in this issue
Institute for Life Purpose
As many of you know, I've been involved in the forming of The Institute for Life Purpose this year. Myself and about 15 other people came together to create this. We're a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness around the question of 'What is Life Purpose?'
Our first event is coming up November 2nd. We're holding our First Annual Life Purpose Symposium. Putting this together has been a very exciting process. If you're interested in getting involved or attending, please feel free to contact me for further information.
Quick Links...
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| Dear Robert,
This is my new Newsletter. I'm trying out a new format, so I hope you like it. I'll be continuing to update the format over the next few months. Please look for my next newsletter in November.
All the best, Rob
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It's only Rock and Roll, but I like it!
The other day I was thinking about this pair of pants I had in 5th grade. They were awesome. They were my favorite pants in the whole world. They were some kind of plaid believe it or not. I loved those days of the week when I could wear those. If I had those pants on, I knew I was going to have a good day, and I did.
Looking back now, I realize that I probably wouldn't wear those pants today. The funny thing is that over time, our likes and dislikes change. I remember the first time I tried sushi. I was completely freaked out. I was about 16 at the time and had this friend who ate things like this. I couldn't believe I was going to put raw fish in my mouth. Then I tasted it and it wasn't too bad. Now just about everyone I know loves sushi.
Likes and dislikes are a lot of fun. That's where we find much of the richness in life. They can also be a source of trouble if left unchecked. In its worst form, having preferences is prejudice. That's no fun for anyone. But beyond that, having likes and dislikes that are too rigid can lead to having a very fixed relationship to our life. The name of the game is to play with them and keep them moving from time to time.
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Simple ways to explore likes and dislikes:(See 'Only Rock and Roll')
1. Paper cup. Take an ordinary paper cup or any other common object that you don't feel too strongly about one way or the other. Take a few minutes to absolutely love it. Imagine that paper cups are one of your most cherished objects. Take a break for a moment and then imagine that you hate this paper cup. In fact, you hate all paper cups and that they're the reason for everything that is wrong with the world. Take another break. Now look at the cup and just notice whatever you can about it. How big is it? What is the exact shape and color? How much liquid will it hold? Compare it to some other object near by? What does it have in common? What is different about it?
2. Think about someone that you like. What do you like about them? How do you feel while you're thinking about them? Now take a moment to like them even more. What's it like when you thing about them as your dearest friend? Take a break and imagine that you don't really like them that much. Keep this light, but simply imagine that you're not that fond of them at all. Notice how you feel now. Also notice what you had to do in your thinking to like them less.
Take a break and go back to thinking about all the things that you like about this person. Now notice whatever you can about them separate from liking or disliking. What do you notice about them? Maybe it's their height or age, or something about their interests. Now repeat this with someone that you dislike. It doesn't have to be your worst enemy, but someone that you don't like very much.
3. This week, try out some food or activity that you don't think is 'you.' Give it a good shot. Spend a little time finding out about it. What is the origin of this? What is some of the history? What do people like about it? Notice your reactions in trying this out. If you're really bold, try it out several times over a couple of days and notice if your feelings change.
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What I've been up to...
It's been a very busy summer and beginning of the fall. I'm in the middle of a 12 day training on how to model people with exceptional abilities. This is taking place over a 5 month period. During this time, we're each doing a project where we model someone with a great ability that we're interested in learning about.
Besides that, I've traveled a bit over the last few months. I spent a week in Ohio visiting a good friend and attending the wedding of my cousin Michael which was beautiful.
I also flew down to Fort Lauderdale with a buddy to pick up a great Mercedes that he bought. It's 30 years old but in beautiful condition. We then drove it straight to New York which took about 21 hours.
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Practice Building Teleclass
For several months now, I've been hosting a practice building teleclass for small business owners. If you would like to grow your business while others are doing the same, please join us.
Every week we touch on a different aspect of growing your business. Everyone has an opportunity to participate if they wish. We have a lot of fun and get a lot done.
This class is free and takes place once a week for an hour long conference call. Please contact me if you would like to join this class.
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