• 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • Home
  • About Us
  • About The Business
  • Is This Business For You?
  • Personal Development
  • FAQs
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Blog

Archives for October 2016

Raising the Vibration through Music

October 10, 2016 by Nate Rabe

hot-music-live-wallpaper-757515-1-s-307x512

As I drove my daughter to school this morning I was overcome by a powerful urge to hear a song.  It was an old favorite from that period between the wilting of Flower Power and the rise of Punks. A time when the trend was for solo artists to bear their souls in song. Confessional rock, some people called it.

No one epitomised this style more than angel-faced Jackson Browne. And it was the title song from his 1974 album Late for the Sky that I wanted to hear.

 

The lyrics, like the album cover, are dreamy and speak of moving between sleep and being awake. They are infused with that ambiguous simultaneity of meaning that incorporates both the lover’s world as well as the realm of the Spirit.

How long have I been sleeping?

How long have I been drifting alone through the night?

How long have I been dreaming that I could make it right?

If I closed my eyes and tried with all my might

To be the one you need?

Some may find this sort of ‘heart-on-sleeve’ songwriting slightly uncomfortable. Even embarrassing.  I kind of still dig it, but that’s not what gets me about this song.

As I listened to the familiar intro–Jackson’s deliberate piano playing; David Lindley’s hesitant but soon swirling guitar chording–I felt something move deep inside me. In a flash, I had the sense that I was in the presence of the Beyond. As the music swelled and built I felt as if I was being lifted up to that mysterious place where just a few notes can vibrate in such a way that tears come to your eyes.

It is part of my daily practice of Life to feel good.  In the jargon of the New Age, I try to raise and keep my vibration high. I consciously choose to meditate, be mindful and think about things that make me feel good.  As part of that practice I listen to a lot of podcasts and clips of spiritual teachers and wise people.  All of this activity I categorize as ‘personal development’.

Raising my vibration, until recently was a phrase I never used. The idea that I even vibrated seemed silly.  But since embarking on this path of ‘slow, perpetual rebuilding of the inner structure’, which by the way, is C.S. Lewis’ description of personal development, I’ve come to understand that not only do I vibrate, but everything around me does too.  And that a huge part of vibrating at a high level equates simply to feeling good.  The better you feel the higher your vibration. And the higher your vibration the closer you are to whatever it is we all long to be reconnected with: love, God, soul, Bliss, Consciousness.

Back to the music.

As I let the music take me, I, not for the first time, realised just how powerful music is as a form of worship. Or as a means to connect with that deep mysterious part of ourselves and the Universe.  The way Lindley plays (starting at 3:15 – 4:01) simply transports me to a higher plane. His non-verbal singing echoes Jackson’s lyrics. Searching, longing, unsure but demanding.

As the song continued and moved towards its end I understood that this was a meditation of sorts. By just allowing the music to cover me and sink into my bones and cells I was experiencing a subtle union with something bigger than myself. And as the Almighty said after creating the world, “It is good.”

Immediately my mind jumped to a whole bunch of other songs which, whenever I hear them , transport me to a similar locale.  A place that the Psalmist often refers to as ‘the presence of the Lord’.

Another all-time personal fave of mine, T.B. Burnett is a very different sort of songwriter than Jackson Browne.  A man of deep musical knowledge and personal faith he rarely pens a lyric that does not have some of the gall and righteous indignation of Jeremiah.

The River of Love is a gorgeous little song from his last great album. Listen to the lap steel playing throughout but especially the section (1:21-1;50).  Pure musical mercury designed to tingle you into submission.

Finally, (but not really finally, for there are thousands of equally deserving candidates to demonstrate the purpose of this post) just dig the guitar mastery of Mr. G. Benson on this piece.  Alternating between rhythmic slicing and groove laden picking, if you can’t find your vibration and raise it to a high level in these three minutes, then you may  need to seek professional help!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Personal Development Tagged With: George Benson, Jackson Browne, music, T.B. Burnett, vibration

How I survived my first year out of the Aid Sector

October 7, 2016 by Nate Rabe

13501915_1193146374065584_1223166390907472275_n

Eleven months ago I pulled the plug on a successful career in international aid. There were (and remain) many who felt I was mad. Even I thought so right up until I finally stepped off the cliff.*

Nearly a year on I find myself hurtling ever further and faster out of the orbit of Planet Aid. What once seemed unthinkable—that I would willingly leave the security, the adventure, the ‘meaning’ of a sexy, rewarding career—is now daily reason for gratitude. I could never imagine returning.

I am aware from the occasional visit to Aid-worker sites on the Net that the idea of a post-Aid life is a particularly hot topic. For most, ‘the next step’ is confounding. For some, it’s downright petrifying. Options run between the unsatisfactory (low pay, junior positions) and the non-existent (corporate, UN or think tank). Overall, I get the idea from the discussions, its better to remain a frustrated, unhappy, even depressed, employee than risk being an ‘ex-aid worker’.

As I’ve maintained all along, and as the title of this blog boldly proclaims, there is Life After Aid.   Let me tell you a little about how I’ve managed it.

When it came time for me to exit stage left, I was determined to avoid the familiar avenues of consulting, the domestic charity sector and academia.

I was determined to do something completely different.

I had three criteria:

  • I didn’t want to be involved with aid/development.
  • I wanted a sustainable income stream that would pay more than any NGO or consulting role.
  • I wanted to put my writing and other creative pursuits at the center of life.

Having ruled out the sector that had sustained me professionally for nearly three decades, the only option, this side of a hefty win in the Lottery, seemed to be to go into business.

