun!

Enjoy!

I look forward to seeing you all on the 12th.

What makes one person a Gandhi or a Dr Martin Luther King? Is it pure coincidence or do such inspirational historic figures have some special powers?

Well, this afternoon a friend linked to a short but inspirational YouTube video on Facebook which may give us some clues. The video has this description:-

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

So there we are - in my quest to make it happen, I am looking for lots of crazy people who think they can change the world!

Are you one of them?!

And how will YOU change the world?

As we approach mid-summer’s day here in the UK, we are having another day with sunshine, rain and strong winds. Almost all the seasons of the year in one day - and it is supposed to be summer. Whatever happened to the long promised heat wave?!

This Sunday is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and it always brings back sweet memories of past parties and celebrations with friends long into the twilight. This year I am planning to spend the evening with the The Comedy Store Players in Regents Park – this is where I witnessed a marriage proposal two years ago .

This Sunday is also Father’s day and this is another poignant reminder of the loss of my own father 18 months ago. It seems like only yesterday that I received that fateful call in the middle of the night from my mother. I will always carry with me the lessons in compassion from my father .

Looking back through the grieving period it is amazing how quickly the time has just flown by. It has been a time of reflection and appreciating what he did for us and what meant to us.

Father’s day will always be a time to remember just what my father has done for me

Such life changing events also make one grateful for the small things that matter in our life. As a friend said today in an email, every day above ground is a great day!

Being grateful and appreciative of our gifts serves to bring more goodness into our lives. It makes us more alive and vibrant. But just how do you show your appreciation?!

This reminds me of a great quote I read at the bottom of an email from Chris Guillebeau , who writes about unconventional strategies for life, work and travel:-

"It’s a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation." - Roberto Benigni

So if you wish, be vocal and loud in showing your gratitude! But most importantly, be genuine and authentic . Others will really feel your heartfelt thanks and will know that you are coming from a true place.

Father’s day is also an occasion to reflect on how one is towards the younger people in our lives. I am not a father myself but I would like to think that if I had children I would aspire to be as good a father as mine was to me.

I would aspire to be his or her best friend, a mentor and be there when needed. At the same time, I would like to think I could let go and let them follow their own journey.

I would also apply these words of wisdom and key lessons about how to treat a child from Amanda Cater:-

1. If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn
2. If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight
3. If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy
4. If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty
5. If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient
6. If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident
7. If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate
8. If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice
9. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith
10. If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself
11. If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world

And I would like to add my own point here:-

12. If a child lives with love he learns to contribute to the world!

What pearls of wisdom can you share about being a parent?

Please share your own tips about how you treat or would treat your children.

Happy Father’s Day – and depending on where you are in the world, enjoy the longest (or the shortest) day of the year.

"True good health is a state of dynamic well being, one that is like that of childhood exuberance and joy, boundless energy, keen awareness of surroundings, positive emotional state and a natural love and zest for life. " - William Woolcott

This is a quote sent to me recently by a friend and highlights once again the importance of our health. Everything we do in our lives either makes us more joyous or less.

If we could learn to be aware of how we feel at any time, we could then continuously make adjustments in our state and move towards greater joy.

I have found that one of the simple ways of creating more joy in our life is to appreciate and enjoy what we already have all around us and to share it. This could be something as simple as a walk in the park, a nice glass of wine, lunch with a friend, laughter of a child and so on.

We are only here for a short time and what we have today will one day all be gone and so will we. So might as well enjoy and share our gifts now whilst we can.

This reminds me of a simple story about keeping the gold, which highlights my point:-

"There was once a man who loved gold so much, he melted down all the gold he owned into a huge golden boulder. Thinking it would be easier to keep in this form, he buried it in the ground behind his house.

Each night he dug it up, looked at it, and then buried it again.

One night, a thief, who had seen him at his nightly task, stole the golden boulder and put an ordinary stone in its place.

When the man came out to dig up his gold, he discovered the switch and began to moan and shout about his loss.

The thief, watching in the shadows, heard the pitiful moans and said, "Why are you so upset? The golden boulder you buried might as well have been stone. For you never ever used it while you kept it for your own!"

So what gold are you keeping buried and not sharing? Why?

When will you begin to start sharing it?

And do you have a heart of gold or stone?!

It is time to share your gifts and make it happen in your world. Let your gold shine and see how your life changes.

True health, vibrancy and joy are yours for the taking if you really want them.

I am back with my article for Friday and as one of my regular readers has already pointed out, I missed the article on Tuesday.

Well, the reason for that is I chose to take some time out for a green apple juice detox .

I have been carrying out this apple detox regularly now and it always leaves me energised and ready to take on the world. It gives my digestive system an almost complete rest for a few days.

What I have also enjoyed is the simplicity of my “meals” - I am not expending any time or energy on deciding what to eat, how to prepare it etc. The long term benefits will be considerable too as over the next few days my body detoxes and gets cleaned up.

Amazingly having had no whole food for 4 days, I have more energy and focus than I have had for a long time! Weighing myself this morning, I am 6 lbs lighter than I was 5 days ago.

