The Art of Receiving

Written & Narrated by Leigh Martinuzzi – Originally Published 7.11.2014

I got myself in more debt. I got myself more upset when more bills came rolling in. I got myself in a panic when I got myself fired and was not sure where the next paycheck would come from. How would I support my wife and kids? What would I do next? What would happen next?

What I asked for in life I received. It was how I reacted, not responded, that has taught me a heck of a lot in life. We all continue to learn as we experience life. It is what we do with these life lessons that count.

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Distraction Kills Productivity, Attention, and Awareness

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Steve Jobs

The noise of the external world is muting the sound of the internal world, and therefore our intuition pays the price.

What moments do we have in the day to connect internally? How much time do we give to listen to our internal voice? What is consuming our attention and why?

I believe healthy desires can guide us in living a more beautiful and purposeful life. Desires push us beyond our comfort zone and into the areas of innovation and progress. They are a critical component of our evolution. They can lead us towards enlightenment – a more profound state of joy. (more…)

The Various Shades of Love

Why does love feel different? Why does our motivation for life increase when you’ve created life?

It feels satisfying having my mum and dad still with me. When I think about how fortunate I am, I sometimes feel guilty. Many children have had parents but lost them early, and some have never had parents. Divorce, separation, drug abuse, death, early adoption, abandonment, and any other reason. I am grateful to have amazing parents that have been there to support me throughout my life.

My love for my parents is deep but here is what I wonder, having children of my own I sense a differing effect of love. Why? And why, now that I have kids of my own, do I appear to have a raised level of ambition to live? Not that I am suicidal, but indeed I am more aware and concerned about my destructive behaviours. (more…)

From Passion to Contribution

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Harold Whitman

Entrepreneurs are often told to think about what the world needs and then look for ways to solve these problems.

Teenagers are often told to pursue careers aligned with their skills, those subjects that they are good at doing.

Most of us seek occupations with the aim of making some money with the purpose of being able to purchase stuff we think will make us come alive. Things that will make our lives somehow better. (more…)

New Year Goals- The New Way (revised)

In this post, I am sharing an article I wrote a few years ago. It has been slightly edited but left as close to the original as possible. Having just read it I am fascinated by how my thoughts, beliefs and perspectives have changed. Nothing remains.

It is a representation of my thoughts three years back. In the end, I will write a short dot point summary to reflect my shifting perspectives, thoughts and feelings. Setting New Years Resolutions is a subject we can all relate to, so I hope by reading it you gain some value.

Here it is.

I have always been one to set new year’s resolutions. My mother still has archived New Year’s Resolution lists that I wrote years ago. So many unachieved goals. In reviewing these records, it’s startling how year after year the same goals appear. (more…)

What keeps you up at night? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Working for various companies in the cooperate industry people used to proudly say to me that multiple aspects of the business kept them up at night. At the time, I found it kind of “wanky,” and now that I reflect on it, I still find it “wanky.”

1. Wanky (slang)- contemptible, worthless, or stupid.

Being kept up at night is not healthy. If you are someone who finds themselves up in the middle of the night or not being able to get to sleep easily, I wonder what aspects of your business or life are the cause. Are they justifiable? Are they important? And why? (more…)

The Credentials of Minimalism – Fact or Fiction?

The notion of living “minimally” seems to be trending in western culture across the globe. Is it a sign of the times? An indication that something is inherently imbalanced about the modern day lifestyles and consumeristic cultures we live.

I wonder, are we as a collective waking up to the unnecessary noise that like a disease is infecting our ability to live fully, freely and happily? Is minimalism sustainable? Is it a possible solution to much of our modern day dissatisfaction and depression? Or is it just another trend?

Like sheep in the herd are we just following the crowd? More information, more clutter, more distraction, more confusion, more consumerism. Just another way to mask our already insecure and dissatisfied lives. As we traverse this experience so far disconnected from our story, not knowing which way to turn, we cling to hope as the status quo clings to conformity. (more…)

The Ultimate Life Map – The Ultimate Leadership Tool

I have recently come across a Ted Talk and a book that has sparked my interest to writing this post. They were talks on leadership, motivation, and methods on how to produce the best results out of people as it relates to our occupations. However, leadership, motivation and how to reach our peak potential matter not only to the work we do but to the life we live and for that reason I believe these talks have valuable information for us all.

For a significant portion of our life, we all work, spending approximately a third of our day doing so. With the remaining time, we spend half of it sleeping, or we should, and the other half exploring the passions of life or trying to keep up with different demands. (more…)

Walking Alone (revised)

So here I am walking through the bush in Australia by myself. I’ve been walking for about an hour, maybe two, and I am blown away by just how fascinating this place is.

I am hiking through the Lamington national park just near the southern border of Queensland, Australia. The hike I am on is called Shipstone Circuit, a 21-kilometer circuit walk. I would say other than the length it’s a moderate walk but a beautiful one.

Breathtaking views, transcending falls and scenery that forever changes. Areas of dry, rugged bush and scrub, to the whispering voices of wise old red cedar gums. From forests of invasive Picabeen palms alluring bird life to the luminous mystery of wet sub-tropical rainforest. I am no ecologist, but it indeed is a diverse journey through this quite part of the world. (more…)

Change: Uncertainty and The Fear of Missing Out

“Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home… it’s your responsibility to love it, or change it.” Chuck Palahniuk

I have decided to move on with my life. Life decisions are never easy. They bring on all kinds of feelings that can be uncomfortable and even unbearable. They all rise from the notion of change. And the bigger they are, the longer they can be drawn out.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw

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