December 2014
Newsletter No.36

The Way Ahead Newsletter: No. 36

Dear Friends,

First, let me thank you for connecting with me through these monthly newsletters (readers both older and newer) and for arriving here with me at the end of 2014. I wish you all a joyful, festive end of the year – however you choose to celebrate it, or not. Throughout our experiences, our ups and downs, our moments of joy and our periods of woe – in the end it is all a part of the human story. Now, as 2014 draws to a close, we can use this time for reflection – and to honour and celebrate ourselves. Let us hope that 2015 will allow us to continue to find expression and meaning in our personal human stories.
 
This is my 36th Way Ahead Newsletter – I have written and sent one out each month for the past three years. Thirty-six times I have managed to find things to say; books to recommend; interesting news to share; tales and stories to share – and, I hope, to have been able to produce a worthy newsletter each time. I have wanted each newsletter to embody the vales of connection, communication, consciousness, and compassion.
 
Now I feel it is time to step away from this pattern. I no longer feel it is necessary to produce a newsletter fixed upon each month. It is time to break the pattern and to enter the flow…
 
I shall cease from producing monthly newsletters as of now. I will, however, send out newsletters when, and if, I feel I have some items or thoughts to share. I wish to share with you now some news about my immediate plans.
 
After finishing the manuscript of my latest non-fiction book The Phoenix Generation, I decided to change my focus by shifting to fiction writing (which was, after all, my first love). Many years ago whilst I was still working as a teacher/lecturer of sociology at Lancaster University (UK), I started to draft a number of ideas for children/young adult fiction books. Recently I decided to return to these drafts to see if I could finish one of them. Early in 2014 I finished the first draft of ‘Mundus Grundy: Trouble in Grundusland’ about the crazy antics between gnomes and goblins. Well, let me share the blurb with you:
 
Mundus Grundy is a king – not just any old king but the King of Grundusland where the gnomes live. Mundus Grundy inherited the Kingdom of Grundusland from his father, who inherited it from his father, who inherited it from his father…. well, that’s the law of Gnome-Inheritance for you. Grundusland is in the 2nd Realm; and the 3rd Realm is where the humans live, in their forgetful little bubble. Mundus, with his gnome friends – including Baga Gheet, Fender Tart, Serly Frundy, Jompa and Lompa – have a duty to enter into the human 3rd Realm to take care of nature blockages, and unstable energy vortexes (and the like!). In the old days there was a contract – known as the Contract for all Beings on Earth (CBE) – which was signed by all parties to work together for the maintenance of the Earth. Yet the humans soon forgot this contract, neglected the CBE, and then they soon forgot about the existence of the ‘little helpers’. Yet the gnomes never forgot their side of the contract and continue to this day to help look after the human realm. Yet they must be careful, for if they are ever seen inside the 2nd Realm by a human they turn to stone - they get ‘stone-gnomed’! Then Mundus must send in the Gnome Rescue And Liberation Expedition (GRALE - known also as a ‘Holy Grale’). But the problem isn’t only the forgetful humans – it’s those pesky, green rubber pot-bellied, stinky-finger goblins. Their leader is Farnuk Tam - who with his deputy Wenkle Frat and chief of the elite goblin squadron Peasly Greel – has an ‘Ignacious Plan’ to stop the gnomes once and for all. And it involves a whole lot of human eyes.
         There’s trouble brewing in Grundusland, and the imps, sprites, djinns, and sun-devas are all getting involved. The stability of all the realms is in the balance…and the situation is getting a little out-of-hand…
 
 
I had hoped to find a traditional publisher for this book, yet this seems a difficult task which as of yet has not met with success. So I may decide to publish this book through my own self-publishing imprint Beautiful Traitor Books. I am in the process of setting up a new website – so please bear with me! For now, you can keep an eye on http://beautifultraitorbooks.com/
 
