Imagine if Batman tried to live his life as if he was living out Superman's adventure.  The consequences would be pretty dire.

Too many of us spend our lives trying to live up to other people's expections, to live out the adventure they think we should enact.  The consequences can be pretty dire.

We must choose our own adventure.

Thank You!
If you'd like to say, "Thank You!" and fund the increased production of resources like this, you can support my work here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/lexmckee

Life Is Not An Adventure - Inspirational Podcast

Hi, I’m Lex – Lex McKee – who writes one half of the “Focus on Wellness” column for Focus Magazines and the Monday Moodscope blog for Moodscope.

Today’s topic is: I Think Therefore I Feel

I wonder if René Descartes would be gracious enough for me to adapt his famous, “I think, therefore I am”?  His was a way to prove our existence.  Mine is a way to improve our experience of our existence.  Why?  Because our thinking often drives the way we feel.

I was having a complete hissy-fit the other day, a bad mood that grew progressively worse.  “Could it be,” I thought to myself, “that moods are purely chemical?”  If so, my thinking was agitating those chemicals!

A little Internet surfing seemed to confirm that every emotion is a complex cocktail of chemicals rushing through the bloodstream.  How are these chemicals triggered?  They are triggered by our reaction or our response to a stimulus.  If something makes us jump, the “fear” emotional reaction is necessarily fast – leaving no time to think before the cocktail is released.  However, in most circumstances, we have time to think, we have time to respond, and thus have time to change how we feel.

Feeling cross was a real downer, something I want to learn to influence even if I can’t quite control it.  It was therefore interesting to be reminded of the contribution Edward de Bono has made to improving our thinking.  Edward died on the 9th June – a great loss to the world of thinking.

One of Edward’s most famous techniques is “Six Thinking Hats.”  Playing on the idea of, “Putting on our Thinking Cap,” de Bono suggested we would have a better experience of life if we learned “Parallel Thinking” – to think in multiple ways.  He asked us to put on one Thinking Hat at a time.  
We put on the White Hat to think about facts and to use our powers of logic.
The Black Hat is the one to wear when thinking about what could go wrong – the worst-case scenario.
To balance this with optimism – the best-case scenario - he said to wear the Yellow Hat.
To create options, alternatives, and possibilities, we put on the Green Hat.
The Blue Hat is the management hat, put on to lead and organise the thinking process.
But by far my favourite is the Red Hat which allows us to express our emotions without needing any argument to justify them.

Returning to my hissy-fit, a wise friend would let me keep the Red Hat on for a few minutes while I ranted and vented!  They could then ask me to put on the Black Hat to exaggerate the worst-case scenario (i.e. “The day was ruined, I wouldn’t get any work done!”)

Rant and gloom and doom over, I could put on the White Hat to calmly look at the facts.

After this, the Yellow Hat would help me think through the best-case, and the Green Hat would facilitate the generation of positive options to improve the day.  Finally, the Blue Hat would help me organise what to do next.

Frankly, it’s cute even if over-complex for most situations, but it made me think…
…and the more I thought about it, the calmer I became.  Surprise, surprise – I ended up having a pretty good day.  I think, therefore I feel.

Music Credit:
Documentary Ambient Background
Danail Draganov
Used under licence from Storyblocks.com

Image Credit:
Photo Mix from Pixabay - used with permission

I Think Therefore I Feel

I HAD to share this asap.
https://musescore.com/user/30916776/scores/6219872
That's the MIDI score honouring Keith Emerson and ELP.
The Organ is the MAGNIFICENT "Rathgar Pipe Organ" by Edu Prado
currently on SPECIAL with Audio Plugin Deals.  I think it's a MUST buy.
https://audioplugin.deals/rathgar-pipe-organ-by-edu-prado-sounds/
And, no, I'm not on commission.

