So Educated, but so Stupid.

Hello Groovers… a little house-keeping before we get under way with today’s post.

1. As you may have noticed, we have had a strong and positive (almost overwhelming) response to our Accountability Partner concept (see yesterday’s post). As we speak (okay, as I write), the Bald Man is doing his best to figure out the technical and logistical stuff to be able to make this idea a working reality. Clearly, I’m the creative and he’s the tech-head brainiac. I have trouble using a microwave oven, so I’m gonna be no help to him at all. If you have experience, knowledge and/or skills that might be of value to Baldy, drop him an email via the ‘email Craig’ menu option thingy. We should have it all figured out within the next few days and hopefully the project will be operational within a week or so.

2. After a couple of false starts, we have decided to proceed with our Renovate Your Life program mid 2008 – date to be announced in the next week. The program will be facilitated by Mr Bossy Pants (me) and will run on a Sunday from my Brighton Centre here in Melbourne. It will be a big day, starting at 8.30 and wrapping up at about 6.00 ish. There’s a slim chance that Bobby Cappuccio might be out from the States (only one of the best speakers on the planet) to share the stage with me (I’m currently twisting his arm) so stay tuned… Either way it will be an awesome day. If you would like to register your interest early, simply email us.

3. Johnnie often gets requests from visitors to our site looking to purchase a DVD of one of my presentations. Well, I just recently completed a corporate gig which happened to be filmed and the DVD will be available for purchase in the next few weeks. It will be relatively affordable; probably about $25.00 (in Aust.) or $30.00 (overseas) including postage. It’s a sixty(ish) minute presentation about ‘change’ with a focus on the body stuff – it’s called Renovate Your Body. And of course, I’m hilarious and the presentation is amazing.

Okay, on with today’s post: So Educated but so Stupid.

graduateIf the Personal Development movement and it’s ever-expanding range of offerings (books, programs, seminars, CD’s, Gurus) was in fact proving to be an effective resource in helping humanity pull itself out of it’s collective crap, then globally we should be seeing things improving by the day. After all, we’ve got more of the Fix-Your-Life stuff available right now than we’ve had at any time in our history. You and I live in the self-help age and the information-overload age but despite being so enlightened and informed as a species, it seems that we’re as stupid, lazy, irresponsible and destructive as we’ve ever been. Maybe even more so.

In case you haven’t been told, as a group numbering about six billion or so, we’re not really travelling that well. We’re either fat or starving, we’re addicted to drugs, we spend more than we earn, we kill each other for a cause, we mutilate our healthy bodies with cosmetic surgery because we’re obsessed with our appearance, we’re constantly in therapy, we’re angry at the world, we medicate with alcohol, we share the most intimate physical experience with strangers and we continue our destructive behaviours despite the fact that we know better.

And then there’s our planet; it’s not really having a good time either. However, if we can find a way to overlook the rapidly declining state of our forests, oceans, arctic regions and air quality, then there really are no problems. Er… that is as long as we don’t think too much about those numerous species of animals that become extinct each year. Who cares; there’s still a whole bunch left.

earthYou may or may not have noticed, but right here on the big blue ball we have a few serious problems. There’s the war thing of course; we keep killing each other (always for a good cause though). Then there’s the global obesity thing – fortunately it’s not our fault; it’s all those horrible fast food companies and their clever marketing people. And at the other end of the scale there’s the starving people thing in those countries with weird names – you may have seen the World Vision advertisements on the TV. We also have the personal debt thing – most of us are getting further into debt every day; because of those seductive advertisers who prey on our feeble minds of course – but at least we have our gigantic plasma screens in each room of the house to ease the pain. Apparently in some countries, the people don’t have any money at all – who’da thought? Oh well, we don’t live there so it’s not really a problem for us. And then there’s that other small challenge that we’ve been having for a few (thousand) years. You know, the religion one. Apparently we’re right and they’re wrong. Or is it the other way around? Not sure. Anyway, it’s a good thing that the various religions around the globe are all about love, forgiveness, tolerance and enlightenment – otherwise we could end up with some kinda religious war on our hands. As if that would happen.

