Your thoughts are the architects of your future..............................

''Change your thoughts and you change your world.''

(Norman Vincent Peale)

According to a Greek philosopher by the name of

Heraclitus ''Nothing endures but change.''

(He also said that ''no man steps in the same river

twice''.)

According to those in the know, us humans don't

like uncertainty. We like certainty, we feel safer when

we can predict what is going to happen next and when we

feel that we have some form of control, be it individually 

or collectively.

Some suggest that change is exhausting for the brain

because change means that the brain has to create

new neural pathways. (thinking/behaviour patterns)

Habits, are basically well-used/worn neural pathways

that we use so often that we tend do so without even

 being aware of doing it.

Research suggest that we make enormous amounts

of decisions and adjustments every day so habits

(basically decisions/opinions we stick with through thick

and thin) really helps to take a bit of pressure off the brain.

What most of us would probably call an ''ordinary day''

often consists of a bunch of things we do the same

way everyday. Often only when something un-expected 

interrupts our ordinary day do we realize how much

we take for granted and how much we do

 automatically and without thinking about it.

(Such as if the water/electricity is suddenly gone, or 

the car won't start, the bus doesn't show, etc. etc.)

Just as we do things habitually, we think habitually.

We have behaviour and thinking habits/patterns that

we start to create/form/shape very early in life.

These patterns become so ingrained in our consciousness(es)

that often we don't even question whether we actually

still adhere to those patterns/habits/opinions....

Commonly though, it is when something happens that 

severely challenges how effective or good our habitual thinking

and behaviour patterns are working 

that we find that we may need to motivate our ''brains''

 to find new neural pathways to guide our thinking

and behaving.

Change, in other words.

 I have found that asking myself ''why do

I think/behave this way?'' has been rather helpful

in finding out if I need to update different

aspects of my thinking and behaviour patterns/habits.

-Here, take this book and read it, he said and handed me

the book.

I did. Halfway through the book I read : ''You are

responsible for your life.''

Yeah, yeah, I thought, of course I am. 

I'm writing that I read it, which I did, what I did not

do was READ and digest/process the words.

That only happened a few nights later driving

home from a (music) gig and halfway up Mount Tamborine

where I lived then.

As my car sped up the mountain I felt as if chains

were falling off my body and for the first time

in my life!!....... I felt free.

I, me, I am responsible for my life.

I get to decide for myself and with unquestionable

integrity and self-determination what I will include

in my life and what I will not.

From that moment I made many changes in my life.

 Some hard to make and some absolutely

necessary for the well being of my son.

''Change is inevitable,

success or failure the possible outcomes

but learning is a choice.'' (Braden Kelly)

''Change is the only constant in life."(Benjamin Franklin)

''Change is not a threat it is an opportunity.''(Seth Godin)

Change can be scary because it always brings

with it an element of uncertainty and an allusion of the unknown.

But, it also brings with it the potential of something

astounding, stupendous and most extraordinary.

Change is letting go of the balloon and watch it

as it soars higher and higher, free from a destination yet

heading there none the less.

''Change in itself is neither good nor bad.

It is what we do with it that makes it so.''

(Citizen Z)

''The greatest discovery of all time is that

a person can change his(/her/their) future by

merely changing his(/her/their) attitude.''

(Oprah Winfrey)

about the images: ''Tulips'', in flower language ''rebirth'', Photo

some editing in Elements

''Open the gates to possibilities'', photo some editing in Elements

Animals are ''people'' too.................a true story

''-I'm sorry, but I have bad news, said the young vet.

It's not looking good for Lovecraft(our cat). She

has an incurable tumor on her bladder and she is too 

old and too frail to be able to re-coup from surgery.

The best thing for her is to let her go.''

My son and I looked at each other.

How?

 How do you let go of someone you have

loved and lived with for 15 years?

-We have a room for you to spend some time in

with Lovecraft and decide what you want to do,

said the kind vet and lead us to the special room.

As we entered the room the vet returned with

Lovecraft wrapped in a towel and handed her to my son.

After much crying and deciding what to do,

we said goodbye to our very beloved Lovecraft.

My son and I are both cat people.

We both prefer cats to dogs for a number 

of different reasons.

In my view cats are entertaining, mysterious,

smart, emotionally sensitive and kinda the ''artists''

of the animal kind.

