May 9, 2024

Living the dream with Australian storyteller Bob Rich

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Join us on a profound journey with Australian author and storyteller Bob Rich as he shares his mission to transform global culture. In this episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, Bob discusses his life as a 'professional grandfather' to the planet, his award-winning books, and his dedication to creating a world worth living in. Discover how he uses Buddhist tools to maintain contentment amidst chaos, his thoughts on unconditional love, and his advice for those struggling with the state of the world. Tune in for a conversation filled with wisdom, compassion, and a call to action for a better future.

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> Speaker A>Welcome, um, to the Living the dream podcast with curveball. Um, if you believe you can achieve.

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> Bob Rich>Chee Chee.

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> Speaker C>Welcome to the Living a dream with curveball podcast, a, uh, show. I interview guests that teach, motivate and inspire. Today I am joined by australian author and storyteller Bob Rich.

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> Speaker C>Bob Rich is on a mission to change the global culture. He calls everybody on the planet either his grandchild or his child. So we'll talk about that and talk about all that he's doing to try to help to change the global culture, to make the world a better place. So, Bob, uh, thank you so much for joining me today.

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> Bob Rich>It's my honour and pleasure.

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> Speaker C>Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

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> Bob Rich>Okay. Well, I, uh, retired five times from five different occupations. I'm still going strong as a writer. I have 19 published books, and I used to say five of them were award winners, but, uh, just last week, a six one got an award. So now six of them have awards.

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> Bob Rich>And I'm still, uh, working as an editor for a number of small publishers and for individual authors. But most important, my main occupation is as a professional grandfather.

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> Bob Rich>Every person born after 1993, when my first grandchild was born, qualifies as my grandchild. And the job specification is what you said.

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> Bob Rich>I want to work for them, uh, to have a chance at survival for all of us, all life on this planet, to have a chance at survival and into a world that's worth surviving in. I mean, today's world is full of cruelty. You know, you could peg all the people who own almost everything into one brass. And in the meantime, people are starving. I happen to be supporting a small orphanage in Uganda where they feed, clothe, and send to school 38 children for about $20 a week.

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> Bob Rich>And if they don't get those $20, then they starve. And everywhere on the planet.

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> Speaker C>Climate, uh.

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> Bob Rich>Has gone into climate catastrophe.

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> Bob Rich>There are terrible fires, droughts, floods, you name it. Whatever the weather does, it does worse, and people are suffering.

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> Bob Rich>Then there are wars. In one of the books I've read. Sorry.

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> Bob Rich>In one of the books I've written, a fellow says, war is wealth, and it is. We have all these wars because of greed.

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> Bob Rich>We have all the suffering because of greed. Even the aggression and divisiveness. They're there because they pay.

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> Bob Rich>We live on poison planet.

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> Bob Rich>Every one of us, you and me included, have horrible chemicals in us that have caused the greatest epidemic of cancer ever known.

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> Bob Rich>Although nobody talks about it.

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> Bob Rich>My daughter has cancer. I know lots of people who have cancer who have died from it.

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> Bob Rich>It used to be an old person's disease, no children and young people copied. And it's because of agricultural chemicals, the forever chemicals, the microplastics that get in your body and then release poison, stuff like that. It's got to change or everybody on this planet is dead. In a way, it's okay if people die, uh, because we're causing it, but the dolphins and the whales and the birds and the little worms in the ground and every, you know, trees, you name it, everything beautiful on this planet is dying because of what we created. And according to the best scientific evidence, there is still a window of opportunity for saving things. If every human on this planet acted as one for survival, we could do it. Is it enough for one little talk?

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> Bob Rich>For now.

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> Speaker C>Well, what I wanted to ask is, you have a book, uh, kind of along these topics, talking about from depression to contentment. Is it even possible to be content in this, in this, uh, world the, ah, state is in right now?

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> Bob Rich>Well, that's the book that's just won an award, actually. Well, I use buddhist tools. I'm a secular buddhist, which means I don't follow any ritual, but I follow the philosophy and the required actions, which is basically the same as to be a good christian or to be a good person.

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> Bob Rich>And these buddhist tools allow me to stay sane. If you go to my blog, bobbing around, and you've got the link to that, haven't you, Curtis?

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> Speaker C>Yep, I have it. And it will be in the show notes for the listeners.

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> Bob Rich>Uh, and it will be displayed. But anyway, it's. If you enter in a search engine, doctor Bob rich bobbing around, it'll come up on the first page.

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> Bob Rich>You see, there is a link to my advice on how to handle if you are in despair about the state of our world. And these are the tools that I use every day.

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> Bob Rich>I am tempted to jump off this planet, but I'm staying. And yes, uh, the book from depression to contentment actually does cover these tools.

