You cannot create experience. You must undergo it! Alberta Camus
Tag Archives: L. neil Thrussell
We All have a Purpose
We All have a Purpose
We All have a Purpose
We All have a Purpose
We All have a Purpose
Personal Philosophy – Shin Dao
In 2008 I had a life-changing epiphany. I was blessed with a rock solid core understanding that “Love” for ourselves and others was the primary ingredient in all that we do if we ever wanted to be truly happy.
My observation of others and myself was that at some level our personal misery came from a huge disconnect. We lacked love in our lives, for ourselves or others.
Many people, including myself, had lost the ability to live from a heart-centered way of life. We became trapped in our stories and perceptions and we became prisoners in our own lives. Unable to embrace life fully and live with compassion for ourselves and others. We had lost the magic of life.
Thankfully, I was gifted that fateful day with “Neil, you need need to live from your heart, you need to Live the Way of The Heart.” When this epiphany washed over me I was driving a car on a very busy highway. It took all the concertation I could muster up to get myself safely over to the shoulder and parked. Before a wave of love and joy filled my entire body. It was an incredible experience, a true gift.
Later that same day I found myself talking to a Kanji Master. I have to smile at the way fate interjects. Who finds themselves randomly talking with a Master the day of an epiphany? All I can say is, “Truth is stranger than fiction!”
Definition:
kan·ji/ˈkänjē/noun
- a system of Japanese writing using Chinese characters.
As I told the Master of my epiphany he excitedly expressed, “I need to Live the Way of The Heart.” Then he graciously offered me the characters, Shin Dao. He sent me his artwork at no charge. The artwork we still use today for the Shin Dao.
SHIN DAO, TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE KANJI,
IS
HEART WAY
OR
THE WAY OF THE HEART.
After my epiphany, it took me a few days to be able to articulate without becoming a babbling fool what it was I had experienced and share the overall message of my epiphany.
I present to you, The Shin Dao
The Shin Dao is a Path to Loving Who You Are and What You’re Doing with Your Life.
The Shin Dao is a Movement from intellectual, Mind-based living to Compassionate, Heart-based Living.
The Shin Dao is a Philosophy that fosters Wholeness, based on four guiding principles and twelve tenets.
The Four Guiding Pillars of the Shin Dao:
- Develop Your Body
- Inspire Your Mind
- Open Your Heart
- Elevate Your Spirit
Experience the Magic of Life, by living the 12 tenets:
- Connect with the Earth
- Let Go of Your Busy-ness
- Celebrate the Present
- Seek Meaning to Your Life
- Embrace Life, Embrace the Sacred
- Love Freely, Love Deeply
- You Affect Others
- You Never Walk Alone
- You Are the Light
- Celebrate Life’s Little Joys
- Your Body is a Temple
- Go in Peace
Stop longing… Start Living!
Sell em’ What They Want, Give Them What They Need
I first heard these words from T. Harv Eker in and around 2007 when we attended one of Peak Potentials Training various programs. Harv owned Peak Potentials Training which was a very successful personal growth training company up until about 2011??
T. Harv Eker was a master NLP facilitator and trainer. He sold and in many cases gifted his entry entry-level program, the Millionaire Mind Intensive to those looking to change their financial status.
Then over the course of the weekend, he slowly revealed that it was your personal perceptions, fears and your limiting beliefs that stopped you from achieving success.
Harv got you into the audience (bums into seats) by selling you what you wanted! (Increased Wealth). Then over a short period of time, he seamlessly switched the focus of the programs to give you what you really needed. (Personal growth opportunities – training.)
This was the start of many large scale personal development companies. Many businesses followed and still do follow the Peak Potentials business model.
It was also the start of the “Fake It Till You Make It” movement. People were hungry for change, many attending these seminars it was their first time in their lives to see or experience their own personal greatness. To see and get a glimpse that the possibilities of a better life were awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time for many.
In 2005 to 2008 the personal growth was a booming multi-million dollar industry. Filled with many charlatans. People who truly weren’t as successful as their marketing material claimed they were, stood in the front of large crowds, “Claiming” to be successful. But weren’t even close.
In my hunger, or quest for knowledge, I personally met a number of them. I (we) paid good money for the privilege of learning what “Great” marketing material could do for a speaker! $$$$$
Equally as important, we learnt to read into the marketing material and we discovered and experienced some truly gifted “Masters” teachers that knew their craft, had done their personal work to develop and grow!
Blessing and thanks to all my teachers, event the ones with the incredible marketing material and little substance. You taught me profoundly as well!
Love Yourself… Especially Naked
In the last couple of years, I have noticed a DRAMATIC increase in the use of the word ‘NAKED’ in book titles and in social media.
Dictionary result for naked
/ˈnākid/
adjective
1. (of a person or part of the body) without clothes.
The interesting notion, or fact, to me is it is predominately women using the word and not men. Some of my observations on the use of the word were pre- #MeToo movement.
Why this is of interest to me is because I am fascinated by society’s various judgments of the word ‘naked’. We were all born naked, yet North American society has us covered up pretty quickly. I understand our weather plays a role in it. But! In my view, only a small portion of our societal desire to cover up is weather dependent. But, I digress.
First off, there are going to be those that find the term ‘naked’ offensive no matter whether the person using the word is male or female. In my mind, that is just an unfortunate, puritan fact.
Secondly, there is going to be a portion of the population that instantly places the label of a pedophile on a man that uses the word naked and labels a woman as a slut/ tramp if she uses the word. Once again, a sad fact of our current society.
Before you jump all over me, I recognize the need to protect the vulnerable and our children. So just bare with me! 🙂 Bare with me! Get it? Bare and not bear! Ok, carrying on again. 🙂
One of the unfair dichotomies that really annoy me is the fact that if Tina and I both would be facilitating a multi-gender event and if I (Neil) were to talk about as an example, “Loving yourself, naked.” Many of the attendees that ‘identify’ as a female could be horrified because I just don’t understand what being a woman is all about.
Now, if Tina was to talk about, “Loving yourself, naked.” It would be received with a much less ‘yuck’ factor. Which is not fair. But it is what it is.
I am glad people are starting to use ‘Naked’ in the personal growth industry. I have instigated many conversations with many gurus in the speaking, coaching and personal growth industry and I find they preach the good sermon right up to the moment they start talking about body image. Then things, for many, fall apart – their perfectly scripted Instagram life falls apart.
For me, accepting my body for all its pimples, warts and rolls is all part of the self-acceptance path that I am on as a follower of the Shin Dao. I am also not saying that you don’t take care of your body. rather you take care of it from a loving compassionate place and not a place of ‘Should.’
Finally, you don’t have to pose for photos or prance around naked. But you need to be comfortable in your own skin and be comfortable seeing yourself without clothes on!
