Category Amazing people

Loss, learning and gain

Geir Isene 88 Comments

To quote my good friend Ole Wiik: “Practice what you want to get good at.”

I used get worked up about losses in life. I didn’t handle them all that well. That started to change when I did the Scientology levels OT 7 & 8. But I didn’t really get to practice my ability to loose without being stressed out, until this year. I learned a lot from loosing my mother. A couple of weeks ago I got to practice loosing yet again when it was clear that my marriage was over. The next week I lost some USD 300K when the new owners of FreeCode had managed to drive the company into the ground.

After loosing my mother, my wife, 50% of the time with my kids and a future with my family, the loss of money was really nothing at all. When I sat there contemplating life’s recent events, I realized something profound; I needed to practice loosing in order to prepare myself for death. Now this may sound overly dramatic or even depressed. But it’s not. It was a really upbeat epiphany.

When you die, you loose almost everything – your body and identity, your family, friends, your stuff, social connections, HP-calculators, and the list goes on. I imagine most people are not fully prepared for that moment when their body finally yields. I certainly was not. But practice makes perfect, and I am determined to be good at all parts of living, including the final moment. So, I welcome these recent losses. It makes for great practice.

What OT 8 did for me was to unstuck me from my past. No more “shame, blame or regret“. No more grumbling on what I should have done or what could have been done. What’s done is gone. That prepared me for this year’s practice in being good even at loosing. But what do you know, it also improved my ability to win.

When I am fully able to loose, I am fully able to win. And vice versa.

I will add that I have the deepest respect for Katrine. She is a wonderful woman, highly able and truly amazing. I was hesitant to include her in the “Amazing person” blog post series as I didn’t want to reveal anything about our divorce before we decided it was OK. Katrine is a fantastic mother, a highly effective business woman, extremely productive and inspiring to all those who are lucky to meet her. But working together and working very hard during the last few years did take its toll. Love died and it is time to move on. We remain the best of friends.

During my 20 years of relationship with my wife, I apparently got quite good at sending “fuck off”-signals to other prospecting women. As the word got out that I was divorcing, several prospects got in contact. However, I was adamant at being single for a year or so.

I alluded to something a couple of blog posts ago: “I have written a series of “Amazing person” blog post. And it never occurred to me that something truly magical would happen in my life. But it did. And I am now pretty sure that there was a connection between me opening up my eyes for the amazingness in other people to what has recently happened. I will not yet relate what it is. All in due time.”

Time to reveal a bit more.

Scientology counseling helped me to really sharpen my focus and decision skills. To the point where decisions take no time and actions are completed without fuss. I got very A to B. So when a truly amazing person, whom I have known for some time contacted me in a very direct manner, I was taken off guard. Then I got struck by lightning. Then it was done.

To illustrate a contrast in my life, let me show you two poems. I wrote this first one two months ago:


In the comfort of HyperList and programming
philosophy and finding the way to truth
away from awkward social situations
but seeking the thrill of them but still

Comfy and cozy even with love as void
missing compassion and passion from a companion
but appreciating the appreciation from the many
friends are important, then. Brendan the most

Music and art fills a void
helping someone fills it even more
but not completely, as loneliness is often nice
calm in my own solitude though that cannot be all

Emotions and tears and a sigh of relief
sometimes nature does wonders, the stars always do
I can have the space, the energy, but time not so much
there is still time to find all the answers I seek.

The second one I wrote two days ago:


A bond beyond what I could have hoped for
This is true love to the core
#brilliant #honest #kickass #smart
Your courage and affection struck right to my heart
#breathless #whimsical #oncloud9
Taking life in anew, you make me shine
#warm #emotional #soulmate #near
I love when you shine, bright and clear
#commitment #loyalty #strength
I will support you - to any length
I see you. I feel you
I trust you and love you

Time is merely a consideration. The above is an example of what scientologists call “Tone 40”.

Funny how life turns and is turned. Interesting how practice makes perfect. And good to know that one can be at cause and then cause life to be filled with joy.

Peace.

Amazing person: YOU

Geir Isene 28 Comments

Because you are awesome. You do possess amazing qualities and you can shine.

It is easy to forget, to get the idea that you are less than amazing, to agree that perhaps you are not that good.

One of my sons came to me the other day and told me that another boy had hurt his feelings at school. I asked him who held the key to his emotions. He looked at me and said “I do“. I replied “But this time you gave it away to that other kid“. “Yeah…“. I asked “Should you take it back?“. He nodded and smiled. Back to his usual amazing self.

Try this: Every evening – find something that day that proved you are an amazing person. It doesn’t have to be big or profound. It can be that you really listened to another, were there 100% for the kids, helped another, lifted a friend or inspired another person. All of those are truly amazing actions if you really think about it. It’s all too easy to focus on what’s lacking, what’s wrong or what should be better. When you start focusing on what’s right, what’s good or amazing, something magical occurs.