ELP Jerusalem using the Rathgar Pipe Organ by Edu Prado

A good brother shoved a USB key towards me and said, "Listen to this."
I'm so glad I did.
I have absolutely ZERO copyright clearance on this, but if this is your message and you're happy for me to share it far and wide, do get in touch.

I think it is Andy Bowerman - Rector of Wareham.

Connect 2010

Church Without Walls

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, 
   Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; 
Conspiring with him how to load and bless 
   With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; 
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees, 
   And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; 
      To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells 
   With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, 
And still more, later flowers for the bees, 
Until they think warm days will never cease, 
      For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells. 

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store? 
   Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find 
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, 
   Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; 
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep, 
   Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook 
      Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers: 
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep 
   Steady thy laden head across a brook; 
   Or by a cyder-press, with patient look, 
      Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours. 

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they? 
   Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,— 
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, 
   And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue; 
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn 
   Among the river sallows, borne aloft 
      Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies; 
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn; 
   Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft 
   The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft; 
      And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Poem By John Keats To Autumn

Down By The Salley Gardens by Herbert Hughes

Down By The Salley Gardens By Herbert Hughes

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS
Saint Basil on Social Justice (and more!)
The 16th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations is, "Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions." Goal 10 of the 17 is, "Reduced Inequalities." Goal 1 is, "No Poverty." Goal 2 is, "Zero Hunger," and Goal 5 is, "Gender Equality." Saint Basil would approve.

Quote 1
When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.

Quote 2
A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

Quote 3
While we try to amass wealth, make piles of money, get hold of the land as our real property, overtop one another in riches, we have palpably cast off justice, and lost the common good. I should like to know how any man can be just, who is deliberately aiming to get out of someone else what he wants for himself.

Enjoy more of Basil's wisdom here:
https://lnkd.in/gUxyujtx
and
https://lnkd.in/gKQ8GmmZ

#4thDayofChristmas #SocialJustice #17SDGs #B1G1 #money #sustainabledevelopment #gender #kindness

On The 9th Day Of Christmas - Saint Basil The Great on Social Justice

Sermon blog for the non-religious and spiritual alike.  Covers the importance of highly valuing what you deliver.

Sermon On Self Worth.WAV

I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land. He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.”

The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky, and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets. The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”

I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book.

He said to me, “Take it, and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”

I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. They told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

Revelation Chapter 10 WEB

So nice to be mixing again, especially in the genre of Ambient Metal

44 16 124 Bpm Ambient Metal Breathe In B

Remixing stems from an Ambient Metal Library.  The track is called, "Flynn's Mansion" and the image is my favourite from NightCafé

44 16 128 Bpm The Mansion Of Flynn Ambient Metal In B Mixdown

"Identity" is the track remixed from stems in a library I've licensed called, "Ambient Metal".
Image is from NightCafé which I have affectionately called, "The Toaster of Wrath."

142 Bpm Ambient Metal Identity Mixdown

The joys of Ambient Metal.
164 bpm
Remixed from the Ambient Metal sample library.
Image from NightCafé

Ambient Metal Construction Coming Home 164bpm

There's a Christmas Special Offer on at BigFishAudio.com (no, I'm not on commission).  This music was arranged and mixed from samples in the Apex Audio '80's Arcade Synthwave' pack.  Whilst I did not write this music, the samples are licensed to me to arrange and mix... as I have done here.
I say this because I'll £50 someone will claim it as their song.  It isn't.

Arcade 85bpm Bm - using samples from Apex Audio

"NOIR" - an 80's style Synthwave backing track I'm working on...
There's a Christmas Special Offer on at BigFishAudio.com (no, I'm not on commission).  This music was arranged and mixed from samples in the Apex Audio '80's Arcade Synthwave' pack.  Whilst I did not write this music, the samples are licensed to me to arrange and mix... as I have done.

On this track, I've added elements from the Kontakt compatible libraries: Cantus and Mysteria.

https://youtu.be/WfDX0xwjbtI?si=tqFYW9deI7AiCp4z
I say this because I'll £50 someone will claim it as their song.  It isn't.  [And, Yup, they did...]