Also in 2014 I finished a short work of fiction titled The Citadel (A Mystery at the Heart of Civilization), which forms part of a trilogy I am calling the Song of Citadels. The Citadel is an allegory on human nature, as well as an intriguing and entertaining narrative. It seeks to examine questions of individual and social development, as well as the fears that keep us within our shadows. Through stories, characters, spoken tales, The Citadel explores the grander questions that exist on both a personal level as well as within our societies. The Citadel has been described as “a delightful and intriguing mix of Herman Hesse and Isaac Asimov” (by John Tintera, VP of Sales & Publicity at Watkins/Osprey Publishing). Here is the blurb to this one:
 
The people of C-T live within the shadows of a great Citadel. It protects them from the blazing heat of the two suns that move across the skies overhead. To survive they must live, work, and move amongst the shadows cast by the tall walls of the Citadel. The avenues of C-T have been constructed in layers of neighbourhoods around the mysterious edifice that towers above them from the centre of their lives. Life in C-T is highly regulated, and is organized through specialized guilds. As the nameless young narrator moves amongst the members of these guilds – the Calligrapher; the Smithy; the Scholar; the Philosopher; the Money-Lender, etc, we learn indirectly about peoples’ lives, attitudes, and understanding. Yet most of all, we look through the peoples’ eyes as they try to fathom the great mystery of the Citadel. Yet at the very end of the journey we learn a surprising truth. Until then - the secret protects itself… as it has always protected itself.
 
 
I plan to also self-publish The Citadel early in 2015 on Beautiful Traitor Books. Presently I am writing the sequel - the second book in the Song of Citadels trilogy - named as The Foundation, which should be completed shortly. My next step is to concentrate on fiction writing…until I get inspired again to pen the next work of non-fiction.
 
Everything is open to change – and this change should be celebrated too. That is why in this final monthly Way Ahead Newsletter I have offered a Reflection about the arrival of the New Normal.
 
Thank you Friends – and enjoy!


REFLECTIONS -  WELCOME TO THE NEW NORMAL
 
We have entered a time which I refer to as the New Normal, and we need to understand that things are never going to be the same again. We have to get used to doing things differently – for these ‘different things’ will become our normal ways soon enough. This shift from older patterns and structures that once served us well, into a space where some things are no longer working for us can be unsettling and disturbing. Yet don’t waste time with old energy patterns that are no longer working. We may feel frustrated in not knowing what to do – and yet this is only just the beginning. In terms of the longer time scale we still have a long way to go, for this change is going to be many years in the making.
 
Things may now change faster than they have ever done before – we are living in a reality that is on the move. It is likely that many of us have already experienced this – a sense of rapidity and uncertainty unlike previous years. There is no need for this feeling of ‘shifting ground’ to cause anxiety. Change does not mean something negative – people are only afraid of what they don’t know. The easy part in all of this is accepting the need for a ‘new normal’ – the more difficult part is to actively engage in change, in a way that is balanced, stable, and not strange. Being a part of the ‘new normal’ also means normalizing ourselves: there is no more need to stand apart; that is, to use ‘difference’ as part of your personality or identity. You cannot express your full potential when imbalanced. The ‘new normal’ is not here to alienate oneself and others – it does not support divisive energies.
 
Sometimes change needs courage – courage to accept this change as the new normal. Some people are more used to and adaptive to change than others – each person must find what is right and comfortable for them. However, we are not starting from scratch – arriving to where we find ourselves now is also part of the change.
 
In fact, it is stability which is the illusion as everything is in flux. Life is one complete flux-engine – if we can put it that way – and the human body is equipped for constant change. When there is imbalance in the body it naturally seeks to find balance: physically, emotionally, and energetically. We already instinctively know this, and how to practice it. By re-adapting to change and flux we propel ourselves forward – it is a force of momentum within our lives. The new re-balancing is not about going back to the old – it is about finding new positions and definitions. We have to re-define for ourselves what is the new normal.
 