One of my cats actually used to ''play'' the

piano. Well, not so much play more like ''walk''

the piano. Linus, the cat, used to start playing

the piano if he was bored, wanted food or just

wanted to annoy me.

(If you too love cats, please go to youtube and check

out Catcerto.)

I digress.

Going through this sadness suddenly made me 

remember something that happened a long

time ago that involved a Golden Retriever.

But before I tell you that story I have to tell

you a bit about me.

I'm an impulsive person, can't stand bullies or mean people,

can't stand seeing animals being hurt, can't stand

seeing people being hurt, can't ignore people or animals 

who needs help, etc. etc. I rush in where fools don't

dare to tread and throw myself in the middle of

a fight even though I know I'm gonna get clobbered.

So, ....... driving down the highway to visit my folks 

suddenly a Golden Retriever runs out in front of

the car in front of me.

The dog gets hit and flies threw the air and lands

on the grassy strip in between the lanes.

I instantly veer off the highway and slam on the brakes.

I get out of the car and desperately try

to get to the dog.

The dog is sitting on the grass ....... crying!

Crying, making a sound like I've never heard before. 

I can still hear it even today. The dog is crying, I am

crying but still not able to cross the road.

Finally I just scream at the top of my lungs, hold up

my right hand as to say STOP! and run across

the road like a maniac.

As soon as I get close enough to the dog I start to

pat him(she?) on the head and say sshhhhh, sshhhhh.

I gently hug the dog and then notice that there is blood

streaming from the dog's eyes. With tears streaming

down my own eyes I start to just yell : STOP!! Somebody

just STOP and help us. Nobody stops.

This happened before there were mobile phones but

I knew that I had to get to a phone and call a vet as

soon as possible.

As luck would have it there was a public phone

kiosk across the highway. However, I didn't dare to leave

the dog incase he should try to run across the road

and then potentially be hit again.

But, I had to call for a vet.

Somehow I managed to coax the dog to lie down

and as soon as he seemed calm, I bolted for

the phone kiosk.

What happened next is a blur but I got hold

of a vet who said that he would come pronto.

I ran back to the dog as soon as I had hang up

the phone and found him still where I had left him.

An hour and a half later the vet showed up.

He lifted the dog of the ground and then gently carried 

 it to his van.

-Thanks, he said and handed me a business card.

And just like that they were gone.

The next day I called to find out if the dog had 

survived, which he had and was re-cooperating

well indeed.

By coincidence I bumped into a friend years

later who used to work at the vet clinic where the Golden

Retriever had been looked after so I asked if

she new what had happened to the Golden Retriever.

-The dog, she said, stayed with them until he was

fit and well again.

Everybody at the vet clinic loved him and

since nobody came looking for him,

one day, one of the volunteers just took him

home with him.

The End.

Every word of that story is true.

Amazing, methinks.

(Although, the memory of that dog flying

through the air, landing in the middle of the

highway and sitting there crying blood tears

is forever etched into my corneas.)

''The greatness of a nation can be judged by the

way it treats its animals.''

(Mahatma Gandhi)

about the image: sketch on paper some editing

in Elements.

(I have never tried to draw a dog before.

Hope you like it.)

We all need a place to call home........

Stockholm.

The  ''Venice of the North'' so some say.

It used to be my home for many years

and I really loved the place.

When I left Sweden in 1977 to visit

my folks in Australia I didn't have

a clue that I would never return to live in

Stockholm again.

Visit yes, but not live.

Somehow Australia just got under my skin

eventhough it was obscenely hot, brown, full

of deadly critters on land, in the air and in the

water.

Culturally it seemed quite desolate compared to

to what I was used to in Sweden. 

Sweden, a country with four seasons, each with its own

delights, beauty and mystiques.

A country with a history that dates back to

as having been inhabited

by humans since approximately 12.000 BC.

But, ''but'' number one,

Many people who have made Australia their

new homeland, I've found to more often than not

tend to agree with me that there's

something special about the people here in OZ.

There's a ''lightness of being'' somehow

and people seem to be friendlier and more

relaxed. People can start conversations with you

just like that. ''How's your day been so far? 

Gooday...... Hot isn't it? Oh, I like your xyz''...etc. etc.