"Noir" - Arcadian 136bmp Em Mysteria Cantus

The Nexus synth from ReFX is usually "Instant Satisfaction" with just about any preset.  I wouldn't normally have even looked at a 'Drill' Library (not knowing what the genre was) but there was a free sample with their Christmas 2023 download and, "Oh Boy!" or even, "Oh Girl!" I LOVE this.  Will be buying the full pack.

Nexus Drill Boxing Day

I was feeling Christmassy so did a remix of that wonderful tune to, "Good King Wenceslas."  It transitions to more minor towwards the end to reflect the sad demise of this lovely chap.

Good King Wenceslas

My settings on NightCafé clearly are fond of this model!  The prompt was simply, "The Perfect Cup of Coffee,"!  It is, therefore, now obvious to me that if I am to enjoy the perfect cup of coffee, I will need to marry an angel.

For those of us who LOVE to make music, this simple Lo-Fi track consists of only two presets from ReFx's Nexus "Lo-Fi" expansion pack.  The mix was run through SSL X-Limiter on the 'Auto' preset.  What a way to start my day... now I'm off for a coffee.

The Perfect Cup Of Coffee

Lo-Fi Canon in D minor.
Synths include ReFx's Nexus 4 and Native Instruments 'Emotive Strings' for Kontakt.

Lo - Fi Canon In Dmin

I've always loved this tiny segment of Mussorgsky's "Great Gate of Kiev," whether in the orchestral version or performed by Emerson Lake and Palmer, or Isao Tomita.

Here's me playing with some synths and samples to bring out the exquisite harmonies.

SEGMENT Great Gate Of Kiev LEXremix

"The Song of the Space Ape - Teo from Monkey World, Dorset"
We were able to capture the wonderful song of Teo, the Song of the Golden-Cheeked Gibbon - son of 'Peanut' and 'Pung-Yo' at the Ape Rescue Centre, Monkey World, near Wool, Dorset.

I processed Teo's song through a classic Echo Chamber (Plexitape) and then added some atmospheric drones.  Here's his message going out into the depths of Space.

Teo's cries reminds me of the sound of the Moog Theremin or Etherwave.

The image is from Wikimedia Commons/Flickr and is of a femail Golden-Cheeked Gibbon.  Teo is a male, and it black aside from his Golden-Cheeks.

Song Of Teo - a Golden-Cheeked Gibbon from Monkey World, Dorset

Indie Pop from Uberschall called Etherium

Intermission
 
Mark my words, there are many powerful ways to transform our lives… and here is the first.
 
Have you ever tried to stay cross in the middle of an argument when someone makes you laugh – perhaps by pulling a face?  In truth, it’s really annoying when you’re angry and someone interrupts that feeling by making you smile or giggle… but once you grin, they win!
 
And so do you.
 
The spell is broken.
 
The cycle is too.
 
Psychologists call this a ‘pattern interrupt’ and it’s a brilliant way to get yourself out of a pickle if you feel your emotions are heading in a direction you want to change.  Your emotions are designed to serve you, not the other way around, and if you feel you’re losing control, call for an intermission.
 
This is surprisingly easy to do.
 
Why?  Because your brain believes your body.  As soon as you change your physical position, your mental posture automatically follows.  I noticed a lovely Mum last night running to catch up with her two young children, and this reminded me of one of my grandchildren who runs everywhere!  There’s an energy and enthusiasm to his life that is very engaging.  Lambs do it too.  And calves.  And puppies.  And kids… baby goats!
 
Then something happens as we mature.  We begin to slow down.  Boring.
 
Action plan: when you feel stuck or out of control, do something different with your posture and pace.  Dare you!  Here’s what happened to me next…
 
Making sure no one was looking, I decided to run back to the house - just like a kid.  My capacity was poor – about 5 yards, but it was all I needed – I was grinning - out of breath but grinning.  And when you’re grinning, you’re winning.

