Do you respond or react?

And, a list of things I feel are worth sharing.

We all fall for it at times.

For whatever reason, we react to something somebody says or does, and then we spiral from there - usually downwards.

We've been triggered, and our physiology kicks into fight or flight mode, and before we know it we are caught up in our own self-inflicted inner melodrama.

How long that lasts for depends on how equipped we are to deal with ourselves, and what inner tools we can call on to break the spiral.

A friend of mine said this to me the other day, and it made me giggle -

The only difference between reaction and creation is the way you 'c'.

The way you ‘c’.

Hmmm.

It's so simple, so clever, but so powerful.

The thing is, we have to 'c' ourselves in all our raw glory.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

We have to own it when we are being a dick.

We have to stop the blame game, stop projecting, and look inside ourselves to 'c' what we are really up to.

'In' is the only way 'out'.

And then we might be able to 'c' more clearly.

How do you currently 'c' things?

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Here are a few things I felt were worth sharing this week:

1. This article is a fascinating insight into the life of UG Krishnamurti, an enigmatic figure who offered a fresh perspective on both the theory and practice of philosophy or spirituality that challenged all the established wisdom of both the East and the West. A man well ahead of his time.

2. Superhumans: The remarkable brain waves of high-level meditators is an article on the findings of a study done by Psychologist Daniel Goleman and what he learned by studying the brain waves of Olympic-level meditators, his findings are unprecedented.

3. The Truman Show is one of my favourite films, and so prophetic of the world we find ourselves in now. It’s 25 years since it was released and in this interview the film’s screenwriter, Andrew Niccol, revealed he actually had a much darker ending intended for the movie.

4. One of my favourite newsletter is Letters Of Note by Shaun Usher. It is described as a compilation of history's most interesting letters, and every issue is filled with gold. In this one, Albert Einstein writes to his son, Emma Thompsom writes to her 16-year-old self, and a fan writes to Gregory Peck.

5. I finally watched the American Independent film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and thought it was absolutely brilliant. I don’t usually like things that are overhyped and so I resisted the film for a while but decided to take the plunge and was glad I did. It’s a mind-boggler, completely barking mad, but very entertaining and thought-provoking.

6. Classic but often forgotten tracks from 1990 that I revisited this week.

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Thanks for reading!

My new book, B7965 - A boy called Szmulek: A man named Sam, is out NOW!. It’s a powerful memoir of my unexpected year-long journey with a Holocaust survivor. I’m super proud of it and very passionate about sharing Sam’s incredible story and getting it out into the world. I truly believe this is a very important story and one that the world needs to hear more than ever right now.

Also, if you like great music, please check out my radio station, The Buzz Mcr. We don’t do ad-breaks, news, weather, and travel. The music never stops. We have a thing called our Three Song Trust Policy, it’s like the old Pepsi challenge only with music. Try us, I think you’ll like us.

With love

Rik

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