Brave New World – the Book

Brave New World by Aldus Huxley was part of my high school curriculum so I was forced to read it in my youth.   It is more than 30 years since I read Brave New World and such was the impression upon me that I remember it surprisingly well till this day.  I also remember it being one of the hardest books to get into as I struggled with the first chapter or so trying to follow multiple conversations of the different characters being introduced into the story.

Once into the book I was fascinated by the dystopia Huxley described where on surface all the world problems had been solved and finally everyone was happy.  The scariest thing about this dystopia was that it seemed to work and there was no opposition to it nor could one develop.

A world where everyone belonged to everyone and nobody belonged to anybody. This was achieved by removing the function procreation from individuals and assigning it to the state.  Babies are no longer born but genetically engineered and decanted from test tubes. 

The practice of eugenics and cloning is used to create a caste system with members naturally predisposed to their role in society and re-enforced further by conditioning including constant subliminal instructions from birth to be happy with their role.

Sexual promiscuity is promoted and even taught to young children.  Forming long term relationships is frowned upon and considered unhealthy.  Emotions are kept under control with voluntary doses of Soma drug to modulate feelings.    There is even a new religion with Henry Ford as the figurehead admired as the father of modern mass production.

Brave New World – the Movie

I recently became aware that a 1998 movie had been made and was very curious to see it.  I finally got a copy and just finished watching it.  I found it generally disappointing as it failed to present the same believable model of the dystopia I had read in the book.

Visually the movie was disappointing and unconvincing.   The movie is meant to be set far in the future after the death of Ford and devastating World Wars that resulted in the setting up of a world government, but the technology shown was at best contemporary and in many cases already dated.

The clothing was also very dated with a mix of contemporary and retro 60s.   In one scene the World Controller had on a bright orange suit with huge chunky orange beads and would have looked in place on a set for Austin Powers.

The movie only superficially covered the caste system and neglected the cloning aspect among the lower castes.   At one point in the movie a Delta Tea lady is asked if she is happy to be a Delta and she confirms she is using a programmed response from her conditioning.   To my mind she looked far too normal and unconvincing compared to glazed eyed moronic Delta I expected to see.

There were changes to the characters and story line also that I think detracted from the believability.

In the book Bernard is socially inapt but desperately wants fit in.  He is physically shorter than other Alpha plus caste members and there are rumours that alcohol was accidently administered to his test tube this being a method employed to stunt the growth of Epsilons. 

The rivalry between Bernard and his boss culminating in a plot to kill Bernard using a reconditioned Delta are additions not found in the book.  While this made the characters far more human by our standards they are inconsistent with the socially conditioned members of Brave New World where such personal rivalry and aggression would be alien concepts.  

In my opinion there is too much missing from the movie and it fails to deliver the believable vision of a dystopia that Huxley wanted to warn us about.   I suggest skipping the movie which is very forgettable and reading the book.

One of my interests this year has been quantum physics and there is a term used when referring to the universe that has caught my imagination – Infinite Possibilities.

At first it seemed to me to be just another buzz word in the amazing mix of ideas that quantum physics explores but it kept popping into my head and slowly its real meaning started to hit me. It is an idea so exciting with so many ramifications that you will never see the world the same way again.

A month ago I came across and audio program of the same name by Mike Dooley and I knew I had to listen to it. Mike was actually featured in The Secret and has been running a website for many years with what he calls the adventurers club. The concept being that life is an adventure. He also has a mailing list called Notes from the Universe which I have been subscribing to for some time.

So I downloaded it aware that it would not really be on the topic of quantum physics but related none the less.

I have actually listened to a lot of material from many of the world’s most renowned motivational speakers and the messages of many are similar. From each I can usually gleam a new insight or some clarification of a topic I am already familiar with.

Watch this Youtube video of Mike talking about his Notes from the Universe

The 12 hour audio program Infinite Possibilities from Mike knocked my socks off. For me it was a lot more than a few more insights and some clarification – it actually helped me put some important jigsaw pieces for the puzzle of like together. Everything has started to make a lot more sense.

Many programs can be motivational and inspirational but this was enlightening and liberating. If you are interested in Mike’s message in the above video or perhaps already familiar with him in The Secret then you are here to take your next step on your road to understanding. You are here to discover Infinite Possibilities.

