An inspiring leader to remember

Sometimes I forgot that there are great examples of leadership all around us. Today, whilst scrolling through my Fb feed I saw a video of Bernie Sanders. I watched and shared it, adding that he is the type of leader that is inspiring to me. It can be hard at times to see the silver linings in politics or governments. How often can we call a political leader an inspiration. Someone we can look up to or even a role model for the next generation. How relevant based on the results of #GE16 and fractured voting by people.

Whilst having my hair cut on Capel St, where I now reside, the barber asked me my address and he told that it was the home at one stage for Sean Lemass. As for the accuracy of this I can't substantiate. Anyway, it intrigued me enough to make me want to know a little more about this name, I know so well, although so little of.

On a trip to the GPO to pick up a stamp, I took a breakfast stop in the new Cocobo cafe next door and decided I will do my research. What can I say? Knowing the background behind this man is the reason I am now typing this blog post sitting here after that breakfast. What an inspiring leader Sean Lemass was. In learning about his history I have learnt also so much about our wonderful country and what it has being through for the past 100 years. He has thought me about the founding of the political party Fianna Fail. The long journey of Ireland out of depression and into the light. And so much is due to Sean Lemass and the people that surrounded him.

I have a new role model to learn from and take courage from. Perhaps even something I can use in my way of doing business. A lesson of resilience and persistence. A passionate man that lived a full life and proactively made a difference to the world he lived in. Taking his duty seriously to serve a bigger idea than himself. Thank you Sean for being an inspiration in the world. We need more like you.

Here is the article on Sean Lemass from Wikipedia that I read

Existing in limbo

Just got off the phone from another house rejection. This will be number 12 we have got turned down for so far. He was kind enough to tell us that we need to move faster as its a landlords market. We viewed Thursday evening and because we were waiting to hear back from another property we really wanted we waited until first thing this morning to decide. Bizarrily, in some cruel twist of events, we probably lost the last one because we pushed them to come back with an answer as we knew we might lose this one were we not to get back to them.

So, its now coming up on 10 weeks we have being looking for a new home. We were meant to have moved last Sunday. Between the two of us we have probably visited 1,000s of properties online. Contacted over 80. Got just over 20 viewings, put out name down for 12, got accepted for 1 and this one ended being a dud. The stress levels have gone so high that it's putting us both under some of the greatest pressure we have ever felt. We have both got insomnia waking continuously throughout the night with nightmares. All our house is packed into boxes sitting in two rooms in a house that we are lucky to be allowed to stay over in. Only because of the genuinely nice landlady we currently have, who is holding off on redecorating in lieu of the house going on the market. I am finding it more and more difficult to focus on work. The other half is beyond stressed and is not attending college or getting work done.

It's a very weird place to be. It's true when they say "home is where the heart is". As anyone that knows us both we make our homes so warm and welcoming. They are a place of calm and peace. Our home means everything to us. It's where you find solace and love and rest. Not having somewhere you call home is quite discerning. There is no comparison to our situation and the hundred/thousands homeless in Ireland today. Although it does give me a true glimpse of one part of it. A place called home. Not having one makes you feel detached from reality. It is distracting and draining. It's depressing and devastating to the soul.

Due to all of what has happened over the past months it made me realise there needed to be a change to what is going on in the market place. It can't be just us going through these trials and tribulations. Paranoid as to what we are doing wrong. Questioning whether our referees are saying something against us. I have even gone to the point of starting to build a new website called Homonise. A matchmaking service for home seekers and homeowners. Sadly, my energies are so distorted I haven't got very far with it.

I am sure many of you reading this are probably saying, sure there are loads of properties, just take anything. At least you can. You're right. We can probably go for one that we don't want to move into. It will have walls and beds and a roof over your head. More lucky than others. True. Although that's just elongating this journey through limbo. Were it not somewhere we can call home then its just a house we are living in. We will always feel like we are just existing and not being. For me your home is where you can return to after a hard day of work. Its were you recuperate so you can go back out and take on the world. It is meant to make you feel refreshed and create a sense of wellbeing.

Nevertheless, we have put our name down for 12 out of 20 or so and we are still sitting here, half in half out of this home. We will find our new home, I know that. We even both separately romanticised about the last dream home, being the setting for our wedding. It has being a humbling experience to make us realise to be grateful for what you have got. How fortunate that our problem is only temporary and not one like so many unfortunate others. My heart goes out to those who have no home at all.

It's our light not our darkness...

Standing at the funeral graveside of a friends mum today, it struck me at the amount of love flowing forward from those that stood deeply grieving the loss of someone that they loved unconditionally. Many times in my life I have heard people say how they'd like to see or experience their own funeral. Today it was so obvious that this person who has moved on has had an enormous effect upon those around her in her life. Her light shone so bright and touched many in such a deeply powerful way. I wonder did she realise this.

