Barefoot Doctor Bit: What’s the Line Between Ambition and Greed?
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Barefoot Doctor: “Ambition is an aspect of the driving force within to create something out of nothing and is intrinsic to the human condition, without which we wouldn’t have the technology to be communicating like this in the first place.
In itself it’s neither a good thing or a bad thing – it’s just a force.In following it, however, you have a choice between creating situations that will benefit everyone including yourself and situations that only benefit you to the detriment of others.
Greed is an aspect of the latter and is evident whenever your ambitions override your respect for the sanctity of the wellbeing of others, leading you to take what you want even though doing so is destructive for others.
When you chase your ambitions with an intention for the outcome to be universally beneficial, mindful of helping rather than hindering others as you go, you tend to naturally bring that about and that gives your life value. When you chase your ambitions with the sole intention of benefiting yourself even at the expense of and to the detriment of others you deprive your life of value.
This value is something you feel in your heart from moment to moment. A generous intention gives rise to an open, happy, loving heart. A greedy intention constricts your chest and makes you feel mean and isolated. An open heart gives rise to an expansive life full of love. A closed heart gives rise to a diminished experience full of fear. And you’re free to choose between them from moment to moment.”
Questions by Skrufff.
Barefoot Doctor’s new book, THE MESSAGE, vision for a new world, is now available in all formats via www.barefootmessage.com
Trackitdown 24 hour download sale (NOW)
Click on the picture to buy discount WAVS and MP3s
Our friends at Trackitdown.net are selling WAVS and MP3s at reduced prices for the next 24 hours right now and has asked us to give them a plug:
“For the next 24hrs all tracks on sale at Trackitdown.net are at TID Pro prices We want to give all music lovers the chance to be a Pro for the day,” said TID.
“All record labels receive their FULL return so this means fans can buy your music for £0.99 for Wav and £0.79 for 320MP3 and use the saving to discover more...”
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“TID Pro currently has hundreds of members and this number is growing. In these funny financial times, we see switched on fans being able to download much more music within their budget which has to be great for everyone…”
Barefoot Doctor; How Should you React to Those who Resent Favours?
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Barefoot Doctor: “This is a poignant one for me, being in the helping industry: occasionally when I’ve gone out of my way to help someone, generally above and beyond the call of duty, because their plight has moved me, rather than thank me, they wind up resenting me.
Push Enters the Simon Cowell/ Superstar DJ Debate
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Sure, we’re going overboard a little this week on the Simon Cowell story but it’s sparking debate all over the place, so why not? Skrufff contributor Push (famed as the man who founded seminal EDM magazine Muzik) is curiously ambiguous…..
Push; “I’m both disturbed and intrigued by the news that Simon Cowell is preparing an “X Factor”-style TV talent show for DJs.
I suppose I shouldn’t really be surprised that Cowell wants to extent his already excessive influence over another area of the music industry – and funnel more money into his bank account along the way – but he’s a wee bit late in his assertion that “DJs are the new rock stars”. Err, Simon, people have been saying that for well over 20 years . . .
Barefoot Doctor Bit: When Should You Decide to Settle for Less?
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Barefoot Doctor: “It’s not that you have to settle for second best at any time. You have to trust that what manifests for you is the best on offer at that time and while it may fall short of long-held dreams, accept it graciously as a step along the way to their fulfillment.
Barefoot Doctor Bit; How Can You Learn to Let Go of Vanity?
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Barefoot Doctor : “Everyone has a narcissistic side – it’s not only intrinsic but essential to the human condition – the look-at-me, look-at-me aspect of the psyche, that part of us that wants to impress. We need it to make a face for ourselves so we can make a contribution to the world.
But as time goes by, you get to realize that what gives your life value and meaning is not how good others think you look, neither in the way you appear nor the way you behave, but from the quality of the love you’re injecting into the collective mix in any given moment. And of course from the quality of the love you’re receiving in return.
Because ultimately, that’s what everybody wants, what everybody needs: love. That’s why everyone wants to look good, and to look like they know what they’re doing. That’s why people want to impress others. They want love.
Barefoot Doctor Bit; How Can You Become More Self-Disciplined?
Barefoot Doc; click for more
Barefoot Doctor: “I started studying martial arts and meditation at 11 – that was 46 years ago, and have practiced every day ever since.
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The benefits are huge and keep growing – physical, mental and emotional strength, flexibility, resilience endurance, equilibrium and confidence to name but a few. I often give thanks for that, as I know it would be hard to acquire the discipline to do so as an adult, once all the pressures of life accrue and you get more calcified in your ways. But it’s possible.
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Eventually the penny drops that if you want to be on as good form all the time as you can possibly be, you have to acquire the self-discipline to do your own version of some sort of benign daily practice. And as soon as you’re clear about this basic equation and make a firm agreement with yourself to uphold it, the willpower to discipline yourself arises naturally from that.
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However I believe the biggest mistake people make is setting their daily goal too high. Far better to commit to doing merely 4 minutes each morning as that’s easy to do and keep up, than committing to an hour or even just 30 minutes a day, which if you’re not used to it, once the novelty wears off, is easy to relegate to the back-burner and let other things get in the way.
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Then you start missing your practice one day, two days, then three, feel secretly ashamed, don’t address it, go into denial and never return to it. Better to just do the bare minimum and leave yourself wanting more each day – that way you keep coming back.
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And with any sort of practice, it’s doing it every day for the rest of your life that provides the cumulative value you’re looking for.
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Once the discipline to do your daily practice – whatever that might be- has been accessed and implemented, it’s then far easier to apply it to stopping yourself engaging in any harmful habits or addictions you may be wanting to relinquish as well.”
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Questions by Skrufff.
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Barefoot Doctor’s new book, THE MESSAGE, vision for a new world, is now available in all formats via www.barefootmessage.com
Barefoot Doctor’s 2012 Message (interview)
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“There is a need to be aware an almighty storm is on the way and so do what you can to lash yourself down as securely as possible until it passes and the rebuild operation gets underway.”
Though Taoist teacher (and regular Skrufff contributor) Barefoot Doctor is more than a little apocalyptic in his new book The Message he’s characteristically optimistic despite his warning.
“We have reached a crisis point in human history,” he continues, “The indication is for collapse rather than destruction – the sort of collapse that leads to the discovery of a necessary jewel that might have otherwise been left undiscovered.”
Introducing new Skrufff contributor Gary Smith
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We’re delighted to welcome top Euro music/ technology journalist and conference guru Gary to the Skrufff team, joining Alisson Gothz, the Barefoot Doctor and Push as a regular contributor. As well as working as consultant/ moderator for Amsterdam Dance Event, Gary’s an expert on architecture, cycling fine wine and all things Marseilles and will be contributing bits and pieces on anything and everything.
Based in Marseilles, he’s also (in his own words) a ‘voracious consumer of historical docs, keen hiker and lover of wild places. http://garygarry.posterous.com and http://mymetier.posterous.com
One of the questions that I presume most tourists ask themselves when arriving in Marseille is ‘how do I find the definitive Bouillabaisse/Soupe de Poisson?’ … to which there are several answers: if you’re in the Vieux Port, the best choice is the Miramar on the Quai du Port.
The restaurant is renowned for the richness and authenticity of its versions of those classic dishes, and is a genuine local institution with a deserved reputation for unfailing quality. But for anyone who wants to get away from the port and try somewhere off the tourist track, there are two options closer to the sea.
