The Seanchaidhe: Irish storytellers past and present

keep telling the story

The continuity of Irish storytelling creates narrative bridges from the past through the present to the future…The legacy of the Irish storytelling tradition is inextricably linked to the Irish language. The gradual loss of that language and the subsequent loss of its native language storytellers have changed the tradition forever. Nonetheless, the tradition of storytelling is still living, even as tellers, their tales, venues and audiences change. (Warren 2008, n.p.)

The Irish Seanchaidhe (singular, Sean-chai), “bearers of old lore” and custodians of an indigenous non-literary tradition, have had a distinctive and integral role in Irish socio-cultural history, and despite the assaults on and compromises to its linguistic and textual traditions, the Seanchaidhe still exist today.

Poet Eavan Boland reflects:

…you only have to read Daniel Corkery’s Hidden Ireland (1925) to know that long after the bards were abandoned by history, they are remembered and quoted in Ireland. The drama of…

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Intro to Satisfaction – The Book

This book is for tough guys. Like me. Like you. Tough nuts to crack. When we aren’t as good as we want to be at our own emotional display we can get frustrated. Frustration is rarely associated with satisfaction.

The spark of this writing is the belief that a man who is creative in achieving his satisfaction, able to share the successes and let downs of pursuing what he wants, will use his stressful challenges to grow. Life has shown us that when one of us is frustrated in the moment, stressed by life, wayward in his manlife, he can easily lash out. He can be hurtful with insults and beatings.

The purpose of the book is to be a spur for men to access their emotional agility as they strive to get what they want.

A man who knows himself at daily and higher levels will appreciate what he is becoming despite his shortcomings. He will have a sense that there is more to the definition of a man than can be found on the internet.

A constant theme of this book is that we are indeed on a development journey during our whole life. That journey for a man differs from the journey of a woman. Whether or not male and female journeys have converging priorities, understandings or emotions we all want to enlist each man to ‘be his own man’ in the moment.

When a woman wants something different from her man, or wants more from her husband or wants better from her boyfriend it is a good news story. It locates the man in what she seeks. It’s not a strike against you that, as a man, you cannot immediately figure out what she wants. Perhaps it provides her a sense of being valued by knowing she can look to you for man services. So, what kind of man services do you offer? Sexual services, fixing flat tire services, humour, tenderness, encouragement services, mortgage payment services, opening jam jars services, packing the car, parking the car, washing the car, barbecuing …

A man is a good thing. Anyone who feels differently does not have the full story. Or as is often the case, has had more bad man experiences than good. Those damaging experiences are often the result of his lack of belief in himself . This poverty of self-belief contorts the love of those that believe in him as a man. When we can rise above the tyranny of our energy sucking ego we ascend into new thoughts, fresh intentions, rejuvenating conversation … This elevation into realms of value, success and connection makes your man feel like the MVP.

The underlying concept that powers this book is that men have the emotional finesse enabling them to instinctually respond to the Daily challenges and Devotional callings of life.

There are many men in the various communities you participate in that don’t subscribe to the dogma of sexism. They go along with insulting jokes and remarks because they don’t have something stronger they believe in. Or they fear for their job and crave respect as a man’s man. They most likely believe in women; in a deep and beautiful way. However most men don’t get the education they want to become a man of self-respect, love and belief.

There is a lack of readily accessible guidance for men to become the reliable husband that is also the spontaneous guy who is also the nurturing man. There is a paucity of seed pods for him to cultivate the male version of instinct.

Each day all men search for the missing pieces in the life puzzle of career, love and meaning. At the risk of alienating himself from the lowest common denominator of macho manhood there are those that insist on being ambitious, clean and versatile. It takes balls to be a man that resists the mafia of moronic male behaviour.

The guy who strives beyond the poor understanding of women and lack of self knowledge as a man needs your support. Most likely he is energized by sincere love yet doubts his version of a man authentic. He is juggling his professional ambition, the questions for his higher self and his residual anger of youth. He wants to bundle them into a brave vision of him as a man, spouse and gentleman.

This book highlights that we are all capable of and responsible for our own Satisfaction in the ongoing stages of life, evolving relationships and variety of experiences.

Did you see the 2007 movie Ocean’s 13? It’s the third movie in the Ocean’s series of a modern band of thieves. The sudden news of one of their own falling ill from shock of a business deal gone bad id bringing them all together again. About ten minutes into the movie George Clooney as ‘Daniel Ocean’ and Brad Pitt as ‘Rusty’ are just getting off their private jet.