There's an expression that is often used here:

''she'll be right, mate'' which means basically

''don't sweat the small stuff'' and once you get used

to it  are very wise words indeed methinks.

Some photos from my fave wet place here in OZ.

Here there are white sandy beaches that goes on forever against

a crystal blue sky and peach coloured sunsets.

Water so clear that it's impossible to ascertain how

deep the ocean is.

And a lot of people who find the time to say: Hey or Gooday.

Which I love.

But, here comes ''but'' number two.

But sometimes, no matter how much I love Australia,

I get overcome by something called ''sehnsucht'' which

is a German word for ''longing & yearning in the soul''.

It's a sort of a longing sadness that can be triggered by

a smell, a sound, a colour and suddenly I'm 20 and

walking the streets of Stockholm, or an old dusty road

of the Swedish countryside or watching the sunrise

through a window.

There are many of us who have left our childhood homes in

exchange for another place which to call our homes.

Sometimes by choice, sometimes not, but what we all have in

common is our need to feel that we have a place where

we belong, a place that we can proudly call our home.

As far as I can ascertain our planet is far too small for

us to keep on entertaining the notion that there

is a ''them and us''. (There's only ''us'' methinks)

This earth that is at this point in time

is very well suited for all human kind.

A kind that does not come as them and us,

 though we often seem so inclined.

May we always consider and bear in mind

that such as our planet, there's only one kind.

Well, at least until some fool decides to pull the pin...

about the images: top: Stockholm, acrylic on medium size canvas

Aussie images: photos slightly edited in Elements

Sweden images: acrylic on medium sized canvas

If you're struggling, this poem is for you...........

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

how difficult,

nay, 

near impossible

life may seem,

.......... inevitably,

and regardless,

change will come.

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

the horridness

and ugliness that

may come my way,

.......... inevitably,

and regardless,

beauty will come.

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

how tired,

exhausted and

fatigued

I may feel,

.......... inevitably, 

and regardless,

renewal will come.

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

how lonely and

isolated

 I may feel,

.......... inevitably,

and regardless,

communion will come.

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

how much my

body aches and

slowly deteriorates,

.......... inevitably,

and regardless,

wisdom will come.

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

how many tears

I shed or hold back,

.......... inevitably,

and regardless,

joyfulness will come.

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

how distressed and

anguished my

soul may be,

.......... inevitably,

and regardless,

peace will come.

Sometimes,

I forget

that no matter

how dark 

tomorrow may seem,

.......... inevitably,

and regardless,

a fresh new day will come.

(Citizen Z)

Dear reader, if perhaps my poem seem

a little unrealistically positive, I'll let you in on

a secret of mine. When I feel at my most darkest

I force myself to write something uplifting and hopeful.

Usually doing so helps me grab on to a kernel

of hope.

about the image: pastels on large canvas

(The mess painting with pastels creates is

overwhelming and it gets into everything!)

 

Beautiful but can be deadly.....the Outback of Australia

I really thought I was going to pass out.

Sweat was pouring out of every orifice on my body

and my crispy dried lips were covered in salt crystals.

My throat was so dry that I could no longer speak

only croak ''how much further!?!?!!''

-Ah, well, there's a Golden Arches just up the road, he

said without even taking his eyes of the road.

Having been on tour with him before I knew that

in Australia ''up the road'' could mean anything

between five or 505 kilometers ''up the road''.

-Come on man, how far away in time? I'm dying here.

-Keep your shirt on mate, maybe half an hour, he answered.

What shirt? It was far too hot to wear a shirt.

When he offered me the gig(music) telling me that I would get

the chance to see a bit of ''real'' Australia I 

should have asked him real as in....? and is the

van airconditioned?

Well, no it wasn't, but as we had departed at 2am 

and it was not that hot then, I just didn't

think of it. 

Besides, the first five hours Danny, Peter and

I were happily chatting away and making song lists.

I had never worked with Danny before so we

had to figure out what songs we all knew.

As time kept marching on the temperature

kept stomping up the thermometer

as did the heat in the van.

As our non-airconditioned Mitsubishi van 

hummed its way through a slowly changing landscape

the heat intensified and by the time

we stopped to get some gas, I felt

as if all my ''innards'' were well and truly 

cooked. 

