Daintree fundraising film initiative

Back in 2005-6, I learned of an initiative to help raise money to preserve the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. What struck me as unique was it was a grass roots project undertaken by a tourguide who believed that local people and tourists could do more than they were doing.  He was right of course, yet, how many people go that next step to devise a plan and make it real?

The tourguide himself dreamed he could make a difference in the state of the environment.  He was familiar with the decreasing numbers of birds and wildlife in the area and he decided to take action to do something about it. He compared existing websites and initiatives available to the public.  He composed music for the project and set out to contact celebrity performers who would be willing to donate time. He recruited Australian talent and requested other bands too.

This man also lived in very basic circumstances which meant he was a man of principle. He was helping to script a film that would have the power to compel people to relive their pasts and rethink their futures in harmony wiht nature.  he didn't wish to be seen as living contrary to what he was promoting. His other day job enabled him to encourage recycling paper and other office supplies.  The man found obtaining funding for his film project a challenge, especially because he was relatiely unknown and his proposal was rather basic. Nonetheless, he continued to  make valiant efforts. He wrote public relations letters directly to organisations he felt would be in a position to support the work. Much to his surprise, he received some replies. That's progress!

This tourguide's big dream is building developers, government agencies, locals and environmental interest groups would stop debating over price, the value or control of the Daintree land and focus more attention on saving wildlife and vegetation for its intangible worth. Although National Geographic wasn't apparently interested in supporting the project because it was too multi-disciplinary and not ground-breaking or purely scientific enough, this has not deterred the filmmaker from his desire to construct and eventually share his story.

Last I heard, the film is evolving. The filmmaker is involving volunteer tourists and friends as actors and musicians in parallel storylines. The project is building enthusiasm among contributors.  What is really striking about the initiative is it is bringing international strangers together in a common environmental cause.  Such efforts to draw attention to the importance of sustainability, cooperation and human compromise. It also demonstrate where a will exists, ways can be found.

REM stirs more than oxygen

Brace yourself.  Dr. David Maurice has a controversial theory.  As professor of occular physiology in the Dept. of Opthalmology at Columbia University Medical Centre, he suggests the REM sleep phenomenon, the stage in which the eyes rapidly move and most dreams and assumed to occur, actually has a different purpose than we thought. So much for "cut and dried" sleep explanations!

Dr. Maurice refuses to accept status quo theories that say REM exists to process memories of the earlier day's events during dreams. He prefers to believe the sleep experience of REM enables a supply of much-needed oxygen to moisten the cornea of the eye.  Maurice suggests that the aqueous humor (the clear watery liquid in the anterior chamber just behind the cornea) needs to be "stirred" by the REM process to carry oxygen to the cornea.

"Without REM," Maurice told 21stCentury, "our corneas would starve and suffocate while we are asleep with our eyes closed. This may mean we wouldn't be able to see.  Perception would be altered.

Okay.  REM is strongly linked with many physiological processes that impact changes in breathing, changes in blood flow to brain, and changes in brain activity.  If Dr. Maurice is proven right, his work would certainly enhance human understanding of functions during REM sleep.  Yet, would it be enough to invalidate principles of psychoanalysis? Other experts don't think so. They believe it has a valuable place to treat patients by helping them interpret their dreams.  As for which is the major versus which are the minor functions of REM process, the jury is still out on that.

Imagination is the road to reality

People who feel lost somewhere between fantasy and reality may not realize that imagination is in fact, the road to reality.  Now if you say, "that sounds completely impossible!"  I'd have to say, "Sorry, but you create who you are in your mind, and you create that doubt too."

What this means is that each time you write, you can re-create yourself like you're writing a character into a new story.  If you're unsure about the reality you wish to live, then pick up a pen or pencil and outline what you'd like to be doing and where.  This is not such crazy a thing to do.  After all, if you truly desire to make an experience happen, you must clarify it as much as possible.  This begins as an idea in your mind, but is made more real as you write and expand it.

You don't have to be an aspiring author to benefit from transcribing words and reflectong back.  You don't have to choose to be overwhelmed.  You can choose to use writing as an outlet for thoughts and reflection, as a vehicle for poetic self-expression, as a way to organize your life or to build on and share stories you may have long been storing in your mind.  How you decide to draw from the power of words is indeed, completely up to you.  The force and power of your visions has the power to transform your life.  For whom is up to you. Why not begin right now?