I came across the teachings of Abraham who is one of the original exponents of the Law of Attraction some time ago.   At first I assumed it was just more about the law of attraction but there is more to it than that.

Abraham is not a person but rather ARE non-physical entities that communicate through Esther and jerry Hicks.   Esther claims to channel  these entities from source energy from which we all originate.   She describes what she is doing as tapping into “infinite intelligence” which is the same term that Wallace Wattle used in the last century to describe much the same concept.   

Here is a summary of some of the major concepts of Abrahams teachings:

• You are a physical extension of that which is non-physical.
• You are here in this body because you chose to be here.
• The basis of your life is freedom; the purpose of your life is joy.
• You are a creator; you create with your every thought.
• Anything that you can imagine is yours to be or do or have.
• You are choosing your creations as you are choosing your thoughts.
• The Universe adores you; for it knows your broadest intentions.
• Relax into your natural well-being. All is well.
• You are a creator of thoughtways on your unique path of joy.
• Actions to be taken and money to be exchanged are by-products of your focus on joy.
• You may appropriately depart your body without illness or pain.
• You can not die; you are everlasting life.

I had seen references from time to time about Abraham being included in the first release of the secret but later removed by Rhonda Byrne for some reason.  I had suspected that maybe Rhonda decided that using “Abraham” would be too way out there when many of the ideas of the secret were already going to challenge people.  It turns out this was just my own speculation.

First the “The Secret” Original Intro with Esther Hicks and deleted scenes:

Next Abraham – via Esther Hicks – explains why there are two versions of “The Secret” DVD and why Abraham is no longer in the video. Recorded live at a 2007 Abraham-Hicks workshop

I recently used a quote by Nietzsche and got me thinking about how often he is quoted by people that have never read any of his works.  Most using quotes by him probably do not even know much about his life.

In my youth I did read two of his works; Thus Spoke Zarathustra and The AntiChrist and both made a deep impression on my thinking.  He was an amazing thinker greatly misunderstood and maligned.  

His book The Anti-Christ was written over 100 years ago and completely debunked practiced Christianity. 

I did a quick search and found a copy of the work online
http://www.mv.helsinki.fi/home/tkannist/E-texts/Nietzsche/AntiChrist.htm

There is one passage in that book that defines Christianity as

a revolt of all creatures that creep on the ground against everything that is lofty: the gospel of the “lowly” lowers . . .

This is a slightly different translation to what I read but the basic meaning is the same and greatly influenced my view of Christianity for many years after.

I viewed Christians as a mass of sheep resentful of anyone that dared to think for themselves and not meekly follow a doctrine designed subordinate and control the masses.  I understood exactly what Karl Marx mean when he said that Religion is the Opium of the people.

Christianity proclaims that the meek shall inherit the earth.  I could not accept that mediocrity should be rewarded above endeavour and achievement.  It did seem like a concept thought up by those resentful of those who were aloft.

I also disliked the images of Christianity with Jesus being crucified on the cross.  In contrast are the images of the beautiful and powerful Greek gods and I wondered why we were asking to worship such a pitiful image.  Of course we are told that Jesus died for our sins, the concept of original sin is an idea I disdain.  The focus on the glorification of suffering, and suggestion that we are put here on earth to suffer and through suffering we will be closer to God is another idea I still totally reject.

In his Thus Spoke Zarathustra Nietzsche announced to the world that the concept of God is dead and is written in parables to mimic the bible.  I read the book twenty years ago and don’t remember the details but Nietzsche suggests man as at a dangerous crossing with an abyss below and on the other side is the overman.  What we can evolve to when we overcome ourselves.

This concept of the overman was hijacked by Nazi Germany who adopted and perverted the works of Nietzsche making it the state Philosophy and promoting the idea of the overman as the Aryan.   

In the last decade of his life Nietzsche suffered mental illness and was in the care of his sister who just returned after her husband Forster, an extreme right wing racist, committed suicide in Paraguay where he was trying to establish an Aryan colony.   The sister influenced by extreme right wing ideology edited and distorted the last writings of her brother under the title A Will To Power.

So how do I feel today about Christianity?   I think for me it was a case of throwing out the baby with the bath water.  There are some very negative things in Christianity but there is much more “good”.