Intermission Blog For Moodscope 22nd January

How can you start a blog that will bring hope with such a negative statement? Easy! I believe real truth sets you truly, really free! Truly, Really, Deeply!!!

So what's the real truth?

Well, it's a lesson we've heard about from ancient times, a fundamental truth of philosophy, which few of us get to 'know' about. Hearing and knowing are not the same. Hearing is passive; knowing is experience. I want you and I to experience this truth.

And the truth is this: "To thine own self, be true..." (Hamlet, Act 1; Scene 3).

And older still: "Know thyself!" (This is used by Plato and other Greek Philosophers but no one is quite sure who was the original author.)

And from the Old Testament, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7 – and thus attributed to the wisest Earthman that ever lived, Solomon.)

And finally, from Roxette: "Listen to your heart!" (Swedish, must be true.)

So my point today is that your heart is the most important part of you. You and I need to be true to our hearts. My life is filled with chapter after unhappy chapter that have resulted from a decision where I crossed my heart – I went against what my heart wanted and did what I thought logically was the 'right' thing. All manner of misery has flowed from each of these choices. The result? I have hoped to die. I think that's called 'depression' isn't it?

The solution isn't simple. It takes courage. Massive courage. Benjamin Mee-type courage:
"You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." (from, "We Bought A Zoo.")

Your heart is saying something amazing to you today – something exciting – something daring. Don't cross your heart – don't go against it and hope to die. Listen to your heart, then make a bold choice and listen again to Benjamin's words, "And I promise you, something great will come of it."

Crossed - My - Heart - Hoped - To - Die

Another great Big Fish Audio Library is Indie Acoustic - with 20 sets.
I do love the shaker on this one!

Big Fish Audio is a company that produces excellent sample libraries.
I use these in video production, and they are almost perfect.
'Almost'? Well, the issue is you will face a copyright challenge every time you use the product licensed to you. Some low-integrity band who have used the same samples (which they don't own but have licensed just like you) will file a copyright complaint via YouTube and Facebook's stupid robot programmes as if they wrote the original piece.
This will mean you will waste valuable producing time telling YouTube and Facebook to do their homework (which they won't).
As long as you recognise and reconcile yourself to this waste of your time, the libraries are great and well worth every penny.

Indie Acoustic 12 112 Bpm Bm Short But Full

Healing Scriptures - Divine Medicine

Für Elise

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Für_Elise

Here, the piano is deliberately cinematic.
The library is from Epic SoundLab's, The Forge, using two instances of their cinematic piano settings.

Beautiful.  Sad.  Haunting.

The image is from Unsplash.com
Photo by Serenity Mitchell on Unsplash

Fur Elise - Ludwig van Beethove

The picture (wikimedia commons) is of Carl Jung's Tower at Bollingen.  My concept album (still in conception) will be called "The Four Towers" and will be an exploration of four psychological types.  The types will be the Analyst (with the Grandfather Clock as his signature sound), the Entrepreneur (with engine sounds), the Creative (with the sound of an open fire) and the Empath (with the sound of the cat's purr).  This short piece is intended as an introduction to the Album.  It contains some of my favourite sounds.

The Four Towers introduction mix

Zadok The Priest

Here's a sample track make ONLY from presets in ReFX's expansion pack, "Progressive House," for Nexus 3.

Progressive House Expansion for Nexus 3

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,
    who rely on horses,
who trust in the multitude of their chariots
    and in the great strength of their horsemen,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel,
    or seek help from the Lord.
Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster;
    he does not take back his words.
He will rise up against that wicked nation,
    against those who help evildoers.
But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God;
    their horses are flesh and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
    those who help will stumble,
    those who are helped will fall;
    all will perish together.

