It is simple to be a Witness in a beautiful garden. It is simple to be a witness in an Ashram, a temple, a spiritual course, but what about being a witness in all our actions in the middle of LIFE?
Let us witness and let us act. Playfully since this is great fun after all. All of us have our heroes, our examples and role models. They represent some of our "wanted" attitudes, ideas, philosophies, dress codes, and behavior, ideal imagines and ....... whatever.
We follow their life’s, read their stories and gossip and before we know we try to be like them. The emptiness we feel inside is replaced by what we would like to be, instead of acting from our own authentic selves. It is possible that we (think) we know more about our ideal personifications than about ourselves. That is hillarious!
I talked about myself showing my critical mind, shadow parts, first of all for myself but secondly since I believe that all people we like seem to have them. I am convinced they have all what I talked about. I have the impression that they do not speak about their own difficulties, challenges and this gives the impression that they on average are much better people. I doubt that this is true and I want to write about the negative side effects.
When we over emphasize on the positive sides of people only, it gives wrong impressions. The consequence of this is that we as “normal” people think that we can never reach that supreme state. We keep our heroes outside ourselves, admire them and we do not have to do something ourselves, since we “believe” that we can never reach the level they represent. Does that sound (un)familiar? This is what happens all the time. If our heroes would share their own personal stories, not only after they found (or pretend) having all the answers, it would be a much stronger message and much more helpful.
I really like Paulo Coelho first of all since he is an excellent author but even more important I like his search for truth, meaning and most of all because he is able to express what is alive in him. I recognize myself not only in his stories, but as well in his experiences.
I could find myself travelling by train through Russia, having a horrible headache and trying to convince myself that it must have had reasons that I am doing this to myself. I love the fact that he is explaining some of his emotions. It is not only me that is thinking in places: “How the heck did I end up here, in this place, with these people. Let me get drunk.” It seems that some of our heroes never had that. They were born “enlightened”? I do believe that they were born enlightened and I am sure all of us are. It seems that we just forgot about it.
If you look around, you can find a face of God in each thing, because He is not hidden in a church, in a mosque, or a synagogue, but everywhere. As there is no one who lives after seeing him, there is also no one dying after seeing him. Who finds Him, stays forever with him.
As I explained I receive(d) many phrases, messages, imagines, poems and I love the wonderful intentions. Many times I feel supported and smile when I read some of them while starting a new day or at the end just before bedtime. I discovered the incredible possibilities of connection via social-media. The rest of the nation is our neighbor and it is amazing to be connected with people all over the world.
Some of them make me reflect and think, others touch my heart. Although I love reading them and I trust that most of the people that send them, live them. I hope and wish this is the case, since what sense does it make to send imagines, sentences, messages and not living them. It is about the true nature of the messenger and not about the message.
Sometimes I have the feeling that the world is divided in certain groups of people: the ones that are excellent, remarkable and on the other hand we find the stupid, cheap or maybe even worse, the ordinary people.
I received a message and I want to express my feelings and emotions about it.
Honesty is a very expensive gift; do not expect it from cheap people" Warren Buffett
I am not sure that he really said that, but nevertheless I want to share with you what I thought:
“Why is this person expressing such horrible words?” Why should honesty be expensive? Are their cheap people in “our” world and who are they? I travelled around the world and I was very fortunate to meet many honest people. How comes Warren Buffet is surrounded with liars? It seems that some of us have very different experiences. Is Warren Buffett always honest? Is he never pretending? It might be that he, in his opinion always tells the truth, but how does he know that what he is saying is indeed always honest? At least I found one phrase that doubts his truthful or honest intentions. What are cheap people? It truly bothers me. What if there are indeed cheap people, what are we going to do with them? Ignore them, exclude them, or kill them? What are we going to do when we really think that cheap people exist?