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> Bob Rich>The title is in, depression is about depression, but actually any source of suffering, anxiety, uh, depression, addictions, whatever is bothering you, if you've got chronic suffering, then this book will help you and you set up in your pocket. There is one of my grandchildren, a nice young man in Sweden, is given to depression. And whenever he sleeps back, he gets his phone out and my book is in there, and he reads a relevant chapter and that helps him to climb out again.

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> Bob Rich>And so the first part of the book talks about depression, but the second part is standard therapy. Research based therapy that works, that you can apply yourself and that will work for any source of suffering.

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> Bob Rich>And then the third part uses buddhist psychology and positive psychology to climb way above that into contentment. But, of course, it only works when you use it. And so I have to remind myself to use my tools. If I don't, then I do slip into this bed because it's realistic.

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> Bob Rich>Anybody who doesn't acknowledge that, uh, we're in terrible times is just in denial, but we can handle it.

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> Speaker C>So if you had one wish, what would that wish be?

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> Bob Rich>My one wish would be that all humans on this planet, except the philosophy advanced by Jesus, the Buddha, Gandhi, Martin Luther king, and various other sages like Dagawanda. Have you ever heard of Dagawanda?

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> Speaker C>Yeah, I believe I have.

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> Bob Rich>Marvellous man. He was. He was the peacemaker of the Iroquois confederation.

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> Bob Rich>He went along to.

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> Bob Rich>Well, he was one of one in one of the tribes, but he went along to six nations, including his own, who were mutually hostile to each other and made them into a peaceful group and incredibly wise person.

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> Bob Rich>And, in fact, his sayings were written down later. Uh, and when the fathers of the american constitution negotiated what to include, they included his words. So the american constitution is in part, based on Dagawanda's philosophy, and he was justly called the peacemaker. So what we need to do is to have a world in which everybody feels unconditional, non sexual love and acceptance for every other person. If you do something evil, if you do something to hurt me, I will defend myself and I disapprove of the action, but I can still do it with compassion and love for you in my heart. It is perfectly possible. Um, about a year, less than a year ago in Brisbane, Australia, uh, a young man with black skin or brown skin was a refugee from Somalia, was riding his pushback, and a hat filled woman in a big four wheel drive vehicle ran into him, knocked him off his bike, and when he landed safely, she tried to run over him and he managed to get away, but then suffered ptsd. Of course, he was in constant nightmares. And of course, he was a refugee from a terrible civil war, so that reignited all his trauma from his childhood.

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> Bob Rich>But in Australia, I don't know how it is in America.

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> Bob Rich>You submit a victim impact statement to court, and also, if the defendant doesn't plead guilty, then there is a trial and you have to testify. This young man, in his victim impact statement, begged for the judge to act with compassion to this woman. And when he had to go to court, he did the same.

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> Bob Rich>And he said, forgiveness is another form of justice and I forgive her because I'm a good muslim. Think about that.

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> Speaker C>That's amazing.

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> Bob Rich>Who, you know, the hamish attack in Israel, they are actually disobeying their religion just as much as christians who do, uh, terrorist acts.

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> Bob Rich>The crusades are completely against Jesus message and what the israeli government is doing now in Gaza is completely against the Talmud, what christians call the Old Testament. There was a man called Rabbi Hillel who lived about 100 years after Jesus and he was challenged to recite the entire Torah while standing on one leg. And he said, do not do to your neighbour what would not one done to you yourself. That is the whole of the Torah.

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> Bob Rich>Uh, all else is commentary.

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> Bob Rich>So Jesus simply reaffirmed what was already there. If every human could follow this message, to take it into their heart, ah, and do it, we would live in a good world.

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> Speaker C>Well, speaking of that, you often respond, uh, to Christ for help on the Internet. So let the listeners know a little bit about that, how they can get in touch with you if they want to, uh, reach out to you.

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> Bob Rich>Thank you. Yes, that's a wonderful question.

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> Bob Rich>That's part of my being a professional grandfather. In 1999, when I wanted to build up my counselling psychology practise, I answered, uh, public calls for help on bulletin boards and many of them made into the open domain. So if you put into a search engine, I want to kill myself. Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot everybody in my school, or I hate myself, or I have no friends, or, you know, stuff like that.

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> Bob Rich>Cries of despair than one of my question and answer things my bellcomer, uh, often does. So people track me down and at my m blog, bobbing around, I have a contact page and so they send me an email and, uh, I've got the gift of healing words and so usually I can help them and many of them become friends. There's a nice young man in America who is now in his twenties. He was 17 or 18 when he contacted me the first time. When he was twelve, he sexually abused a couple of little kids. And then when he was about 16, he realised this was wrong and he wanted to go to the police and he was suicidal, uh, and completely fell into pieces. But he tracked me down and I helped him and he has forgiven himself and he's got the forgiveness of those two little kids. And now, uh, wherever he goes, people with depression and guilt and anxiety seek him out. He sends out these vibes and he helps them using the tools he's learned from me that's absolutely wonderful. And every now and then he sends me an email just checking up on how I am as a, uh, grandson would. And sometimes when he feels himself backflipping, he sends me an email so I can hold his hand and guide, um, him back to feeling strong again. And there is a young woman in Saudi Arabia who similarly, every now and then when she slips back into being suicidal, emails me and we have a few email exchanges, then she's okay again and, uh, one in Jamaica and so on. And so, yes, it is my joy and honour and privilege to lead people to a good life.