It baffles me how so many people, me included at times, spend so much of our lives finding fault with ourselves. We seem to be drawn to look at our own shadows out of some fear over what we might see were we to look into the light. It is easier for us to search around in the grunge and murkiness and use this as the fuel to our self image. Once we have our fill we then walk around attracting this same energy and then wonder why our lives are so challenging and difficult. We distract ourselves by playing the blame gain, rather than realising that we are the creation of our own reality.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,talented and fabulous?

For me personally, I refer to it as the Prairie dog syndrome. I consider myself fortunate to be quite a positive person day-to-day. Most days I bound out of bed at my life that awaits me. I am enriched by the colours, smells and wonderment of the moments. The smell of coffee. The glint in other peoples eyes throughout the day. The weeds growing from the top of chimney pots on the roofs as I walk to work. Life truly is a magical thing. My feeling of self. Nevertheless, weeks or months pass by and it is like I have being carried by a tornado to a distant time and dropped back down to now. So, the prairie dog pops his head back out and breathes in the utter joy of life again. Although why do I feel the need to forget this nourishing and tasty reality? This love of self and what that brings with it. Do I believe I don't deserve it. Or perhaps as Marianne Williamson puts it, "Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

Now, imagine for one moment a new reality. Powerful beyond all measure. By letting our own light shine freeing others from fear so that they can shine. Imagine a world with more light. Light that spreads and grows and takes people out of their prairie dog holes. One where you can see the good you deserve and attract all this good towards you. Being an inspiration in this sometimes cloudy world. When the New Year turned this was my promise to Sam. For Personal Mastery. To shine love on myself in mind, body and heart so I can be fit to shine as bright as possible. I feel it is my responsibility and one that I am more than willing to accept in this life I have.

We are bigger than greed!

One theme that surfaced after the last boom and crash was that as Irish people we had learnt from the experience. Greed had made us blind and going forward we knew that we lost some part of ourselves in the madness.

Bizarrely it appears the lesson wasn't learnt very well. With Rental Property prices back to 2006 rates and in some cases 20% higher with the new Weekly Rentals popping up all over the city. Unfortunately for us the house we are renting us up for sale so we are now looking for a new home to move into at one of the most insane markets we have ever seen. After living in Kimmage for 9 years in a rental and watching the madness ensue we had to leave our lovely home in early 2015. At the time of leaving our landlord was looking to increase the Rent to €1,350. At the time we thought this was a little high although now a year later I wish we had being able to stay. Houses in worse condition of exactly the same size and same distance to town are now looking for €1,800.

To add to the insult the standard of properties is shocking. We viewed a property late last week where the developer owned all 16 townhouses and a block of apartment. It looked like the property had not being updated since it was built new in the late 1980's. Meeting landlords they are telling you that you are lucky that they are painting the interior or putting new furniture in, as their are cues of people who will take anything. Each house we have visited there have being lists of people interested prior to us putting our name on the list. We are checking Daft and MyHome on an hourly basis trying to make sure we are the first to call.

So, what has happened. Well the biggest mistake of course is the Irish Government. As soon as rumour got out that there might be a freeze placed on landlords from increasing their rent prices started increasing. Suddenly we had an increase across the board in Dublin.  Then they came out with their lame excuse of a solution. Rental prices have being increasing continuously in November and December and now January has brought in a new hike again. You can see properties in Dublin where landlords are increasing their prices on listings due to the high volume of calls they are receiving.

Another obstacle appears to be the Letting Agencies. They are trying to get every property that is renting privately and this is causing another price increase as they stick their fee ontop of the rental price. Greed has taken hold and is spreading like wildfire. Another bubble is expanding and who is going to pay this time. So, what have we learnt?

I was heading back to our house last night and passed the new homeless shelter on Thomas St and there was a cue of around 30 people standing outside at 6.30pm in the evening. "Greed is the knife & the scar runs deep." The increase in homelessness in Ireland is all down to greed. We know in our hearts what we did last time was lunacy. Do we want to leave more scars for the generations to come? I believe we have it in us to become the change we wish to see in the world. What can we do to prevent us losing ourselves in this new frenzy that has taken the city by storm?

I send love to you Breda

I feel Breda is doing her best to fight something she believes in. Nevertheless I feel she lacks perspective on the real world we live in. As a child that grew up in a rather volatile family unit. With a mother and father that obviously we're not meant to be together, it gives you perspective on what we define as the correct environment for a child. When my parents broke up when I was 8 years of age, it felt like my world was being torn apart. Although not for the reason of losing my mum and dad unit. Far from it. The inbittered hatred and darkness continued for another 17 years later until the passing of my father when I was 25. In some ways a strain of that hurt and inability to forgive still resides within my mother.

This brings me great sadness. The same sadness I felt as a child. The lack of honest love and respect two humans can have for each other. I feel this learning, is the seed that grew inside me to make me realise the importance of communication, forgiveness and truth. The need everyone has to feel and give love. 