‘It’s not their fight’ Linus, played by Matt Damon had just asked Ocean where Tess and Isabelle were. A seemingly harmless question as they walk across the tarmac. Tess (Julia Roberts) is Ocean’s wife; Isabelle (Catherine Zeta Jones) is the love of Rusty’s life.

Since Linus wants a bit more info he turns to Rusty and asks a little louder above the jet engines. ‘Where are Tess and Isabelle?’

Out of nowhere Ocean explodes on his colleague Linus and repeats with an anvil of force closing the issue, ‘It’s not their fight’.

Ocean is right. A man takes responsibility for his struggle. He doesn’t make it hers. Men are experts at the quiet struggle. Like the earth is coursing with ley lines and the body is strung with energy meridians, men are marionettes to the undercurrents of genuine emotion. The task at hand is to make this struggle less solitary, these emotions more accessible.

For that reason it is to be aware when you need help with your response. Ask for help, accept help. Appreciate the help and love the helper. But never make them responsible for your fight. Your fight is to evolve into you. Become the version of a man that is becoming of you.

Some men who are jacked up: cocky, confident, full of their preconceived idea of their importance to the moment. There are those guys who are understanding, laid back and funny. Of course we all know those guys that are lost, lack confidence and have more things they dread than they look forward to as a man. How could they ‘man up’ in a difficult situation. They don’t have the education, training, or reference to find their mojo.

The degree to which many a man is lost and alienated from a development journey as a soul bearing gentleman can feel bigger than huge, and deeper than bottomless.

The lost man can’t seem to get traction on his passion and skills. That’s part of why it can appear to his wife, a man doesn’t want to be a part of the solution to a withering marriage. His relationship is complicated by him not knowing how to shine his light on the path of their marriage.

One of the core messages this book carries is that men are a creative force, wildly willing to be a part of something good. And they are sincere. Sincerely in need of help to understand themselves, women and relationships.

Unlock your Potential

Thanks for sharing the Johari Window. Looks simple and effective.

JC Blog Esquina

The thing with most of us who have a lot of potential in us, is that we dont know how to unlock it. Its a tricky position to be in ! How do you then learn to unlock it? How do you project the best in yourself? The answer to these questions need a conscious effort with a lot of self awareness.

I recently started an initiative for my Managers with the sole purpose of helping them unlock their potential. In the corporate world, people spend 90% of their time taking care of their immediate problems, be it sifting through emails (which by the way is the most common thing now), sitting through meetings, fire fighting and a lot more. They hardly get to use their real skills or barely get to use their Frontal cortex (the creative part of the brain). The real learing and experience starts only when…

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Put Down The Phone

For 2021 the Chinese zodiac has rotated back to the year of the Golden Cow. It is also associated with the White Ox and the Metal Bull. For most people as long as it is not the year of 2020 it will be a good year.

Could it also be the year of PDTP? No, that is not a spelling mistake for the PTSD many might feel from the impact of the Covid pandemic. PDTP here means Put Down The Phone. Put it away and look up at the world around you.

No doubt you have had the experience of jumping out of the way from someone who is walking down the street while immersed in the world of their phone. I bet we all have been that person once. When we do this we are oblivious to others who have to avoid us so we don’t crash into each other. What message or instrgram post was so much more important than respect and safety?

Put Down The Phone. Put it away and engage with your surroundings.

Here is a 5 minute exercise to give you power over your phone.

You are going to send a message. But you ask ‘How do I send a message without using my phone?’ Good question.

By using your mind.

Do you mind 🙂 … using your mind?

To use your mind you need to focus. The first step to focus (once you’ve put the phone down) is to breathe.

Let your breath help you relax your shoulders.

Keep collecting a few more life carrying breaths … now connect with nature.

Send your focus to something you see or imagine a place you know. It can be a plant in your home or a forest you love to frequent.

Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Breathe into your connection.

Allow your mental connection to fill your body. The connection can travel. Through your arteries – flavouring your blood – loading into your bones.

Maybe you will remain in this ‘loading the bones with energy’ state for a few minutes; and then you send your message to nature. Or it could be that you will cycle through the mind-arteries-bones-veins-mind-message-to-nature a few times in your 5 minutes.

Your mental/emotional offering flows into your mind, towards your anchor point of connection. You send your Authentic Intelligence in the form of your appreciation, or perhaps wonder or positive possibility.

Bask in the feeling of well-being from participating in nature, with the planet. Give, if you choose, your 5 minute process a name. Repeat it. Share it, if you wish.