GEIFN: GEIFN | MIXING | Media

Best wishes for less Suffering, more Happiness with Good Health and Time to Enjoy it. Welcome to Thai Calendar year 2565.

Sharing a timely aspiration:
“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
Attributed to Buddhism (since 483 BCE to present)

If having no reason to celebrate this month, here are 3 prepared earlier:

1-7 February: Interfaith Week (International)
11 February: International Day of Women and Girls in Science (International)
20 February: World Day of Social Justice (International)

This is also a Re:volve edition.
From Middle English in the senses = turn (the eyes) back; restore; consider; from Latin revolvere:
re = again; express intense force
+ volve = roll, turn over, individual or reoccurring orbit

move, in a circle from a central axis. Ie, the ceiling fan revolved slowly
reliability: consistency, reoccurring predictably
Devotion. Ie, his life revolved around his wife's career
Reflection. Ie, her mind revolved the possibilities
decisive action. Ie, it was time for thoughts to revolve
Wish. Ie, the current document should revolve to an earlier iteration
motivation, determination. Ie, my actions revolved on the need to cause less Suffering

Remember, information may contain misunderstandings, deliberate omissions and complete fabrications. Accept nothing blindly. Test for usefulness, if useful keep, adapt for personal circumstances or if unuseful discard. Be your own guiding light.

The following monthly curation from publicly available information is offered below for consideration.

Topics

Guest Sings
Street Jives
Wisdom Reconciles
Media Writes
TED Talks
Music Challenges
Acknowledgments

Guest Sings

Approx 5 min presentation

The Wiggles - 'We're All Fruit Salad!’

Street Jives

Approx 2 min presentation

Sesame Street’s Elmo and Zac Efron: Patience

Wisdom Reconciles

Media Writes

Approx 5 min reads

Intro
Michael Dwyer explore self acceptance, knowing place and finding belonging, citing many why "‘I didn’t think anyone was gonna hear that album’: Why Mo’Ju almost gave up on a music career” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Sarah Berry, Julia Naughton, Sophie Aubrey, Melissa Singer, Nicole Economos and Samantha Selinger-Morris tried six meditation apps, sharing their experience, critique and "This is what we thought” via The Age

Gina Cherelus explores dating, nourishment and redflags, answering "What is ‘love bombing’?” via The Brisbane Times

Intra
Jono Lineen explores simple steps to clearing the head and welcoming breathing space, reasons behind "The remarkable science of walking’s feel-good effects” via The Age

Paul Rogers explores a time honoured method of communicating with presence, citing how "When my son and I needed a connection, chess became the answer” via The Brisbane Times

Jean-Claude Chalmet explores valuing, improving and enriching communication in "How to get your relationship back on track” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Inter
Nick O’Malley explores energy, sustainability and scaleability as "South Australia breaks record by running for a week on renewable energy” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Jon Pierik explores how understanding and acceptance leads to fairer representation of diversity among the rank and file, reasons why "Openly gay male players would be welcomed in the AFL: Selwood” via The Age

Sophie Aubrey explores change over time known as ageing, negotiations and love songs in "How do we age and can we ‘delay’ it?” via WA Today

Multi
Jane Hutcheon explores familiars, migration and bearing loss and absence, revealing why "Jane Hutcheon gets lost in the Shanghai of her mother’s childhood” via The Brisbane Times

Nick Galvin explores the power of lived experience, treading the boards between different worlds and bearing witness, revealing reasons why "Black Brass shows how it feels to be an African migrant in Australia” via The Age

Linda Kelsey explores life stages, loneliness and never being too old to make new friends in "How to find friends (and lovers) when you’re over 50” via The Sydney Morning Herald

All
Justine Hyde explores people, place, and prose when reviewing a new novel demonstrating a "Time of reckoning for a Native American woman” via WA Today

Gretchen Shirm explores childhood, self-responsibility and overcoming misogyny, reviewing a new collection of essays on "A mother’s love: why we always need it and what we get from it” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Stephanie Bunbury explores upbringing, addressing trauma and forging loving family, reviewing a new film revealing "Motherhood and massacre: Pedro Almodovar keeps a 45-year-old promise” via The Brisbane Times

Togather
Ute Junker explores how ongoing preservation efforts in natural environments are benefitting social media, with "Australian wildlife: Most popular Instagram posts and where to see the stars” via Traveller.com.au

Samantha Selinger-Morris explores individual busyness, misunderstandings and things said in anger, writing "‘How did we get here?’ After years of silence, Sharon fixed her relationship with her sister” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Linda Burney explores valuing listening, honesty and reconciliation, reflecting "Would a modern Australia choose January 26 to celebrate our nation?” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Nobly
Harold Thomas explores cultural identity, social activism and uniting for a brighter future, sharing why "I created the Aboriginal flag as a symbol of unity and pride” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Vince Rugari explores individual identity, bullying in the workplace and levelling the playing field, declaring "‘Love will always win’: Gay A-League star hits out at homophobic abuse” via The Age

Annie Whitlocke explores living, end of life and listening, revealing some of "What I’ve learned in 12 years as a Buddhist death doula” via The Age

TED Talks

5-20 min presentations

Music Challenges

Approx 30 min presentation + reflection times

If desired, a short selection of publicly available material on a chosen theme for personal reflection.

