Great Thought Leader: Earl Nightingale

“We can let circumstances rule us,
or we can take charge and rule our lives from within.”
–Earl Nightingale

As a Depression-era child, Earl Nightingale was hungry for knowledge. From the time he was a young boy, he would frequent the Long Beach Public Library in California, searching for the answer to the question, “How can a person, starting from scratch, who has no particular advantage in the world, reach the goals that he feels are important to him, and by so doing, make a major contribution to others?” His desire to find an answer, coupled with his natural curiosity about the world and its workings spurred him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on success and what makes people successful.earl-nightingale1

His early career began when, as a member of the Marine Corps, he volunteered to work at a local radio station as an announcer. The Marines also gave him a chance to travel, although he only got as far as Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Earl managed to be one of the few survivors aboard the battleship Arizona. After five more years in the service, Earl and his wife moved first to Phoenix then Chicago to build what was to be a very fruitful career in network radio.

Continue reading →

Great Thought Leader: Alan Watts

Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was a British-born philosopher, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and popularize of Eastern philosophy for a Western audience. Born in Chislehurst, he moved to the United States in 1938 and began Zen training in New York. Pursuing a career, he attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, where he received a master’s degree in theology. Watts became an Episcopal priest in 1945, then left the ministry in 1950 and moved to California, where he joined the faculty of the American Academy of Asian Studies.

alan-watts

Watts gained a large following in the San Francisco Bay Area while working as a volunteer programmer at KPFA, a Pacifica Radio station in Berkeley. Watts wrote more than 25 books and articles on subjects important to Eastern and Western religion, introducing the then-burgeoning youth culture to The Way of Zen (1957), one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. In Psychotherapy East and West (1961), Watts proposed that Buddhism could be thought of as a form of psychotherapy and not a religion. He also explored human consciousness, in the essay “The New Alchemy” (1958), and in the book The Joyous Cosmology (1962).

Continue reading →

Great Thought Leader: James Allen

jamesallen

James Allen is a literary mystery man. His inspirational writings have influenced millions for good. Yet today he remains almost unknown.  None of his nineteen books give a clue to his life other than to mention his place of residence – Ilfracombe, England. His name cannot be found in a major reference work. Not even the Library of Congress or the British Museum has much to say about him. Who was this man who believed in the power of thought to bring fame, fortune and happiness? Or did he, as Henry David Thoreau says, hear a different drummer? James Allen never gained fame or fortune. That much is true. His was a quiet, unrewarded genius. He seldom made enough money from his writings to cover expenses.

Allen was born in Leicester, Central England, (November, 28, 1864). The family business failed within a few years, and in 1879 his father left for America in an effort to recoup his losses. The elder Allen had hoped to settle in the United States, but was robbed and murdered before he could send for his family. The financial crisis that resulted forced James to leave school at fifteen. He eventually became a private secretary, a position that would be called administrative assistant today. He worked in this capacity for several British manufacturers until 1902, when he decided to devote all his time to writing. Continue reading →

Great Thought Leader: Jiddu Krishnamurti

One of the best things about University in particularly the study of Liberal Arts is the emphasis on critical thought and debate. One of the most unique speakers I have ever been exposed to is Jiddu Krishnamurti, an incredible mind with provoking perspectives in relation to the study of human understanding of “the self” and concepts within religious theory, thought and reality.  Enjoy. 

j-krishnamurtiJiddu Krishnamurti /ˈdʒɪduː ˌkrɪʃnəˈmɜrti/ (12 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was an Indian speaker and writer on philosophical and spiritual subjects. In his early life he was groomed to be the new World Teacher but later rejected this mantle and disbanded the organisation behind it. His subject matter included psychological revolution, the nature of mind, meditation, inquiry, human relationships, and bringing about radical change in society. He constantly stressed the need for a revolution in the psyche of every human being and emphasized that such revolution cannot be brought about by any external entity, be it religious, political, or social.

Krishnamurti was born in British India and in early adolescence, he had a chance encounter with prominent occultist and theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater in the grounds of the Theosophical Society headquarters at Adyar in Madras. He was subsequently raised under the tutelage of Annie Besant and Leadbeater, leaders of the Society at the time, who believed him to be a “vehicle” for an expected World Teacher. As a young man, he disavowed this idea and dissolved the Order of the Star in the East, an organisation that had been established to support it. Continue reading →

Modern New Age: Cottage Inspiration

Modern Cottage Inspiration 

Nature is my Church where the soul truly feels at home, I’m a fan of the city grew up in big urban environments but nothing feels more natural to me than being surrounded by awesome trees, hiking trails and lakes. I’ve been listening and reading a lot of  personal development and motivational authors such as Brian Tracey, Alana Watts, and my personal favorite James Allen this year. As a result of this growth I’ve re-engineered my personal definition of success, happiness and true contentment. 