Unfortunately, the further outback we travelled

the less we saw proper gas stations with

air-conditioned ''eateries'' attached and more

and more just two pumps and a small

non-airconned  ''only the necessities'' shop

connected to it.

Slowly, gone were the miles and miles of 

enormous fields of deep green sugar cane stalks

which we had been driving through for hours. 

Sadly replaced by scraggly, prickly gray coloured

bushes and off-yellow dead ''messy'' grass.

Now and then we would pass a ''homestead''

of sorts. Usually having a very long driveway

leading up to it, and often with a couple of car 

skeletons decorating the non-existing front lawn.

-Hey bro, can you see that? Danny suddenly

exclaimed excitedly.

Having dozed off for a spell, Danny's voice

woke me up and as I stared out the windscreen I

could see a Big Golden M. Finally!!!

-Let's go through the drive thru, said Peter.

-Hell No! I yelled. I'm going inside! Where

there is air-conditioning and icy cold water.

-Park the damn vehicle and let me out!! I bellowed.

As soon as the van stopped I jumped out

and headed for air-conned bliss.

After two hours of cooling down I was

eventually willing to move on.

What I came to realize during our four

day tour was that not only is Australia

a deadly country due to its critters and

well, almost everything, the Sun is

absolutely deadly and not to be taken

lightly.

After what seemed as forever we eventually

arrived at the gig. Drenched with perspiration

and absolutely parched. 

Since we were playing two nights consecutively, we

 had been given free accommodation

in a tiny and somewhat dingy little motel.

Each of us had our own room although they

were more like ''cells'' since they had no windows.

But what hey, they were air-conned!!!!

Before we headed back again, I made sure that we

had a four litre bottle of water in an esky(cold bag)

filled with ice with us.

When we came back I decided that I was never going

to go on a tour, mini or large, anywhere near

the edge of the desert again.

What little I have seen of the desert in real life, it's enough

for me to decide that no matter how beautiful

and magical the Australian outback/desert may be...

 My preference is to enjoy its beauty and magic

on screen, on a photograph, in a book, in a movie

or a doco, comfortably ensconced in air-conned

bliss with oodles and oodles of icy cold water

to drink.

''The Australian Outback is vast and spell-binding

and heart-stoppingly beautiful....(Tim Minchin)

''Australia is like Jack Nicholson.

It comes right up to you and laughs

very hard in your face in a

highly threatening and engaging

manner.''

(Douglas Adams)

about the image: acrylic on wood board

''The Outback''

Movie or Cinema? There's a difference.....

Have you ever watched a movie that from the

minute it started you lost track of time and place

and when it finished, something inside of you had

shifted, had changed?

Have you ever watched a movie that somehow

managed to grab hold of your emotions in such

a way that no matter how hard you tried you just

couldn't hold back tears?

Have you ever watched a movie that somehow

managed to touch you so deeply that 

after watching it you realized that perhaps

some of your views and opinions needed an update?

If you have, then according to Martin Scorsese you

have experienced the power of Cinema: ''an aesthetic, 

emotional and spiritual experience.''

As a teenager I discovered that although I loved

movies, Cinema was even better.

As luck would have it, I had met somebody who

not only was into photography and jazz like me,

but who introduced me to a place called

''The Cinemateque".

The Cinemateque was basically a huge building

consisting of 6 different sized cinemas, a number of 

teaching auditoriums, one coffeeshop, one giftshop

and one fine dining restaurant.

By becoming a member of the Cinemateque,

(which I did the first time I went there) one

was given access to every venue. 

Moving from one theater to the next,

starting in the morning and finishing late evening,

for me was far more interesting than school.

Consequently, this is where my friend and I

spent most of our time our last two years of senior school.

Thinking back on that time

I count myself lucky to have had the experience

of watching masterpiece after masterpiece of cinema

 together with other people. (Not alone at home)

People, who just like me, loved cinema.

People, who after the film ended would

spend hours in the coffeeshop dissecting

the film, the music and what we thought it 

was telling us.

 Every film that was shown at the Cinemateque

came with a promotional poster. 

These posters were often magnificent pieces

of art in themselves, so every time new posters

went up, the old ones became available for purchase. 

I purchased. Many.

In those days, before computers, painting movie 

posters was a good ''gig'' for many struggling artists.

