Some things I’m proud of from last year:
– Getting engaged obviously 🙂 Without love, what’s the point? Daria seems to be getting credit for any positive change in me last year which is a little unfair…but I love her so will just nod and smile 😉 Hopefully she’ll be with me in Brighton soon…
– The first EFC getting off the ground in Russia (much cultural learning!) and another good one in the UK. Very happy to be contributing and following my calling through EFC and grateful to the team as ever. Get your arse on 2016’s if you want a major step-up personally and professionally!
– Embodied Yoga Principles is becoming a thing! My best hope for getting embodiment to people on a large scale
– Supporting a few good causes like trauma work in Ukraine, gay rights empowerment in Russia and working with environmental activists in the UK. Hopefully helping in Calais in 2016
– Life Gym – a unique peer-led personal growth group – becoming established and happening without me which is the point. See below if curious
– Doing this without compromising my values or style. Yes, I upset some people in 2015, yes I took it too far and was a prick a few times but I didn’t water myself down either 🙂
So that’s the cheering which is what most newsletters are about, but this is maybe the most depressing week of the year and I’m still me, so here’s some things that have kicked my arse and did my nut in 2015 too:
– Better start with love again, especially long distance and visas…
– War. Seriously humanity, sort it out! STOP KILLING PEOPLE already!
– Politicians are an easy target but this year it’s been clearer than ever to me most are so in the pocket of big-business and their own financial concerns it’s depressing. There is however some hope with bright sparks in UK, USA, Spain and Greece.
– Being a manager. Far harder than I ever gave credit for. I made a lot of mistakes in 2015 in this area.
– Yoga culture. I’ve met some great people though my immersion in yoga in 2015 but also some real muppets. The commercial, fundamentalist, passive-aggressive new-age mix is often pretty toxic frankly. Suck my unicorns ya’ll 🙂
– Guru culture. Still a lot of people in personal growth seem to want to be told what to do and copy some Asian or American idol. Abusers still in positions of power (hi integral world!), students not ready for a multi-style approach, mad projection on me online, etc. Time to grow up I say.
– New Year’s resolutions. It’s that time of year where everyone is trying to change and most will fail. They’ll fail as they won’t have a practice or community of support. Quick plug – We designed EFC how it is to give people a fighting chance and frankly even then it’s tough. It’s also a time of year where every personal growth industry charlatan is hawking their products! Ha, maybe I’m one? Some free stuff on change below and you can make your mind up.
All the best from Brighton,
Mark
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