I have written a series of “Amazing person” blog post. And it never occurred to me that something truly magical would happen in my life. But it did. And I am now pretty sure that there was a connection between me opening up my eyes for the amazingess in other people to what has recently happened. I will not yet relate what it is. All in due time. But I will tell you this: If you grab this torch and start writing about amazing people in your life, I bet there is a good chance that you will start to change. And perhaps that change will startle you.

I will write about other amazing people in the future, but right now I have reached a good point where it is time to let some other ideas, thoughts and emotions get some space on this blog.

May you understand how amazing you truly are.

Amazing persons: My boys

Geir Isene 12 Comments

Three in one: Niklas, Jonatan and Benjamin – my three sons.

I won’t go into why each of them are amazing, but relate why they all are the most amazing persons in my life. Not just because they’re my kids, but because I learn the most in life from these three unique individuals.

They show me the real meanings of life. They show me the value of empathy, of love, of affection. And they challenge me intellectually like nobody else.

When questions like “Daddy, do you believe in reality?” or queries about parallelisms between dreams and reality come up, I am challenged to explain complex physical and philosophical concepts in really simple terms. This has been immensely valuable as I have come to understand the real power of simplicity. If I cannot explain a concept such as quantum mechanics so that a 10-year-old can understand it, I have not myself sufficient understanding of it. I always seek to understand subjects, ideas, methods and results to the degree that I can make it simple enough for a boy to get it.

They have taught me why we should have just simple and few rules in life. They give me ratings as a dad, correct my deliveries to them, and ask me about my inner thoughts. They inspire life in me and demand that I improve.

Ever since Niklas was 1, some 12 years ago, I have been telling a bedtime story. Or rather, it’s an interactive play where the boys live in a fantasy world with elves, dragons, witches, good and bad. They go on adventures, turn black witches into white, save villages, draw alliances for the king, fall in love, assist in battles and live life to the fullest. They learn to handle difficult social situations, do math equations and much more. To enter into an inner sanctuary, Niklas had to solve the equation “2X – 1 = 11” when he was six. And the other two boys does similar tasks suitable for their ages. They drive my creativity by demanding more and better game play. And they return the flow by relating stories and interactive plays on their own.

I am honored to be their father. Nothing in my life is more important than my amazing boys. I will continue to inspire them as they do me.

Amazing person: Anne Isene

Geir Isene 3 Comments

Yes, my sister. And I am a very proud brother.

With a creativity and capacity like hers, it’s bound to be a continual explosion of great ideas and neat stuff.

When Anne was a kid, she wanted to work as a clown when she got older. Although I bet she would have done an excellent job in a circus, she made her career as a professional photographer. She did ad work for large corporations, portraits of famous people and made a name for herself. But that didn’t really hit the bullseye. She went on to become a clothes designer with her own label making clothes even for the Princess of Norway.

Then she started working with theater and film as a costumes designer. She’s done a wide range of productions – she is amazing when she does historical costumes. She is able to make stuff look worn and really old in no time.

Anything she does spouts of creativity and professionalism. She is such a dedicated professional.

Being her older brother, I used to protect her when she was in her teens. In later years she has returned the flow, and I am inspired by her dedication and strong will. Our mother’s passing this summer brought us closer. Brendan and I becoming her job neighbors is also rather cool.

Anne is a straight shooter, not afraid of speaking her mind. I can always count on her to give me her real opinion. She is rational and highly intelligent and challenges my views. Me like. A really cool sis (orwegian pun intended).

Amazing person: Stein Halvorsen

Geir Isene 4 Comments

We hosted the radio show “Midnight Magic” together for 3,5 years back in the late eighties. We made radio history with “Role-Playing” on the air and managed to become the second most popular local radio show in Norway (after Coca-Cola Top 30). It was a blast. Check out a website with many recorded episodes: Midnight Magic

In the beginning we spent a whole Sunday creating the program. There had to be a background story, like “You are a valiant knight called upon by the King to rescue the fair Princess from the fire-breathing dragon. The monster will toast her and have her for evening snack in 10 minutes. After picking two items out of a choice of 5 (a sword, a shield, a horse, a pouch of gold pieces and a rope with a grappling hook), you head for the hill with the dragon cave.”

Four different people would get a chance to pit their wit against different sets of obstacles on the way to the dragon – “Tidemann” the troll under the bridge, elves in the forest, thieving leprechauns, an old witch, a hostage situation where two soldiers have kidnapped another beautiful woman, etc. Each player would be on the air trying to talk/fight/outwit their obstacles and rescue the princess in the dragon cave before she was turned into an over-sized French fry.