Many, who eventually through their poster art became ''known''.

Known enough to be able to set up their own studios

and hold exhibitions on their own terms.

Some years ago, my son and I were given the opportunity

to hold an exhibition of Cinema Poster Art.

We called it ''Cinefiend'' and painted 30 posters

each. Each acrylic on very large thick water color paper.

All our own interpretations and in homage to the

original works.

We both sold a few, enough to cover the cost of material,

but unfortunately not enough to cover the cost of the work

involved in actually hand-painting the posters.

(These are a few of mine as well as the top one.

They are all large: 0.97 cm x 0.50 cm.)

The Cinema theater, due to its ability to be both a personal/single

 and a collective experience, in my view offers us, the audience,

a place where due to the fact that we are all human beings,

we can feel that we belong.

Even if only for 80 - 93 minutes.

''Cinema is a reflection of society and, in most cases,

has the ability to be a mirror and not just show the

problems but also give solutions and help them

reach a large number of people through faces

and voices that matter.''

(Kirti Kulhari)

Loneliness is not the same as solitude.............

Sociability. What is it?

Some say: Agreeability.

Which means.....?

The ability to interact and get along with most people.

The ability to feel comfortable and confident 

when mixing with others. 

The ability to interact in a friendly and comfortable

manner with new people.

The ability to communicate well(effectively)

with others by using a conscious choice of

words, body-language and facial expressions.

Sociability, as far as I can ascertain, is a highly

valued skill/ability in most cultures/societies.

Why is it so?

Because our ability to interact with others, to organize, plan, 

imagine and visualize events and things collectively

plays an important part in the continued

progress of mankind.

Some suggest that sociability/agreeableness, is a

personality trait that is often displayed by extraverted 

people.

In other words, the ability to ''mix and mingle''

with others may often come easier for people born

with ''extraverted genes'' than for people

born with ''introverted genes''.

Having been told by a number of people that I am

an ''introvert'' have made me look up the word in many

dictionaries and more often than not, compared to

extroverts...... us introverts don't come out too ''good''.

(''Extroverts are good at sociability whereas introverts

are not. Extroverts are agreeable but introverts more

''loner'' types''.)

My own observation is that some people(extrovert) seem to

enjoy and get energized when around a bunch of people.

Some other people(introvert) seem to need to spend some time

alone after spending enjoyable time in large-ish groups.

According to some research done by those in the know,

most of us are ''ambiverts''.

(A bit of both extro and introvert)

That is, sometimes we get energized by socializing,

sometimes we get energized by ''lone'' time.

Some of us have times when we prefer some solitude

and reflection rather than socializing.

Some of us prefer to socialize and interact with others

and only ponder deeper thoughts if or when an unexpected

opportunity suddenly presents itself.

Socializing can mean many different things.

It can be done many different ways.

It can be done in person or through a screen.

Through the written word (texting) or spoken

word(sms-ing).

It can be done through an avatar or a ''catfish'', troll

or anonymous bully.

Many of us probably prefer to socialize some way or another

rather than spending time alone. Especially these days when

there is often an unspoken but known stigma and

prejudice attached to preferring one's own company

rather than ''hanging out'' with friends

or spending time on social media platforms etc. etc.

Solitude seem to often be understood as meaning loneliness

although solitude is a chosen state of mind whereas loneliness 

is often an unwelcome emotional state.

''Loneliness is the poverty of self;

solitude is the richness of self.''

(Mary Sarton)

If being on our own fills us with dread

and seeking comfort in all the wrong places,

maybe now is a good time to find a

quiet, solitaire place and listen to the voice 

of our inner selves.

''Solitude is not so much the absence of company

as it is an opportunity. 

A chance to discover

 the richness,

the joy,

the fullness of life abundantly.''

(Citizen Z)

*

The above image is a sketch I call ''the Tramp''.

Sometimes I just visualize people and faces

out of nowhere. 

Often with stories that accompany them.

I don't know where ''it'' comes from, it just

shows up and if I'm lucky I have pen and

paper handy.

This man, this Tramp, is neither lonely nor

anti-social. He's a man who knows who he is

and where he is going although he may

look a bit worse for wear.

Thought:

It can be easy to judge a book by its cover.

To forget that precious pearls lay beneath

a cover I bet none of us

 would call a beauty.