I read an article in the Big Issue:
By John Chalmers
Luxury leather goods sold across the world are produced in a slum area of Bangladesh’s capital where workers, including children, are exposed to hazardous chemicals and often injured in horrific accidents, according to a recent study. None of the tanneries packed cheek by jowl into Dhaka’s Hazaribagh neighbourhood treat their waste water, which contains animal flesh, sulphuric acid, chromium and lead, leaving it to spew into open gutters and eventually the city’s main river.“Hazaribagh’s tanneries flood the environment with harmful chemicals,” said Richard Pearshouse, author of the Human Rights Watch report. “While the government takes a hands-off approach, local residents fall sick and workers suffer daily from their exposure to harmful tannery chemicals.” “While the government takes a hands-off approach, local residents fall sick and workers suffer daily from their exposure to harmful tannery chemicals.”
Pearshouse told Reuters ahead of the release of the study that at least 90% of the leather and leather goods produced in Bangladesh come from Hazaribagh, a foul-smelling area where up to 15 000 people are employed in tanneries. It is a rapidly growing source of export income for the poor South Asian country, worth US$663 million in financial 2011/12, with China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, Spain and the United States the main buyers. “Foreign companies that import leather produced in Hazaribagh should ensure that their suppliers aren’t violating health and safety laws or poisoning the environment,” he said. Bangladesh’s industry minister, Dilip Baura, said the government was aware of the pollution and health hazards in Hazaribagh, but they will be tackled under a plan to relocate the tanneries to an area outside Dhaka by mid-2013. Human Rights Watch said the move to a dedicated site outside the capital was originally planned for 2005, but the deadline was missed due to bureaucratic delays. Also, the government High Court order to relocate the tanneries outside Dhaka and then ignored the order when the extension lapsed, it said.
“Hazaribagh is a glaring example of how indifferent governments can be towards citizens,” said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.
“We raised the issue several times with the authorities, made protests against the deplorable conditions out there but no government took any positive steps to address them. Relocation of the tanneries is on the cards, but the government is delaying it, apparently to appease tannery owners and ensure them maximum benefits,” she said.
Pearshouse, who conducted 134 interviews during five months of research in Dhaka, said the air and soil were “incredibly contaminated” in Hazaribagho. He saw residents of the slum bathing in ponds that were black with pollution.
He saw residents of the slum bathing in ponds that were black with pollution
He also found that children, some as young as 11, were employed by tanneries for around 1 000 taka (US$12.30) a month. They were engaged in hazardous work, such as soaking hides in chemicals, cutting tanned hides with razor blades and operating dangerous machinery.
Bangladesh exports both raw leather and finished leather products, mostly footwear, including high-end fashion shoes.
Who are the cheap people in this case? If we would ask some of the workers whether they like their jobs, how do you think they will respond? Could it be that they will pretend that they like their work, their circumstances, since it might be that not having a job is worse? Are they honest? Could it be that Warren Buffett has not have a clue what is going on in certain parts of the world? Are there indeed Superior people? Are certain people closer to GOD?
I listen and read about what people say and I feel often very surprised. They talk about their “extra-ordinary” lives. Is there any life that is not extraordinary? Are the rich and famous more extra-ordinary? What if we think this is the case what are we going to do? Exploitation, suppression, slavery, death penalties and who has the final decision? The Superior people? Who are they?
“The whole world” talks about Lance Armstrong. From hero to “cheap” person? How come that I feel pain when I think of this tragedy? He was not honest but who was? The whole culture was about competition and winning. Nike: "Due to the seemingly unsurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him. Nike does not condemn the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in any manner". AMEN
Nike plans to continue support of the Livestrong initiatives created to unite, inspire and empower people affected by cancer.
Nike: You never KNEW? I am sorry but I do not believe a word. I cannot believe that Nike never had doubts, that Nike never had thoughts. How come that “outsiders” were suspicious? Nike, I am sorry but I think you KNEW.