There is also the YOU SEE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR factor.   If you have an idea or belief you continually look for “proof” to support your idea and if it happens to be a belief in negative aspects of Christianity then that is what you will see in abundance.   If you look for good in Christianity you will find it in even greater abundance.  It’s all to do with what we focus on and I no longer focus on what is negative.  Subsequently my view of Christianity today is far more positive these days.

Despite the positive idea of the overman which was more along the lines of reaching a state of enlightenment much of Nietzsche’s works and ideas focus on negativity.  I doubt I will read anymore Nietzsche but as an original thinker he is to be admired.

Just over a week ago I had to deal with some very negative things that brought back a lot of bad memories and feelings related to being separated from my infant child.  Around the same time I observed a small child about the same age struggling to take his first steps and thought that my child too would be learning to walk by now and I was missing it.  The realization was like a knife stabbed into my heart. 

I also realized that these feeling were not helpful to anyone least of all me.  I resolved that it was time to fully let go.   Not of my love for my child or my expectation (note I do not use the word hope) to be reunited with him one day.  Just of anything that connected me with the negativity of the past year.  This included a decision to turn off the other blog. 

Well this past week has been a major mile stone for me.  A week ago when I resolved to fully let go I really did not appreciate what that entailed.  The last week has been amazing.  I have been overwhelmed by feelings of well being and happiness.  In fact more than that.  LOVE.

It occurred to me that the feelings I have had this past week are probably similar to what a born Christian feels when they believe they are filled with the spirit of Jesus. 

I have deliberately created my own state of euphoria.  I decided to be happy and have made my own happiness.  So is it real some might ask.  Am I in some delusional state of denial of reality? 

What is real?  Is the born again filled with the spirit of Jesus experiencing a more real happiness – from the point of view of a born again they are.  How about a drug addict getting a fix…is their state of euphoria more real or less than mine?   How do you validate happiness?

Years ago I read a short book by John Kehoe called the Practice of Happiness.  It was an inspirational book filled mainly with anecdotal stories but in his book he revealed the secret of happiness.  The secret is so simple that many would dismiss it and even ridicule it.   The secret is to just decide to be happy. 

We really are talking about the power of thoughts to control and direct your state of mind.  I have been working on my happiness for a few months now and avoiding focussing on the negativity.   I did not expect it to be so powerful.   

Another surprise is that there is no room for any feelings of anger and hatred.  They are gone.  There is nothing there anymore.

No one has ever hurt me so deeply and been as vindictive and nasty as my ex-girl friend and mother of my infant son.  At first I thought she was just under the control of the drug addict psychopath who also got her addicted to crystal-meth.  I then came to realize that she was a very active accomplice in many the dastardly deeds perpetrated by the psychopath.  My hurt turned to anger and eventually I even tried to hate her. 

Now if I look at her picture I feel only pity and feelings of love for her.  Not love as before but a compassionate love.  I am also aware that I hurt her deeply and made mistakes and while I don’t believe that my actions can justify what she did to me I accept my responsibility in allowing this psychopath into our lives.  I realize my ex-girl friend is a victim despite her active complicity in games of the psychopath.  So I will help her as well as my child once the Psychopath has abandoned them as I know he will.

If I look at a picture of the Psychopath who deliberately caused me so much pain and suffering the feelings of extreme animosity are also gone.  My feeling is more of indifference and detachment.  I realize how pathetic and sad this person is.   He is only in his mid 30s and already a chronic alcoholic and drug user.  I have also learnt about his estrangement from his family who have not seen or heard from him for more than four years.  My only reservation is that he will continue to hurt everybody that he comes into contact with. 

As for my day to day living, they are seldom in my thoughts.  I do think of my infant son but focus on feelings of love for him and knowing that he is ok.  I miss him.  I know that in the future circumstances will change enabling me to again be part of his life.

The quote “That which does not kill us makes us stronger” by Nietzsche comes to mind after reflecting upon the events of the previous year.  I am definitely stronger as a result of my experiences. 

No one will ever be able to hurt me again nor will I simply react to circumstances allowing them to determine my emotional states.  I am in control as never before.  I am becoming the active creator of my own life and can direct my emotional states.  I now take full responsibility for my life and that also means I have full power.

So in some ways my encounter with the Psychopath was one of serendipity.

I have been reading some articles by critics of the Law of Attraction. I found a few of particular interest.

The first is titled “Why the Law of Attraction is Wrong, But Why It Still Works” and is found on the Zen Habits forums from Leo.