Also, it seems as part of the detox I have let go of many other things. Such a detox makes one aware of all those foods and things in our life we just do not need.

We all eat so many things that we do not need or which we eat just for the sake of it. In the same way, we all do and have things in our life which we don’t need and are not necessary for us in the bigger scheme of life.

For example, today I finally let go of an opportunity to train for the London marathon next year for the next 11 months with a running coach. Though it didn’t feel right for me, I had been holding on saying no until today.

I guess it all comes back to listening to our intuition and our body and going with that.
We can all clear out the clutter from other areas of our life and like me, you can literally start a new week afresh.

On the eating front, the key is to note how you feel after a meal – does the body feel vibrant or does it feel lethargic and tired?

So the key learnings for me to share from my apple detox is that such a detox helps to:-

1. Clear out the body and your mind.
2. Let go of many things now unwanted or no longer relevant.
3. Get clearer focus and new energy.
4. Start eating food which is better for you.

So there we are – if you really want to start making it happen in your life, start with your body and begin to let go of things by detoxing.

Your body is for life - and the best time to start looking after your body is today .

Your body is your temple – start treating it as sacred from today.

Finally a couple of events I am organising – a charity cabaret evening on Saturday 27th June to support Nirvana School and Shivia .

Find out more and book your tickets online.

And the annual Friends and Friend’s Friends picnic will this year be on Sunday 12th July in the usual place, Regents Park, central London. I hope to see you all there.

I have just come off the phone after talking to a friend about a personal matter. She wanted some advice and as I listened, I realised how sometimes we complicate our lives so much.

What would our lives be like if we could just simply cut out the drama? How can we make something happen in our lives smoothly and simply so our life becomes joyous and free flowing?

To start with, simplicity is key. With a clear intention and just a little bit of prior reflection and planning, everything we do can be made easier and simpler:-

1. Keep it simple. Spend a few minutes reflecting and how you can do something simpler. Cut out the drama.

2. Just do it! Get started and into the flow. The rest will be easy once you have got the momentum

3. Ask others for help. Learn to ask – there is no weakness in seeking help. Delegate if appropriate

4. Don’t do it! Ask yourself – does it really need to be done?! You could be working on the wrong thing. You can even decide never to do it.

5. Clear up as you go along. As you finish one task, tidy up your space and minimise your clutter. Of course, having very little or no clutter in the first place will really help.

6. Be smart about doing it. Learn new tools and techniques to help you do things. Focus on the end goal and don’t spend all your energy on learning for the sake of it.

7. Set a tight deadline. Be realistic but at the same time stretch yourself. Get some strict accountability if it helps you.

8. Make it fun. Otherwise why do it? Make what you do as enjoyable as you can.

9. Focus on the end goal. Be very strict and disciplined with yourself and stick to the task until done. Cut out all distractions.

10. Celebrate when you have done it. A key part of achieving anything – acknowledge yourself and those who have helped you get there.

There we are – some simple tips to make it happen. We are capable of doing so much more and applying these tips will certainly help towards making that a reality.

Start today by doing that one thing which you have been putting off for so long.

Bonus Tip – Mind your own business! Let others be and follow their own journey – you get on with your own life.

Focus on yourself for now - and soon we can begin to look at the bigger picture and solve the world’s challenges!

As Gandhi said - "The difference between what we do, and what are capable of doing, would solve most of the world’s problems"

As I continue to work on "Make It Happen" , I seem to have a lot of energy and passion for life, which probably means I am on the right track!

This morning I naturally woke up very early and it was a beautifully clear and sunny start to the day. Even the birds were in full song. It was a great way to start the day listening to bird song and I spent the early morning hours in Regents Park.

If you are on Facebook, you can even see how Regents Park looked very early this morning.

So how can you get more time in your life? Right now, whilst the weather is so sunny and warm, it just seems such a waste to to spend more time sleeping than necessary. I really do believe that we can all get by with much less sleep than we currently do.

A good friend manages on 4 hours sleep every night and seems to have more energy and drive than most people around him. Or perhaps because he is so driven he doesn’t need much sleep.

I too would love to train my body and mind to thrive on less sleep and I shall be writing more on this in the future. But for now, do check out my 9 tips to create an extra hour everyday.

In the meantime, I would like to share an inspirational story sent to me as one of those chain emails which ask you to forward and share with 10 friends in order for one to be blessed with luck, money etc.

Well, I am sharing it here with many more people than 10 and now look forward to even more blessings coming my way!

I usually just delete such emails but this one particularly grabbed me. It is another lesson for all of us to be aware of just what’s important in our lives - and what makes our life rich. The story is narrated in first person:-

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes.

I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas..

I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas.

I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

‘Hello Barry, how are you today?’

‘H’lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas. They sure look good.’

‘They are good, Barry. How’s your Ma?’

‘Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.’

‘Good. Anything I can help you with?’

‘No, Sir. Jus’ admirin’ them peas.’

‘Would you like take some home?’ asked Mr. Miller.

‘No, Sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ‘em with.’

‘Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?’

‘All I got’s my prize marble here.’

‘Is that right? Let me see it’ said Miller.

‘Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.’