So late last year, after several months of arguing, investigation, hesitation, more argument and hemming and hawing at the cross roads—if we don’t go for what we want now, will we ever?— my wife and I held our breath, pooled our meager liquid assets and began referring to ourselves as entrepreneurs.

The first thing to note is, obviously this is not a brick and mortar business. We didn’t have the cash for that and neither of us saw ourselves as shopkeepers.

Years earlier we had tried our hands at an MLM business which went nowhere.   We didn’t to re-enter those treacherous waters.

Ours is a very contemporary business. 100% online. No inventory. No employees. No fuss no muss. All we needed, we were told, was a phone and an internet connection. It sounded like a plan.

In the months that followed we immersed ourselves in the world of online marketing: social media, click per view, content marketing, funnels this funnels that, banner ads, lead generation, CRMs and on and on.

I’ve learned how to put a pretty spiffy landing page together in a day and my ads are improving all the time. Yvonne handles most of the phone calls with prospective customers. She uses her natural authenticity and feminine power to do an amazing job of promoting the products. Speaking of which, are also very modern.

Our products have no physical substance. (How clever!) We don’t sell boxes, or books, CDs or cellulite cream. We don’t have a franchise to repair your iPhone glass when it shatters. And we don’t sell health products.

What we trade in is powerful ideas. Ideas about personal courage and taking personal responsibility. Ideas that offer a different take on the Universe and how we ordinary mortals can make it work for, rather than against, us. Essentially we offer people a way to create lasting positive change in their lives.

When I signed on to being a businessman I had no expectation that I would experience profound personal change as part of the package. But this sort of business demands that you not just know your product inside and out, but that you become a product of the product yourself.

After spending 30 years in the aid industry focused on urging others toward development, the journey of turning some serious light into the dusty, crusty, much ignored corners of my own mind, soul and spirit was a bit confronting.

But the journey of personal development has been deep and exciting. In fact, much to my surprise I virtually absorbed the material by osmosis. One course led to another, which led to books, videos and podcasts from a whole chorus of other thinkers, scientists, philosophers and mystics.

Were I to abandon the business tomorrow, I would walk away knowing I have received value far beyond the financial investment and sacrifice we made.

But lest you think the last 11 months have been one long chorus of Kum Ba Ya, let me set the record straight

Depending on a business to pay the bills and not receiving a paycheck every month has been a major learning curve. More than once we’ve come close to doing a very realistic impression of the Titanic just after it hit the iceberg.

And like all beginners, we grossly underestimated the time it would take to produce an income. We have been frustrated by the learning curve and been challenged on a daily basis by our old habits and ways of thinking. Though we’ve never seriously considered chucking in the towel –we had no Plan B. A handy strategy if you want to succeed—there have been plenty of sleepless nights.

But being part of a company and community that is promoting personal development there is no place to hide. When the going got parlous and the bank balance skint, we had to find a way.

They say successful pushers never smoke their own shit. Well, in this business, consuming massive quantities of our products was exactly the thing that kept us moving forward.

So nearly one year on, what’s the scorecard look like?

To be honest, the results are mixed. I’ve not been able to write as much as I want or thought I would. Yvonne has been frustrated that she’s had to forego opportunities that interest her and further her passions. So that work-life balance hasn’t been created yet.

But considering we were complete novices when we began and that most businesses take a couple of years to truly get off the ground I have no doubt that we’ll soon have the time we want for the things that make us tick. It’s just a matter of time.

And what about the income?

The situation is pretty much the same. We are not ‘financially free’ yet, of course. But I am absolutely certain that that heavenly state is one that is no longer the stuff of fantasy. Already we are earning more than we’ve ever made in our lives so things are definitely trending in the right direction.

For aid workers struggling with the ‘next step’,  I offer a few simple lessons.

  1. There is most definitely Life After Aid. There are myriad opportunities, other than ‘jobs’ and consulting, out there. You just have to want it bad enough.
  2. Back yourself. If you’ve got a burning desire to do something other than aid work, find a way to do it. Don’t accept mediocrity or frustration or bouncing around the world hoping things will one day improve. They won’t. Follow your heart; it will lead you.
  3. A home-based business is an excellent option. If you pick the right one your investment costs can be incredibly low and your returns unbelievably high.
  4. There is nothing quite like the feeling of operating something you’ve created from scratch. The sense of pride, purpose and achievement that comes with a successful business venture is unbeatable. That we are able to assist others to become better, happier and more prosperous people in the process only makes the effort more rewarding.

So, go on. Take the plunge.

What do you have to lose except that regional conference on Aid Effectiveness?

* I have written about some of my motivations for getting out as well as how I somewhat accidently began my career nearly 30 years ago. You can peruse DEVEX and earlier posts of my other blog for those reflections if you are so inclined.

Filed Under: Career

Recent Posts

  • Making it the Way It Is
  • Betting on Ourselves
  • Making Mistakes on Purpose are key to Success!
  • Raising the Vibration through Music
  • How I survived my first year out of the Aid Sector

Archives

  • April 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016

Categories

  • Career
  • Motivation
  • Personal Development
  • Uncategorized

Main Menu

  • Home
  • About Us
  • About The Business
  • Is This Business For You?
  • Personal Development
  • FAQs
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
simplesteps1

Contact Information

Yvonne Westerman and Nate Rabe
Contact AUS Australia: +61 411 133 236
Contact USA United States: +1 509 590 1381
Contact UK United Kingdom: +44 0115 888 3131
Contact Email info@SensationalLives.com
Contact URL www.SensationalLives.com
  • Privacy Policy
  • Earnings Disclaimer
  • Testimonials Disclosure
  • Sitemap
www.SensationalLives.com
2018 Copyright © All Rights Reserved.
Website Design by:
www.TheHomeBusinessPeople.com