Leo basically says that the LOA system can work because it encourages people to follow a three step process.

The first step in the process starts with a person actually stating very specifically what he/she wants, which is something Leo acknowledges most people don’t do.

The second step in the process is that it encourages people to focus (think about, visualize, use affirmations etc) on what they want.

The third step in the process is that as a consequence of completing the first two steps people will take action to make it happen. 

This last step actually contradicts the LOA in some ways as the LOA suggests that we just believe and wait to receive and let the universe work in its own mysterious way to manifest our desire.  

Leo’s basic contention is that the LOA is wrong but the people who practice LOA might get results because they follow steps that result in action that helps make their stated desire a reality.  Leo suggests that the final step of taking action naturally follows on from the first two steps and the combination of these will, more likely than not, make desire or goal come true.  This is a logical interpretation of what might be occurring and removes any mystic or cosmic force from the equation.

Leo also rejects the idea that our thoughts can go out into the physical world and can influence it saying that there is no scientific evidence to support the LOA theory and is not scientific.

While I agree with Leo that the LOA is just a theory and cannot be scientifically proven or disproven I disagree with Leo that thoughts cannot influence the physical would. 

The title of this site is the Power of Thoughts and my belief in their power, that they are real forces that extend beyond the limitations of our mind within our physical bodies, is not based on a faith or desire to believe in Supreme Being or cosmic force.  It comes from my own very logical analyses of my total life experience that includes all that I have learnt and observed. 

René Descartes stated “I think, therefore I am” as a starting point for confirming our existence.

Those that accept living their life within the apparent limitations of our physical world and only accepting that which can be scientifically proven are basically saying “I am, therefore I think”.

I will not even attempt to try to prove here the power of thoughts.  I will just say that for me there is just way too much unexplained phenomenon that science has absolutely no explanation for.  There are so many documented cases involving identical twins, idiot savants etc.

I am willing to concede that the LOA might be wrong.  It might not work the way its proponents claim but it is based on ideas that should not be dismissed so quickly.

I have been reflecting further upon the subject of my last post with the advice I would give the person that there comes a time to let go. 

I am reminded of Sun Tsu who advised us to “choose your battles wisely” and “do not fight battles you cannot win”.

This really applies to the guy I wrote about in the last post.

I wonder why he has become so obsessed with attacking an organization.  What makes it pointless is that even if there was a chance of some sort of victory there is no prize waiting for either victor. 

He considers himself a whistle blower and in general I applaud anyone exposing corruption or wrong doing.  If he had a purpose or ultimate goal it is lost in the content of his vitriolic website and I suspect he has long since lost sight of it anyway. 

In contrast I recently saw a movie about an inventor who waged a 25 year war against a corporation that ripped off his invention.  The guy eventually won and received a huge payout and the recognition that he wanted.  Along the way the corporation had offered him several million dollars to settle but on principle he demanded acknowledgment for his invention. 

His great victory came at a high cost to his personal life and emotional well being. It cost him his job, this marriage and even his mental health as he spent some time in a mental asylum when he had a break down and became delusional. 

Was the 25 years of struggle worth it?  Well he did eventually win and received the recognition he wanted as well as massive financial compensation.  He also won a huge victory for the common man demonstrating that a goliath cannot just trample all over them without being challenged.  We can all be thankful that there are guys like him willing to fight for justice.  

I think most people would say his struggle was worth it despite the personal sacrifice, but do we really appreciate the true cost of that sacrifice.   Twenty five years is a large portion of the average person’s life and to spend that in a bitter and struggle and it would have taken a huge toll on his health and well being.  I am talking about 25 years of unhappiness. No amount of money or recognition can get that back. 

The movie is called a Flash of Genius and about Robert Kearns, Inventor of Intermittent Windshield Wipers who took on the Ford Motor company and others.  He died in 2005 of brain cancer complicated by Alzheimer’s disease at age 77.

Sadly despite the apparent vindication and $30 million dollar settlement he never got what he had sought from the beginning which was the chance to run a factory with his six children and build his wiper motors.  In 1990 he said “I need the money, but that’s not what this is about, I’ve spent a lifetime on this. This case isn’t just a trial. It’s about the meaning of Bob Kearns’s life.”