This is what the Lord says to me:

‘As a lion growls,
    a great lion over its prey –
and though a whole band of shepherds
    is called together against it,
it is not frightened by their shouts
    or disturbed by their clamour –
so the Lord Almighty will come down
    to do battle on Mount Zion and on its heights.
Like birds hovering overhead,
    the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem;
he will shield it and deliver it,
    he will “pass over” it and will rescue it.’

Return, you Israelites, to the One you have so greatly revolted against. For in that day every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold your sinful hands have made.

‘Assyria will fall by no human sword;
    a sword, not of mortals, will devour them.
They will flee before the sword
    and their young men will be put to forced labour.
Their stronghold will fall because of terror;
    at the sight of the battle standard their commanders will panic,’
declares the Lord,
    whose fire is in Zion,
    whose furnace is in Jerusalem.

New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Isaiah 31 NIV (UK)

Woe to you, destroyer,
    you who have not been destroyed!
Woe to you, betrayer,
    you who have not been betrayed!
When you stop destroying,
    you will be destroyed;
when you stop betraying,
    you will be betrayed.

Lord, be gracious to us;
    we long for you.
Be our strength every morning,
    our salvation in time of distress.
At the uproar of your army, the peoples flee;
    when you rise up, the nations scatter.
Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts;
    like a swarm of locusts people pounce on it.

The Lord is exalted, for he dwells on high;
    he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.
He will be the sure foundation for your times,
    a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
    the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.

Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets;
    the envoys of peace weep bitterly.
The highways are deserted,
    no travellers are on the roads.
The treaty is broken,
    its witnesses are despised,
    no one is respected.
The land dries up and wastes away,
    Lebanon is ashamed and withers;
Sharon is like the Arabah,
    and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.

‘Now will I arise,’ says the Lord.
    ‘Now will I be exalted;
    now will I be lifted up.
You conceive chaff,
    you give birth to straw;
    your breath is a fire that consumes you.
The peoples will be burned to ashes;
    like cut thorn-bushes they will be set ablaze.’

You who are far away, hear what I have done;
    you who are near, acknowledge my power!
The sinners in Zion are terrified;
    trembling grips the godless:
‘Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?
    Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?’
Those who walk righteously
    and speak what is right,
who reject gain from extortion
    and keep their hands from accepting bribes,
who stop their ears against plots of murder
    and shut their eyes against contemplating evil –
they are the ones who will dwell on the heights,
    whose refuge will be the mountain fortress.
Their bread will be supplied,
    and water will not fail them.

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty
    and view a land that stretches afar.
In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror:
    ‘Where is that chief officer?
Where is the one who took the revenue?
    Where is the officer in charge of the towers?’
You will see those arrogant people no more,
    people whose speech is obscure,
    whose language is strange and incomprehensible.

Look on Zion, the city of our festivals;
    your eyes will see Jerusalem,
    a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved;
its stakes will never be pulled up,
    nor any of its ropes broken.
There the Lord will be our Mighty One.
    It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams.
No galley with oars will ride them,
    no mighty ship will sail them.
For the Lord is our judge,
    the Lord is our lawgiver,
the Lord is our king;
    it is he who will save us.

Your rigging hangs loose:
    the mast is not held secure,
    the sail is not spread.
Then an abundance of spoils will be divided
    and even the lame will carry off plunder.
No one living in Zion will say, ‘I am ill’;
    and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.

New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Isaiah 33 NIV (UK)

Daniel Chapter 7
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

URL: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%207&version=NIVUK



Creative Commons Image Credit
https://images.app.goo.gl/tHBv1f6aW1W8e7Et9

Daniel Chapter 7 NIVUK with Music

Daniel Chapter 7
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%208&version=NIVUK

Creative Commons Image Credit
images.app.goo.gl/tHBv1f6aW1W8e7Et9

Daniel Chapter 8 NIVUK with Music

"Becoming Heroes," is the podcast for the Hero inside of you.  Every Hero needs a Guide to help them become the best version of themselves.  Our podcast brings you the best Guides and guidance in bite-sized chunks of awesomeness!

Lex McKee

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