The buck starts when you're ready

Lots of people say they need to make money because they're broke or an unfavorable financial experience left them in debt.  You may have heard whiners complain yet, do nothing.  You may imagine nothing better could happen to you right now than being blown out of your own financial troubles, only to land in a fortune that would leave you, as they say, 'high and dry.'  The lottery?

Imagination alone is unlikely to blow you anywhere.  Even winning the lottery would require you to go out and at least  buy a ticket. But even then, what are your chances?  Creating financial success in your life will happen only when you not only think you're completely ready for it, and expect it, but also when you have learned from what you've done or chose not to pursue before. Devoting time and exerting effort is meaningless if you have no sense of direction or plan.

You may have heard the phrase, "the buck stops here." This may stem from the poker card game in which a process using a marker or counter indicates the person who is next to deal. If this player doesn't wish to deal, he can pass responsibility by passing the "buck," as the counter came to be called, to the next player. In reality, you hold responsibility for your life and this isn't something that can be passed over to anyone else. You must be willing to do what it takes to move ahead yourself. This includes defining what moving ahead financially or otherwise means.

Consider these 7 tips to get the ball rolling in your favor:

1) Write a business plan. Whether or not you had a business that ended, you'll need some kind of feasibility study to map out what you plan to do next, why, for whom and the projected costs.

2) Conduct research. You may begin with Internet searches, but clarifying your business strategy would benefit from networking, joining associations, reading trade journals and seeking mentors. What has been done in your area of interest before? How would you stand apart from the crowd?

3) Reflect on past experience. Determine the hard lessons you have learned when situations have not evolved in ways you had envisaged. Why do you think that happened? What will you do differently next time? How could you apply this experience to benefit your new project?

4) Identify your assets. Regardless of your background, you have developed transferable skills. What do you think they are? Examine your strengths and weaknesses and how they would apply to your new venture. What advice will you need to compensate for your lack of expertise?

5) Isolate potential investors. If you have money saved, you may be your own financial backer. However, many businesses require an influx of capital. Consider prospective lenders, look into which details they would require in a proposal. Look into the kinds of risks venture capitalists and other investors have made and why. Don't be afraid to ask what motivated past decisions.

6) Discuss your idea. Seeking advice and feedback from outsiders can be useful. Not everyone will understand or approve of your tentative business plan. Yet, these people are the ones who could assist you most to fine-tune your ideas into a feasible strategy. Share with people you trust.

7) Build your confidence. One of the most effective ways to gain support and encouragement for your endeavours is to believe in them. As you finalize your plans and set out to make your dream a reality, remember you're your biggest fan. Reflect the enthusiasm you seek to attract.

No such thing as coincidence

You may believe in 'being in the right place at the right time.'  Yet, is there really such a thing? Some people think that what happens to you is directly related to what you choose to see or what you're ready to see happening in your life. If events are unfolding all the time, why is it you feel compelled to approach certain strangers, to notice and apply for certain positions, to attend a specific meeting you saw advertised for the first time on a community bulletin board? 

There may be no such thing as coincidence, but rather, a sense of evolution that enables you to take heed of useful information.Who knows, if you don't feel quite right about someone, guardian angels may even act to draw your attention to some hidden element of fraud.  Who or what triggers your sixth sense? What if everything you notice has perfect timing?

We feel compelled to walk and take other action at particular times because of instinct. And yet, there may also be an element of faith, or clues which draw our attention to incidents we initially brushed past, thinking they were insignificant. While exiting from a movie theatre, you meet a stranger who turns out to have something in common with you and you make a new friend. Do you ask yourself, "what are the chances?" When you realize you forgot your wallet and have no money to park, yet discover someone has left a paid hour, do you assume this is your lucky day? If you have a disagreement with an employer,and find yourself redundant with rent to pay, what happens when you find a new job the next day? Does it mean something is looking out for you?

Such incidents raise questions about your belief in yourself and your ability to move ahead in your life. Invisible helpers may indeed open doors and windows of possibility without you knowing. It's up to you to develop self-confidence and alpha thinking to know you always receive what you need.  Contact us to explore our tailored options for life coaching.

"Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys." - Emma Bull