Stein or I would take turns as the narrator or “Games Master”, while the other would play the various encpunters. Stein was excellent as “Tidemann”, I was great as the goblin “Ole”.

With Steins total chill and ItWillBeOK-attitude, it went from much planning and hoopla-hoo to much better improvisation and better experience for the thousands of listeners. Stein infused and inspired in me a confidence in improvisation, in always being able to land on my feet in a public situation. Midnight Magic is the only show in Norwegian radio history that had a black trading market of recorded cassettes – with the usual street price of USD 70 per tape. Every show was a crazy storm of listeners – from ages 13 to 55 – that wanted to get on the air and play a crazy adventure. The adventures ranged from Fantasy and Sci-fi to 1500’s pirate settings, James Bond and cartoon’ish adventures. Anything that we could come up with.

Toward the end, we spent less than 10 minutes putting the background story together – usually while the audience listened to a couple of Eurobeat songs. We had perhaps Norway’s most technically advanced show at the time – with two turn-tables, CD players, three reel-to-reels, one cart-machine, an Amiga effects machine and often the “double-trouble” where two players tagged in the adventure. All this mixed at a fast pace. There were only two or three technicians that managed to handle the running of the show. While Stein was as relaxed as always and inspiring me to be the same in the cozy studio.

We went on inter-rail together in the summers of ’89 and ’90. Great fun all through Europe. We traveled neatly dressed and with suitcases. Without looking like backpackers, we received much better service wherever we went – Istanbul, Paris, Zürich, Milan, Venice, Budapest, Ibiza, Madrid… I miss the times 🙂

Maybe, just maybe, in the future there may be a reunion and a come-back for Midnight Magic.

Amazing person: Dag Øynes

Geir Isene 6 Comments

His brother aimed for the spot a few inches from his foot. He was good at throwing the knife in this game of narrowing the opponent’s territory by chipping it away after securing the blade to the ground. But not today. His aim was off by those few inches. I saw it cut straight through Dag’s shoe, through his foot, up between the bones of the bog toe and the next. Through the sole of the shoe and into the ground. A solid Bowie knife stood vibrating through Dag’s foot. He looked annoyingly at his brother, reached down, pulled the knife straight out, handed it to his older brother and said “Stay right there“. He limped down the hill, into the house, up on the second floor, got treated with lots of band aid, and then he was back out again. To resume the game.

Another day, Dag was playing in the stairs where he lived. He was never really careful and managed to trip over the railing and fall two floors down only to hit the concrete with his head and shoulder first. He got up after a short while, staggering up the stairs. When his mother opened the door, he said in a daze “Mommy, I’m tired, I wanna go to bed“.

We were sitting in a slope making small boats out of pine bark. Dag suddenly said “Geir, could you hand me that big leaf over there and those branches“. I reached for the items he requested while I looked at him. His knee! Holy crap! His knee was hemorrhaging. He had cut the knife deep into the flesh just above his right knee. And now he was asking me for some stuff to limit the bleeding and cover the wound. I fumbled some leafs and twigs over to him and he got going with some first aid. After a minute or two he said “Could you help me up the slope, it’s a bit difficult to move now.”

The warriors from the red apartment buildings came toward us. They must have been two, maybe three years older than us, in native American war paint, carrying bows and arrows. We knew we wouldn’t stand a chance. Quick on our feet, we ran as fast as we could to the stairs beside our white apartment building. Dag was a few yards in front of me. Even so, the arrow hit him. It went an inch or so into the side of his right knee. Dag kept running. Faster than me, while he reached down with his right hand and pulled the arrow out. I was still a few yards behind him, puffing, while he shouted “Come on!”

It was winter. We were in our usual adventurous mood and decided to walk down the forest slope and explore the industrial area down there. On the other side of the mechanical repair shops and whatnot, there was a heavily polluted river trying to run its course. There was sheets of ice on the river, thick enough to hold a young boy or two. Dag got the bright idea to get onto a floating sheet of ice and try to surf slowly down the molasses. He jumped the long yard and… the sheet flipped and Dag went straight down into the liquid. And he was gone. And gone. And I felt the pangs of panic. Took off my right glove and swirled my arm around down there to see if I could grab him somehow. I got hold of some hair and pulled as hard as I could with both hands. I managed to get Dag out of the chemical stream even though his boots were still stuck down there. He gasped for air and said “Thank you“. And we walked home.

It was my idea. I had seen in one of those cowboy and Indians cartoons – this white man becoming a blood brother with his redskin friend. Time for Geir and Dag to take the big leap. Dag first. No sweat. He simply took the big knife and sliced his right index finger and it started bleeding in a steady small stream. My turn. Shit! What had I gotten myself into. Sissy as I was, I kept at it for several minutes trying to puncture the skin on my right index finger. The skin was too thick, the knife too dull, or the action just too damn painful. Dag looked kinda irritated at me and said “Need some help?” “NO-NO, I got this!“, I lied right back.