 I’ve been researching and looking at cottage lots in Ontario and they are reasonably priced between $7,000 – $20,000 for over an acre of land. The container-ship style of Cottage-Home has really caught my eye, I think it is awesome. The name of the project below was called Containers of Hope I could not agree more with name. 

The Architect of this development is Benjamin Garcia Saxe. Designed and built for under $45K! 

Continue reading →

Energy East & New Western Partnership

The Foundation of Western Economic Development 10847878_804895662123_8172244044740078784_n

It shouldn’t be a surprise to the east of the rise of economic prosperity of western Canada. Our nation is already very vast with plenty of resources and economic opportunity throughout however the Western Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan have taken things to another level with the New Western Partnership.  And  it hasn’t got as much attention as you would think but the Energy Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) proves how ahead of the game and serious the region is on taking a leadership role in regards to policy and economic development framework of a National Energy Strategy for Canada on a provincial and federal level. They have exercised there provincial powers to attract global investment into strengthen there individual and regional economies. The east can learn a thing or two in regards to co-operation, I can’t help but feel for  Atlantic Canada with the exception of New Newfoundland & Labrador  the mainland has become under stress as old established communities continue to fight tough economic and demographic trends that don’t weigh in their benefit. A monumental and historical commissioned study/report titled Now or Never: An Urgent Call to Action for Nova Scotians commendably does an excellent job of highlighting these challenges, and it is encouraging because it seems to put an emphasis on taking appropriate action and does not sugar coat the facts.  Continue reading →

The Morning Vow

 

The following passage is from the Book titled The Carpenter. I read an article by Geoffrey James via Inc Magazine a few months ago and have found it very inspirational. Each morning I read the passage below and can’t help but feel the power of positive thought when reciting it.  I’ve wanted to share this for sometime however have been so busy the last few months I have not gotten the chance until now. I hope you might find it empowering and it has as positive affect on you as it has for me. 

positive-thinking-b Continue reading →

Western Mission Complete

Ottawa_-_ON_-_Parliament_Hill

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

Today is Canada Day, I feel it is very appropriate to deliver this post on the Nations birthday, I feel more nationalistic than ever before. Like many of my peers and friends who live and work in the major urban centers of our country like Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Halifax the focus today is all about uniting under one flag, one country, and one land. It is a time when provincial rivirialies and regionalism is set aside and we celebrate the amazing opportunities, freedom and beauty our country has to offer the world, we are an example of how modern civil society should function,where democracy and liberty reign as the core values of who we are as a people, “True North Strong and Free!”

I left Ottawa, Ontario roughly  a year ago today. I went to discover and understand the depths of the Canadian Energy sector, a business move that turned extremely personal. My work in the office led me into the field, a strategic and rational decision considering the reality of the economic landscape of Ontario. I wanted to know what was so special about Alberta it was a tremendously powerful learning opportunity and I took advantage with the support of my friends, family and loved ones. Living in the Nation’s Capital you really start to feel a sense of Nationalism, and although we are a Civic Nation unlike our American cousins to the south, I wanted to know more about Canada’s deep wealth of energy that was stored beneath the ground, I knew that if I was going to truly become an expert on the topic I should have the necessary credentials, experience, and knowledge to truly understand what is going on and that is why I choose the Trade of Pipefitting, a trade that ranked a respectable 23 out of 50 top jobs in Canada according to Canadian Business Magazine 2013 survey.  I had simple questions such as; are the “Oil Sands” developments in Fort McMurray an evil place of greed, deceit and environmental destruction? Or a wonder of human ingenuity, engineering, and scientific discovery?  The answer is personal depending on your cultural learned values and or perspective but having been on the ground I feel Canada should be extremely proud of it’s responsible energy development. The opportunities that will be available for individuals who take personal responsibility for their own welfare and diversify their labour skill set to enhance their standard of living especially over the next 30 years is incredible.  Alberta is expected to grow from a province of 4M today into 7M+ by 2050, that is still less than the population of the Greater Toronto Area alone, however an incredible influx of people nonetheless which will drive further growth and business in many different sectors.   Continue reading →

Emotional Freedom and The Self

“If you truly want to be happy in life, you should tie it to a goal not to people or objects” – Alberta Einstein

Peace in Oneself 

Who are you? A simple question that many find difficult to answer, our identities can be tied to many different things, in the field of entrepreneurship where ideas are encouraged, the “idea”, “concept” or outside projection can begin to influence who a person truly is. The key to overcoming being lost in any journey is to find a true sense of inner peace and self fulfillment within one’s own being. When you tie your happiness to an individual or object you will find that this feeling of happiness or sadness (emotion) is impermanent. When you tie your happiness to any independent source outside yourself, you have thus lost yourself and will in turn not be able to genuinely connect with other people. In business, trades, life in general it is all about relationships no matter the audience. I am starting to find that all too often the most important relationship that matter the most is ignored. This is the relationship within oneself, something that would seem elementary but that is easily forgotten especially when focused on impermanent ideas and concepts.  Continue reading →