‘I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?’ the store owner asked.

‘Not exactly but almost.’

‘Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble’, Mr. Miller told the boy.

‘Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.’

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

With a smile said, ‘There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.’

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man.

A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one.

Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.

They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men.

One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts…all very professional looking.

They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.

Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket.

Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles.

With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

‘Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them.

Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size….they came to pay their debt.’

‘We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,’ she confided, ‘but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ‘.

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

I guess the moral of this story is that we will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.

As someone said, life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take away our breath.

I started today in nature and I had numerous moments which took my breathe away. How can YOU create in your day such moments and miracles?

And slow down and literally smell the flowers - after all, it’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!

(To give proper and worthy credit, this story is titled "Three Marbles" and was written by W. E. Petersen, and published in the October, 1975 Ensign magazine)

Another gloriously sunny day in London - perfect time to reflect on building one’s legacy.

Whilst I continue to work on Make It Happen , I have been reflecting on my core beliefs and this is what I came up with:-

1. We can all have abundant, peaceful, healthy and happy lives.

2. We are here to make the most of what we have and leave the world a better place than we found it. This includes creating financial abundance for us, living healthy lives and having loving relationships.

3. Everyone has a right to live with dignity and respect.

4. There is no limit to our ingenuity in improving the lives of our fellow human beings – we just need the will and desire to do so.

5. Ultimately we all want to live peaceful lives of contribution and making a difference to others in our own small or big way.

6. We are here for a short time on the earth and it is up to each one of us to create a lasting legacy for those who will follow us.

7. Though we may face challenging and at times seemingly impossible odds, we will ultimately prevail and the world will be a better, more just and safer place!

My writing and my work is focussed on putting the above beliefs into practice and bringing my message and ideas to many more people.

So what are YOUR 7 beliefs to build your life and your legacy?

In my article last week, Make It Happen , I promised to write at least twice a week and that has brought a number of emails from readers with their seal of approval. Thank you very much for that endorsement – you know who you are!

The main point of writing more frequently is of course to get my message out there and ultimately allow more people to lead the life they want and also make the world a better place.  So I clearly need to get my message out to as many people as possible over the coming months.

Over the last couple of years or so, social media has been the way forward to getting a marketing message across online. Though I have been dabbling in social media, I feel I have a long way to go and a lot to learn.

Coincidentally, about the time I wrote the last article, I heard about  Charles Bohannan who is offering a free place to “Social Media Success Summit” which is being held online this week with contributions from some of the world’s leading Social Media experts – literally a summit of great minds.

Charles himself won 2 tickets from Chris Garrett and very generously has decided to pass on his spare ticket to another blogger. Reminds me of one of my favourite movies – “Pay It Forward” – if you haven’t seen it yet, you must do so soon!

Charles is running his own competition whereby he has asked bloggers to answer three questions in the context of their blogging – he will then select the winner the entry he considers the most deserving.

So here is my entry below for Charles’s competition in less than 500 words as required. In the spirit of making my entry also of interest to my regular readers, I am using this opportunity to clarify to you my own vision for “Make It Happen” :-

Question 1:- What’s your single greatest challenge with blogging?

My single greatest challenge with blogging is getting more readers to actually read and benefit from my work!

I have been writing now for over 2 years and the wonderful feedback received over that time has been all around how much readers have benefitted. But however good my writing may be, it is not much good if hardly anyone knows about it!

I believe that my blog truly reflects who I am – a caring, compassionate, fun guy with a commitment to contribution, connection and celebration.

Now I just have to get more people to get to know about me and my work

Question 2:- How will the Social Media Success Summit help you overcome this challenge?

I feel that the Social Media Success Summit will help me overcome this challenge of not enough people knowing about my work by giving me a crash course in the latest Social Media techniques, tools and trends. This will then allow me to create the perfect plan to announce myself on the world stage and play all out.

The key is to come up with a sensible and viable strategy for Social Media marketing over the next 6 months. The potential for me to benefit from Social Media tools is huge but only with a clear strategy followed by a smartly executed plan.

Question 3:- How do you envision your success online?

I have a huge vision both for my online success as well as my life from hereon.

Within 6 months from now, having applied all the keys lessons from the Social Media Success Summit, I envision my blog being a highly rated, must visit website which brings like minded people together.

I feel I have an important message to deliver based on my values, learnings and life experiences to date - the future for me online is all about being heard amidst all the “noise”, standing out, getting dedicated followers and spreading my message to 1,000s of people all over the world.

In an increasingly changing world we currently face so much doom and gloom and people have many challenges. But I also believe that people want to live better lives and be part of the solution to these challenges.

To me it seems that there is a huge shift of consciousness around the world and people are seeking better ways of living. It is my intention to help this shift of consciousness and be part of the solution myself.

I am passionate about helping people get the best life they can and at the same time make a difference to the world - I am therefore committed to creating a set of online resources to help people achieve just this.

Quite simply, I want to create a large community of “Make It Happen” people all around the planet, working together to better themselves and the world.

And by doing so, I will have fulfilled my own deepest calling.

PS Thank you again Charles for your great gesture and generosity in paying it forward.