Here’s an idea… what if from now on, instead of being angry at the world, constantly finding fault in others, blaming my parents for ruining my life, hating people who don’t believe what I do, destroying my body with food and drugs, putting my head in the sand and doing my best to make others look or feel bad… what if I change what I can – me. Perhaps I’ll start to put those five hundred self-help books that I’ve read to some use. Maybe I’ve read enough for the moment. Maybe I should apply what I know and work hard at making me a better human being.

Imagine if we all did that. We might change the world.

There’s a thought.

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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }

Evelyn Lim April 9, 2008 at 12:28 am

It’s astonishing that there is so much pain and suffering around the world and yet many of us are not motivated enough to take actions.

Your observations are pretty much on the mark; I see it too. Many of the attendees at self help or personal development workshops fail to take action. You get to the see the same lot of seminar junkies all the time at workshop after workshop. Some of them even profess to want to be in the personal development field, without looking at themselves internally. I’m not saying that I’m way better than them. But I really question their ability to help others when all I hear from them are complaints about their miserable lives.

Well, all the best on your upcoming Renovating Your Life workshop. Wish I can be there! Maybe the regular group of attendees that I was talking about, should just attend for a kick-butt one!

Evelyn
from Singapore

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SLH April 9, 2008 at 5:51 am

I imagine that would be heaven on a stick Craig :)
You and Johnnie are truly special.
Looking forward to the mid year course and the CD launch.
Here is some cyber love for all that you do
()X ()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()X()

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Anonymous April 9, 2008 at 7:14 am

Can’t wait for that workshop Craig.

Julie R.

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Craig Harper April 9, 2008 at 9:12 am

Hi Evelyn. You mean you’re not going to fly out from Singapore for the day? LOL.

Thanks for saying hi.

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Craig Harper April 9, 2008 at 9:18 am

Hi SLH.

Wow. Thankyou for all the cyber love. I feel a bit spesh. I’ll accept it graciously but we all know that the Bald Man has a few intimacy issues – so he’ll take just one of the hugs.

XX

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Craig Harper April 9, 2008 at 9:27 am

You’ll have to Julie!

I hope you can make it.. cheers.

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Leanne M April 9, 2008 at 10:15 am

When I read the last paragraph of today’s post it reminded me of a woman I used to work with many years ago. Nearly everyone at work thought she was dumb and called her a bimbo or similar names behind her back. Angela (not her real name) always tried her best at work and even though she made mistakes she never made excuses or blamed other people.

Angela was very optimistic and friendly and caring towards everyone in the office, and would be building people up while they would be putting her down behind her back.

Angela was tireless in her efforts to raise money for various charities but did this very quietly unobtrusively yet very effectively …not in a “look at me” way that some people seem do.

As far as I was concerned whilst Angela was not “academically smart” her life philosophy was very smart and those who made fun of her were too busy caught up in themselves to notice the good around them.

Leanne Magraith

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Craig Harper April 9, 2008 at 12:04 pm

Thanks for sharing Leanne…

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Anonymous April 9, 2008 at 5:10 pm

Gidday mate, 74 comments on your last blog! I think you and Johnny are onto something. You will have to save me a seat at your program. Talk to you soon, got a bit of news. Cheers,Vin. ()man hug.

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Anonymous April 9, 2008 at 5:40 pm

What! You mean we should actually do the biblical thing and “remove the plank from our own eye, before we try to remove the specks of dust from everyone else’s eyes”? Whoa! That’s radical!

Might work if enough people try it!

Anne x( )

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Craig Harper April 9, 2008 at 9:32 pm

Hello Vincent.

I’ll save you a seat…

What news?

( )

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Craig Harper April 9, 2008 at 9:33 pm

Hi Anne. Yeah, crazy I know. ( )

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Terry April 11, 2008 at 7:20 am

I am new here and we have never met. But you seem to know a hell of a lot about me Craig. Thanks for the wake up calls.

PS. I won’t be attending your workshop as I will be watching the Socceroos play China at ANZ Stadium, Sydney. :)

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Briar April 11, 2008 at 10:26 am

I know it sounds very churchy- but AMEN to that!

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