THE POETRY

By the river in Kyoto. I remember.

Family. Two girls lying flat, a father writing. The river flowing by.

Tribes. A dad holidaying his brood. Takes the time.

Blood. Girls. Teenagers about to fly. Different times of life.

What holds all this together?

THE ENGINEERING

“People overestimate what can be achieved in a year,
and underestimate what can be achieved in five”

Glenn Livingston made that remark. I’ve thought it over many times and concluded that it is a great remark.

Not immediately obvious though, is it?

First – to get it - you must be a person with a vision, with a mission. I believe EVERY reader of my Daily dispatches has the heart of a missionary, is a great lover of Alexander's discovery and enjoys being reassured that they are “not wrong”.

I’ve been in a long term financial relationship with a newly found friend, and the time has come to ponder our next step together.

This is a sensitive moment.

It’s possible we can integrate in a profound (and mutually beneficial) partnership to do amazing biz things with Alexander's discovery or…

Or go a different way.

What to do? This is my emotional puzzle right now.

***

Yesterday was a Friday family tradition to eat breakfast at the Mullumbimby farmers' market.

Mullumbimby - as my regular readers know - is the counter cultural capital of Australia; a place where a lot of the residents don't realize the 60s are over. Bare feet and flairs are as common as nose rings and heavy rock.

Remember the musical "Hair"?

Well, it's still playing live in Mullumbimby.

The Dalai Lama wrote that the best way to help others is to be selfish first: he called it "selfish wisdom."

The most obvious example is on an aeroplane.

When your hostess shows you how to use the oxygen mask, she will also advise that you put your mask on first, before you help a child with their mask. You before the child, not the child first (as most people would think).

It's obvious when you think about it - how can you help a child if you pass out? Then two of you would be harmed.

I landed in Mullumbimby yesterday, here to be with my two teenage daughters. People back in Japan and elsewhere tell me:

“When you are in Australia, you are different.”

Really?

It is not that apparent to me. And I wonder – who am I that appears so differently depending on what place I am in…

Or is it what I am doing that causes me to appear differently?

If you've been following my current mini-series, you know I am up to REASON 3.

Reason 3?

There were 4 reasons at-the-time COO Carlos Ghosn gave for why Nissan was about to crash and burn in 1999. In one of the most spectacular corporate recoveries ever seen: within one year Nissan returned to profit after 6 years of losses; within a few years Nissan had vaulted into the positon of the most profitable car-maker in the world.

The breath-taking speed of this transformation was the essence of the 3rd reason Carlos wrote about:

One of the delights of my current life is working with a variety of teachers from all over the world. They often inspire my daily epistles - I swiped today's Subject line off a Texas gal just 10 minutes ago. (Thanks Julie, now put that gun away.)

Why do these teachers and students come?

Not to get rich. None of us are rich. Are you rich?

Perhaps we are philanthropists masquerading as professional teachers…

Here's what you've most likely already given:

I was in New York and it was the penultimate Christmas eve.

I was relaxing in Bill Walsh's Soho studio - site of many an interesting AT workshop - when I realized it was time to get to the airport.

I'd left it too late.

Miss this flight, and I'd lose out on a special Christmas with Michael, Lena, Rowan and his sweet son John-Michael (who later died) in California. It was a special invitation, and it turned out to be the last time I ever saw two of them.

Have you got $30,000 to spare?

Then maybe you can build this machine and start proving to folks that Alexander was really on to something.

Not for everyone, but Tim Cacciatore keeps plugging away, finding hard science to back up the fluffy claims people like me spread about.

Find out about his new machine here…