We have to learn how to operate the new tools we have, and which we are expected to use. Religious belief and unquestioning faith were old tools, for example. Now we need to figure out what are the new tools we have, and how to use them. And within this period of new learning we may also need to do some personal ‘clearing’ – to get our own personal house in order.
 
So let’s be clear: the new normal is consistent change – and this normal can change on a daily basis. Is this so difficult to accept and understand? It seems that many of the young people can work with this; it is not difficult for them to grasp the essentiality of change. For many young people, it seems obvious that change is an essential, and necessary, part of life. It is only us, entrenched in our years of conditioned stability that fear such flux and flow.
 
If anyone reading this is feeling a connection to this theme it is also because they sense the need for change within their own lives. They sense it is right – that there is some urge within them that is telling them that something needs to change – there is intent to know more. There’s no better time than now for re-engagement – to reflect upon the question of ‘what is “life” for me? – and how can I participate?’
 
The following are some of what I consider to be at the basis of change:
 
i)Release the fear conditioning
ii)Re-calibrate the definitions of what is ‘normal’
iii)Observe emotions and emotional responses and needs
iv)Get used to change – it is the only normal there is
v)Be joyful with change and changing habits/patterns – learn to love it
vi)Don’t try to get back to the old ‘normal’ – adjustment is not a return, it’s a moving forward
vii)Waiting for the ‘old’ is not an option
viii)Change works better when you are pro-active – so activate your engagement/participation. Get involved with your own changes!
ix)Trust your intuition and intuitive feelings
 
 
 
It can be unsettling at first when trying to get used to something that is always moving! It is like a radio station that constantly shifts its broadcast frequencies – and every day you have to re-tune your radio to find the new frequency. Yet this constant shifting is also a way for us to find meaning and significance in our lives. We may find that many of the shifts that we choose to activate/act on will have a direct influence upon our need to find a renewed meaning in life. Another way to consider these changes is to view them as being part of the shift from survival mode to creation mode – creating a new way of living more suitable to how we wish to live life in creative and meaningful ways.
 
As we gradually (or even suddenly!) shift into the era of the new normal we may discover that we fall into one of the following categories:
 
i)Manifestors
ii)Facilitators
iii)Nurturers
 
Each role is equal in importance – and yet each is different in how it relates and engages with others in life. The new normal is going to have a strong influence upon the values of connectivity, communication, consciousness, and compassion.
 
Our social, local, and global networks will be ever more important for us. Whether we manifest things in life, facilitate for others, or nurture others – each involves conscious participation. That is the core of the new normal – balanced, stable, conscious participation in finding meaning for ourselves and others; and to be creative and active in pursuing a positive future for all. 

Kingsley 

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LATEST NEWS
Where to Find: 
  • My latest audio poetry readings can all be found here on my Mixcloud page - new recent audio added!
  • All my latest articles now available in Spanish - Articulos en espanol (Translated by Fernando Alvarez-Ude Cotera)
  • All my latest articles now available in French - Articles en Francais (Translated by Jennifer Dureau)
Of Interest A Little Fun A 'Saying' to Share

‘He who has made a door and a lock, has also made a key’


A Tale to Finish
 
The Land of Laughter
 
The teacher was in a talkative mood and therefore his disciples used this opportunity to ask of the phases that he had passed through in his search for divinity.
‘First’, said the teacher, ‘I was led by the hand to the Country of Action where I stayed for a number of years. Then I was taken to the Country of Woe and lived there until my heart was purified of all its disordered condition. That’s when I was able to see the Land of Love, whose fiery flames consumed what remained of selfishness in me,. After that I agreed to the Country of Silence where the mysteries of life and death were revealed before my astonished eyes.
 
‘And was this the final stage of your search?’ asked the disciples.
 
‘No’, said the teacher - the final phase was when I was taken to the hidden Temple, the heart of God himself: to the sanctuary that is the Land of Laughter. 

 

QUOTE

‘You must improve yourself on a higher level if you are to be able to help people, and not just weep over them'

Idries Shah

 
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