Why is it Nike, that you do not support Lance Armstrong in this for him difficult situation. Afraid of not selling enough shoes or other "stuff"? Afraid of the public opinion? What is wrong with the following message: "We as Nike are proud of the performances of Lance Armstrong. We watched him and embraced him. We still want to support him since we were never really interested in the story behind his succes. We never asked questions since we did not want to know. We never thought that it could be used against us. If Lance Armstrong is guilty WE ARE". Is NIKE cheap?
Nike: Hopefully you know what happens with the leather producing people in Bangladesh!!! Hopefully I am not waering shoes made in Bangladesh.
As somebody born in The Netherlands I learned of the existence of Tanja Nijmeijer in Colombia.
I would like to learn more of her story. How is it possible that a beautiful young woman from the Netherlands ends up as a member of the FARC in Colombia. Is she cheap? When the Twin Towers in New York were attacked most people, me included, were devastated. I cried for weeks. Could not stop crying. I felt pain in my heart, my body and I prayed that we as human beings would be able to stop this madness. The Government of the United Stated had a possibillity to show the world that this horrible event would lead to peace but unfortunately they responded with more violence. The fundaments of their believe system were attacted and the reaction resulted in more aggression and war. Could it be that what Tanja experienced in Colombia as well shook her fundamental believe system? Is her response more violent than what a whole nation did in Irak? How comes that I hope that Tanja will be able to reunite with her family. I hope she will never end up in a prison in the United States. Before you have a wrong impression: I do not like weapens at all. I do not think that violence is an answer or response. I open windowns to have insects out of my house. I think that the weapen industry made many innocent victoms and some people turned rich due to the deaths of others. I am not smoking, I do not do drugs, but when I read the horrible circumstances of a majority of people, I do not understand that I do not empty a whole bottle of Wodka. Sometimes it is more "normal" to end up addicted and "stoned" in this madness created by human kind.
People ask me quite often what I think of Muslims and the Arab World. I always respond as following:
"I trully believe that the Islam is a magnificient religion and has many remarkable and wonderful devotees but unfortunately it has, as all other religions, some very sick representatives". I would love to see the incredible rich Islamic Arab countries contributing to a more sustainable and equal economy".
Little precious girl. I hope and wish that you are protected. I hope and wish that love will be the guidence on your journey. I hope and wish you will learn about peace, respect and compassion. I am sure you will. Inshallah.
I was watching a video in which Richard Branson was “acting”.
Insiders know that I really like him and what he is doing. I feel that he represents the Magician, the one that is able to turn everything into Gold. I smiled, watched and listened. At a certain moment Richard Branson was explaining that he was thinking of a SAFE PLACE for BRILLIANT MINDS and I thought: “I did not know that he was a Witness of Jehovah”. I am sorry this is indeed very cynical. How is it possible that he has thoughts like these? It is an old pain. PARADISE for a HAPPY FEW.
Imagine the world is coming to an end. Fortunately there is a SPACE SHUTTLE, but unfortunately for most of us, we do not have an entrance ticket showing our brilliance.
EXCLUSION
DEATH
When I worked for a multinational, we had a bunker that could be used by “important” people in times of war and in case of a nuclear disaster. I always found it ……??? I do not have words to express myself. I imagined a horrible nuclear war and we all know that most of us will die. I thought: “Who are the people that will survive? Who are the ones that want to be in that bunker? Which group do I want to be part of? The survivers? Leaving other people behind? Telling others: Sorry, you are not brilliant enough”. Could it be that I prefer to die?
I imagine the brilliant minds in a SPACE SHUTTLE leaving some of their children behind, since not all their children will have inherited brilliant minds. Some of the brilliant mind children will start crying and screaming: “I want my friends to be safe. We have to take them with us. I do not want to leave without them”. How do I know? Since I feel already miserable leaving pets behind.
Why do we always want to be superior to GOD, the GREAT MYSTERY? How come we still think in competition, in hierarchy, in superiority? How come we are unable to transform into people that truly care about others, everybody included?
As an Actor I write about it. As a Witness I smile about Human Kind. The Actor and the Witness are one and the same person. I am a Witness in Action.
Comments