When I look at the world today I believe that the world we live in feels its pain because of a lack of love. The reason why people hurt each other is because they feel that hurt in them. A part of them is missing the love that is needed to heal those empty parts of themselves. This emptiness brings about great sadness in our world. It is our duty to recognise that this emptiness is our emptiness. It is our duty to take responsibility for looking at this emptiness and filling it with our own love, before taking it out on the world. 

So Breda, as much as I feel differently towards your campaign against preventing me from being treated more equally in my own society. I love you. I send you my love to help you understand that you need to look at your own emptiness and start filling it up. I had a lot of darkness inside me for many many years. And it hurt me greatly. It prevented me from being the best version of me. It stopped me from being a true light for this world and making it a better place. And of course there is still emptiness in me that needs to be filled and I will work on that. Gently applying love to make me more full. To making me more Sam. 

Let go of the fear Breda. There is no great agenda here to change our society in to a more hurtful or sad place. There is a society of people trying to bring about a world with more love for all. A world where we can learn to love ourselves and then love others. A place that is more safe for all the children. A place where we can be united as one. Together. 

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG

In the service of God there are three things that one should learn from a child and seven things one should learn from a thief. From a child you can learn - (1.) Always to be happy, (2.) Never sit idle, and (3.) To cry for everything one wants. From a thief you can learn: (1.) To work at night (2.) If one cannot gain what one wants to try again the next night. (3.) To love one’s co-workers just as thieves love each other. (4.) Be willing to risk one’s life even for a little thing. (5.) Not to attach too much value to things even though one has risked one’s life for them. (6.) To withstand all kind of beatings and tortures but to remain what you are. (7.) To believe that your work is worthwhile and not willing to change it. (from full text - not on gate > (8.) Work quietly without bothering others. (9.) Plan without telling anyone.)

P.S. You can learn from something from everything. Even from a train, a telephone and a telegram. From a train you can learn that in a second one can miss everything. From a telephone you can learn that what you say here is heard over there. From a telegram you can learn that all words are counted and charged (from full text - not on gate > with the “MasterCard”. From a television you can learn: The all-knowing eye watches what you do, say or think within your inner chamber. From the computer you can learn: Direct communication and intention. What you command it to do it does, but it may not be what you intended it to be. From the Internet you can learn: That “here” is “there” and “there” is “here” always present and absent, visible and invisible. From Email you can learn: That in the communication there is no privacy, many can read your thoughts, all is known even though you do not know it. Fast is slow and slow is fast.)

These are the words written on the left Gate of Bono's House in Killiney, Dublin.

I have a dream... NOT

For anyone that has know me for sometime. They might call me an idealist. Perhaps a little mad. A dreamer. A bit opinionated at times. I agree, I'm generally all of these things, although with a good soul. I dream of a world where we have justice and equality. I see a world were our past does not define our future, although becomes the stepping stones and foundation for us to build and learn from. And up until this morning, I never questioned this philosophy that I preached to others. 'Your past is your past. What is important is what you do now. Learn from your mistakes and move one.'

I was in a waking state this morning, listening to the news of Dana running for the presidency, now that Sen. David Norris had stood down. Something inside me felt really wrong. It felt like an injustice had taken place. For so long I hear myself and others moaning about the leaders we have. Mostly, I and others I know, elect people based on the best of a bad lot. Many times, I think to myself. Well Sam, if you really want to make a difference. Do something about it! As I was thinking about this, I thought, sure if Dana is running, why don't you. As I climbed out of bed, it took me a moment to realise why that might never be an option for me. It's not because I'm gay. It's because I have a past. I hold no regrets for any of my actions. Nevertheless, I have people in my life that I love enormously. The thoughts of their lives being strewn across the media and being analysed by the parasites, shocks me to my very core. Every action, I or the ones close to me, being held as the judgement of my character.

In the gym, my mind and heart, kept returning to this idea. I feel angry that we are allowing this character assassination of a truly unsung hero. A man that has brought so much to this country and its people. The very fact that my sexuality is not a breach in the law is due to him and others that share that compassion for equality and justice. His list of humanitarian actions is endless. Nevertheless, this momentary, error in judgment, that I empathise with, is the sin that brings him down. What hope is there for the rest of us? For me. For our chidren. For a world where our prospecting leaders can make mistakes and know that there is still an opportunity for them to become something.

What message do we send to the world letting Sen. David Norris stand down? Fear your past. If you have made mistakes, they are the ropes that bind you from trying to make a difference in the world. Give Up Now.

NO. I refuse to accept that future. I dream of a world where we have people in leadership that are real people with passion. People that are wise because they have learnt from their mistakes. And, I for one want Senator David Norris as my president. What do you want for this world? What message do you have for our children?

“It's not a question of who's going to throw the first stone; it's a question of who's going to start building with it” - Sloan Wilson