“What’s that“, I asked, looking at two big packs of sandwiches. “Lunch and dinner“, he replied, “Time to get that elevator fear of yours handled once and for all“. Dag commanded me into the elevator of the first of three tall buildings not far from where we lived. I was terrified, sweaty like a pig and protesty. Dag would have none of it. He took us to the thirteenth floor. Down to the basement, stopped between floors, down to the basement again, handed me a sandwich and drowe that elevator like there was no tomorrow. After a few hours we got kicked out of that building. No problem, We had two other identical buildings were Dag could push my elevator button until it was no more. For thirteen hours. It took freakin’ thirteen hours to cure my stupid fear of a lift. But I got cured. Thanks to the amazing Dag Øynes.

It all happened around the time when I was 10. He was 8.

Amazing person: Lynne Fox

Geir Isene 5 Comments

So far I have covered many people that I consider amazing. There are different aspects of each person that makes me think of these people as outstanding. All of them are empathetic, but they cover a wide range of other amazing characteristics. Lynne Fox marks the top of the fun scale 🙂

In 1996 I lived in Sydney, Australia for 5 months while I did the Scientology levels from Clear to OT 4. I stayed with a fun and loving family. The mother, Lynne Fox, is the most crazy-fun person I know. She is verifiable batshit off the rails fun to be with.

It wasn’t a day without surprises, laughs and fun.

She has visited us in Norway a few times, and it’s a real joy every time I see her. Lynne is beaming – with humor, warmth, fun and wit. She is a great friend. She is also a top producer. We both worked in U-MAN back when I first met Lynne, and I saw her abilities up close. I’d love to have her visit Norway again. And I will be back to visit Down Under.

Amazing person: Janne Tørnes

Geir Isene 4 Comments

When Brendan and I take on a project to increase the production, cooperation and team spirit of an organization, we do not compromise. We go the whole nine yards. There are team issues and individual issues to tackle. When a key team player is having a rough time, we make sure to help until the person is again a productive, key player – or realizes his or her potential in another place. It doesn’t matter if the issues at hand are of work or personal nature. Be it health, inter-personal issues, mental stress, lack of motivation, wanting to do other things in life – the viewpoint is always “We motivating people and organizations to excel at what they are good at. We must help this person excel.” Always with the person’s own best in mind – because that will ultimately help the team.

Earlier this year we took on the task to help a department in a government organization. Janne is a key player in the team. She wasn’t working at her full potential, not even half. We quickly realized that she and the team would do much better if we were to debug whatever issues she was facing.

The normal scenario is along these lines: We get the person to describe the current life situation and a more ideal situation, and then fill the gap with realistic tracks that will move the person from Now to a better Future. We agree on tasks to be done. Usually a person is having problems with facing the issues in life and to get going on tackling those issues. We must nudge, comfort, hold hand, hug, discuss, nudge, be straight, be tough, hug some more, etc, before the person actually does the plan that he himself came up with.

Not so with Janne. This girl was blazingly fast to Get It. She got into gear, and off she went. She’s simply amazing at keeping the promises she makes to herself. Nu fuss – with her there is no try – only DO. And she went from this half-capacity team player to the key player she really is. Not only is she delivering like never before, she has taken on a new very important responsibility in the team.

Like Silje, she was way to humble about her own abilities and potential. She is now gradually waking up to the fact that she is an amazing person.

Amazing person: Brian Culkin

Geir Isene 5 Comments

In this post, I will let Brian himself start off with something really amazing:

And he has a mind to match it.

Brian can do stuff with his body I didn’t think was possible. And the viewpoints he can relate through his writing is crazy and inspiring.

Brian is an adventurer, artist and spiritual thinker. He’s intense and powerful and always able to land on his feet.

With the video above, I think any more writing by me here is superfluous.

Amazing person: Silje Eriksen

Geir Isene 7 Comments

It’s a real joy whenever I meet a person that shines with a real warm heart, aware and honest about own emotions.

Silje is a curious girl. New on the professional scene and despite being a fun and more than a bit crazy, she first came across as withholding herself. Underneath a softer exterior, there is a turbo charged engine. She has a lot more power, a lot more ability than she first lets on.

But that is about to change. Brendan and I are working in a project together with Silje, and it is interesting to see how she is gradually realizing her potential. She is one of those people that I can at first sight say “Yes, this is a real executive potential”. Silje has Purpose – Awareness, great personal values and a desire to do good. She has Ability – Competence and Resourcefulness, while the third component is the one lacking behind; Confidence. And Opportunity… well, with Purpose and Ability like this, she can create Opportunity whenever she wants.

It’s fun to be able to inspire confidence in a person that really has the rest of the package. Sometimes the person needs only be reminded of their greatness.