I have actually met another guy that fought and won a life long battle with a large corporation.   In this case a large Telecommunications company.  He actually won a $10 million dollar payout after the best part of 20 years and like Kearns it has taken a toll on this guys life.  

The victory and money has not brought him happiness.  He still wages the same war against the telecommunications company assisting others.  For him it is an obsession and one that does not seem to bring him much joy.

So back to the advice of Sun Tsu to choose your battles wisely and avoid those you cannot win.  It is my contention that you should also consider the cause, prize and ultimate cost of victory as there may be some battles you can win which may not be worth the effort.

With the battle I undertook I was able to re-evaluate with those considerations and make the decision to let go and allow things to run their natural course.  I have had professional advise that the psychopath will eventually lose interest and abandon my ex-girlfriend and child when there is no game to play.  I am sure this is a strategy Sun Tsu would approve of.

There is an ancient Wiken Rede that finishes “An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will”

This has always sounded good to me and to some extent I adopted it as one of my beliefs.

In hindsight I have hurt some people in relationships along the way all be it not intentionally. I know I have used the Rede as a justification for certain actions that have resulted in harm to others.

The problem is that we are not always able to assess the consequences and impact of our actions on others.

Most societies have laws that restrict the speed at which you can drive on particular roads. Most people understand and accept that these restrictions have been determined to minimize the possibility and severity of accidents.

Despite this individuals continue to speed. They do NOT do so in the belief that they will have an accident – to the contrary they believe they will not otherwise they would slow down.

They are making their own assessment in accordance with the Rede whether or not they have even heard of it.

I am often frustrated by laws which arbitrarily are set to work to the lowest common denominator in society. I resent being restricted or penalized because a law needs to take into account stupid people or other variables such as road condition.

So when it’s a beautiful clear day with virtually no other traffic on the road the temptation is to speed. The only thing that might persuade us against doing so is the threat of a penalty.

Without the laws restricting our speed it would be up to individuals to make their own assessment of what speed is safe which would be similar to following the Rede. I think most people already realize this would not work.

The principle behind the Rede is fundamentally good but there is a risk for it to be used as an excuse to be reckless and selfish.

This examination of the Rede was motivated by work I am doing within Attractor Genie as part of getting down My Vision, My Purpose, My Values and My Identity.

Before finding out about the Law of Attraction I had come up with my own law that was similar but not as comprehensive in its explanation of how things work.   I called it the law of expectation.

Put simply I had observed all my life that we generally got whatever we expected.   While people may have aspired or expressed a desire for something more, they actually only received what they felt they were worthy to receive. 

I concluded that most people put their expectations too low.   As children we have wonderful dreams and plans but these “unrealistic” notions are “educated” out of us as we get older.

I also saw our western Christian heritage as having a negative effect on many people’s expectations with its feelings of guilt and unworthiness. 

The law of expectation also seemed to explain why people born into wealth seem to be able to easily acquire wealth while those born into relative poverty stay there.

It also seemed that people that were oblivious to obstacles or otherwise not constrained by the concept of realistic expectations were able to achieve great things that “normal” people were not.  To my mind this further proved my law of expectation.  

I observed that it was a few that dared to dream and felt worthy of more that actually got more.   I concluded that all we needed to do was to raise our own expectations. 

This idea was playing in the back of my mind for a few years and I actually raised my own expectations in life and did get more in terms of better jobs, income and even my love life.

Then I was introduced to The Secret and realized that my law of expectation was just a part of the Law of Attraction that provided a far better explanation.   I was not completely wrong but there were vital parts missing.

My law of expectation is really the receiving part of the law of attraction.  The part where you believe and vibrate out to the universe what you really know it will give you.  

I have been reflecting back on my childhood and when I first became aware of the power of thoughts.
 
When in my teens I lived in a small city in the middle of a rural area in the mid 70s. The local radio station announced the arrival of a guy who would hold lectures on Mind Power.  There was to be a free introductory night and I convinced my mother to take me.  My older brother and his girl friend also came along.

The guy giving the talk was John Kehoe and what he had to say sounded very interesting but the price of attending the lecture was beyond my budget of my mother.

My brother and his girl friend did attend the lectures and were given audio cassette tapes of the 3 days of lectures they attended.   He let me make copies of the tapes.

I listened to these once or twice and then left him in my draw with dozens of other tapes.  A few years later I found them again and played them this time absorbing the content.