For best results, sit comfortably with a straight back, have headphones in a shared space, after each clicked link, allow a little reflection with your personally-held view before clicking on the next link.

Get ready to Reflect!
Choose your playing level:
Be introduced at 1.
Be soothed at 2-4.
Be shocked at 5.
Be inspired at 6.
Fuller illumination 1-6.
You be the judge. Or not.

Cryptic Clue:
What is an every day experience of an enduring quality?

Inspire
Perspire
Collaborate
Engage: Test for personal circumstances, if useful keep, if unuseful discard, if exceeds needs, share mindfully
Endure: Adapt for present times without sacrificing intent
Endear: (Inspiring Others To Tend the Flame) live/ demonstrate/ inspire/ teach experience with others

This challenge reflects on attributes of practice – prayer, meditate and scripture.

prayer
[prare]
From Middle English = ask earnestly; from Old French preiere, based on Latin precarius = obtained by entreaty; from late Latin precare, alteration of Latin precari = entreat.

a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or another deity. Ie, I'll say a prayer for them. Ie, the peace of God is ours through prayer.
an invocation or act of devotion that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication.
a religious service, especially a regular one, at which people gather in order to pray together. Ie, 10 people attended Friday prayers.
an earnest hope or wish. Ie, it is our prayer that the current progress on human rights will be sustained and a cure for COVID-19 is accessible for all.

meditate
[med’ih’tayt]
From mid 16th century; from Latin meditat- = contemplated, from the verb meditari, from a base meaning = measure; related to mete = measure out, dispense or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment

focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation. Ie, I set aside time every day to write and meditate. Ie, it was here that the monk spent much of the day reading and meditating on Scripture.
(Research and Discovery) consider/think deeply about (something). Ie, the employee went off to meditate on the new idea.
(Logistics) plan mentally; evaluate. Ie, they had suffered severely, and they began to meditate retreat.
(Buddhism) a mindful activity to awaken peaceful coexistence between practitioner, environment and activity in which mindfulness is not just cultivated but is. A ritual expression of wishes for success in the practice, a ‘workshop' to undertake the practice and testing-ground for helping all beings by consciously transferring all merit

scripture
[skript’cher]
From Middle English: from Latin scriptura = writings, from script- = written, from the verb scribere.

the sacred writings of a religion.
(Christianity) often Scripture or Scriptures, the sacred writings contained in the Bible. Ie, passages of scripture. Ie, the fundamental teachings of the scriptures.

[Practice]

Optional
-- Chant Mantrastyle

If prayer is described as "communing with the Divine", meditation might be felt as "communing in the Divine". If religions were a recipe book, scripture is the recipe but not in itself the destination. There are many recipes to suit different tastes, geographies and living styles. The destination is always universal in that the goal is to satisfy individual hunger. And once that is satisfied to grow surpluses that benefit the collective. And once that gets easier, to grow surpluses to benefit a greater number of beneficiaries until including all.

Why? Why not?
Start today.
As the case may be.
Or not.

Acknowledgments

Reconciliation

Acknowledging traditional inhabitants of Cities of Port Phillip and Glen Eira are the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation. Respect is offered to past, present and future elders of all spiritual traditions. May we find together a generous way to accommodate those in need of refuge. Let us be cool, strive individually and together to overcome inequality, violence, disengagement, tragedy and injustice wherever it may be. Let us honour, savor and enjoy results of mindful effort so more thrive peacefully with less effort in our place called home.

Invitation to Support Content Creators

The music/stories/videos have been sourced from public domain. If you like any of the content, please consider buying directly from online marketplaces to support creators and truth telling in the public interest.

Caretaker Disclosure

Words and concepts are conditional things that point to a 'reflection of experience'. They are limited and do not adequately describe the 'full lived experience'. Like the moon's reflection on a lake's surface, it is not the moon, nor the experience of gazing up at the darkened sky transformed by the presence of a full moon. It is in the eyes/ears/nose/mouth/touch/cognisance of the beholder.

This curation is an interpretation of the universal basis of re:lig:ion (Latin = again:uniting:energy). This email invites a sharing of countless thoughts, words and actions wishing, causing and receiving less Suffering and more Happiness. For benefit initially of the individual increasing in beneficiaries until it includes all across the 3 times and 10 directions. As each case may be. Or not.

It is not personal, it just the way things are.

NAVIGATION