My approach to learning has always been very intellectual as opposed to practical by which I mean I thought about and pondered the information at a philosophical level but never attempted to put any of it in practice.  It did however impart on me a more positive outlook and attitude.
 
The ideas and concepts were digested and laid dormant for a decade or so while I struggled with life, getting married and raising kids like most people do.  I continued to ponder the meaning of life and explored other things that I will probably talk about in future posts.

I then discovered the tapes again when I was cleaning out my no longer used cassette collection and put them aside to listen too again.  I then searched John Kehoe up on the internet curious about what he was doing and found he had an active website and was still touring and selling books and tapes.
 
I purchased a few books and tapes online and picked up a copy of his book the Practice of happiness as well as listening again to the now 20 year old tapes.  The information they contained had not dated in any way.
 
I was a believer in most of what he said but still only intellectualized it not putting any of it into practice by doing the exercises.  The one benefit I did derive was to substantially reduce my own negativity and became a far more positive person.
 
After being introduced to The secret I have again revisited the original tapes of John from 30 years ago and in his teachings way back then are all the key components and ideas found in the The Secret and the law of attraction.  Rhonda Byrne never claimed that the ideas in the secret are new.

If you are not familiar with John Kehoe then visit his Learn Mind Power website  http://www.learnmindpower.com/   There is lots of good information there and if you do see a book or tape of interest do not hesitate to buy it.  It’s all good.

This phrase caught my imagination many years ago and is something I continued to contemplate from time to time.   When I decided to write about it here the first thing I did was too look up the quote and found a number of variations going back to twelfth century but the same basic idea. 

“We are like dwarfs standing [or sitting] upon the shoulders of giants, and so able to see more and see farther than the ancients.”
    – Bernard of Chartres, circa 1130

“Bernard of Chartres used to say that we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness on sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size.”
    – John of Salisbury, Metalogicon, 1159

“A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than a giant himself.”
    – Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621

“Dwarfs on the shoulders of giants see further than the giants themselves.”
    – Stella Didacus, Eximii verbi divini CONCIONATORIS ORDINNIS MINORUM Regularis Observantiae, 1622

“A dwarf on a giant’s shoulders sees farther of the two.”
    – George Herbert, Jacula Prudentum, 1651

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
    – Isaac Newton, letter to Robert Hooke, 1676

“Newton won the race in part because, as he put it, he had stood on the shoulders of giants and in part because he just happened to be the biggest giant of them all.”
    – Alan Cromer, Uncommon Sense: The Heretical Nature of Science, 1993

“In the sciences, we are now uniquely privileged to sit side by side with the giants on whose shoulders we stand.”
    – Gerald Holton

It is a metaphor for how we as individuals (dwarfs) can benefit from all those great minds that have gone before us (collectively a giant) by gaining great insight and understanding beyond what our own intellectual capacity and limited recourses would enable us learn in a life time.

The quote is most often attributed to Isaac Newton who would be considered by most to be a genius.  He saw himself as benefiting from those that came before him enabling a greater view.   

Today my basic understanding of many areas of physics and science would exceed that of Isacc Newton.   Would I profess to be smarter than him?   OF COURSE NOT.   I am a mere dwarf peaking over the shoulder of such giants and my view is only greater by virtue of all those that came after him.

Today we are in a unique position in history.   In the West at least we are no longer compelled to be prisoners of superstition and ignorance.  This is called the information age and there has never been more of it out there.  So much that most of suffer information overload. 

We all crave answers but most of us feel dwarfed by the amount of information and complexity of ideas out there.  It’s easier to live our lives in reactive mode as our forefathers have done before us.   Just go with the flow and do the best you can as circumstances seem to dictate.  This is exactly what most people will do.    

If you are reading thus far then you are not like most people.  You are searching for answers and will not be satisfied without trying to at least glimpse over the shoulder of giants.  Don’t be shy.   Don’t underestimate yourself of your ability to see further. 

Stand on the shoulders of giants and take a look but don’t let anyone put blinkers on you and limit your view.

I am not sure the direction this blog with take.  Will it be a self indulgence that I put up like a personal journal or a useful resource for others?  

To some extent I know it will be a journey of exploration and discovery.   I also envisage it as a focal point for my own Personal Development.

Thus begins my blog about the power of thoughts.