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> Speaker C>Tell us about any current or upcoming projects that you're working on that people need to know about.

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> Bob Rich>Well, uh, I've got. I don't know about people needing to know about it.

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> Bob Rich>One of my books is being reissued, uh, it is Mary Glindy, which is an aboriginal, australian aboriginal girl who was born in 1850, but she's actually, uh, a superior being who has been assigned as a guardian spirit to humans.

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> Bob Rich>And because she's never been a human, she needs to re experience a few human lives and she needs to choose something terrible. So she chooses being somebody who's strongly discriminated against.

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> Bob Rich>But it's a cheerful story despite that, full of hope and love and caring and everybody who has read it has given it five stars.

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> Bob Rich>And Mary Glynde is one of my favourite teachers and children. And that book is going to be reissued soon, but it's still available in the previous form, uh, and the links are on my website. Also, I'm currently pestering publishers and agents about a science fiction series which I've written and I, uh, want to get published.

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> Bob Rich>I want my M hero bill to take the world stage to join Harry Potter. And actually I would be happy to email a free copy to any of the first volume to anybody who wants to read it and give me feedback on it so I can improve it.

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> Speaker C>Absolutely. So give out that, your contact info so that way people can do that. Who's interested?

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> Bob Rich>Yeah, well, if you just go to my blog on the context page and, uh, if you do go to my contacts page, you'll find out, uh, that I'm a grumpy old man with no sense of humour, but other people laugh at me, proving they have a sense of humour. If you read what I have on my contact page, you laugh and I'm not going to tell you what it is.

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> Speaker C>Yeah. So, listeners, you'll have to cheque it out. We're closest to.

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> Speaker C>So, final question, close us out with some final thoughts? And also tell us your favourite genre to writing, because you write in many genres.

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> Bob Rich>Uh, look, um. I'm, um, not even a square pegging around hole. I happen to be. I'm not actually human, you see. I'm only a visitor to your planet. And if you want to know what that means, I've written my own autobiography, but in a fictionalised form. So it's. The title is ascending spiral and it's actually my life story in that everything that happened to my fictional hero happened to me. Only he handled the choices better than I did.

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> Bob Rich>And there is a psychological technique where you create a character for a story who has your exact appearance and your exact history, but handles your choice points in the way you wish you had.

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> Bob Rich>And then, um, of course, when you've character, when you've created this person, you step into the role and you act as if you were that person.

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> Bob Rich>So that's a very powerful way to improve the way you do things. You can actually change yourself this way. And that's one of the reasons I, uh, fictionalise this story. And the other one is, uh, to protect the guilty. I don't particularly want to be sued, so I changed a few people a few things. But anyway, I am only a visitor to your planet.

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> Bob Rich>And, uh, so that's science fiction because it includes past, uh, life recalls.

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> Bob Rich>But I was saying, you know, I'm not really like other people. I can't follow instructions, for example.

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> Bob Rich>But, uh, so I'm not a square plug in around whole.

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> Bob Rich>I make my own hole. So I write non fiction and I write fiction and I write, uh, the fiction can be historical or science fiction or contemporary. I've even got some crime short stories. And so whatever comes along, basically I go to sleep one night and I think I might need a news story. I wake up in the morning and there are some people there who tell me their story and I write it down. One of my current projects, by the way, is a book on grief. There's all too much of it in today's world. So that's about a third finished.

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> Bob Rich>And when I find somebody who's grieving, I send them a copy. And what's in there, uh, is already helpful. And I've got a few helpful chapters for that up on my blog. Because, you see, I'm a lousy businessman. I tend to give away things for free because money is often worth more than it costs. So let's back to fund it costs more than it worth.

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> Bob Rich>So. But then, uh. All right, I made a mistake. But anybody who never makes a mistake is a liar.

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> Speaker C>All right, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it. Bob rich. Go cheque out that blog. Email him to get his free giveaway.

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> Speaker C>And you know, if you, if you have some issues or you need to reach out to somebody, Bob is the man. Reach out to him. He'll be there for you in any way he can. Please follow Rate Review Share this episode to as many people as possible. Get up on your favourite podcast app. Hit that follow button. Leave a review. If you have any guests or suggestion topics, see Jackson 102, uh, is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and supporting the show.

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> Speaker C>And Bob, thank you for all that you are doing to make the world a better place.

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> Bob Rich>Well, all we can do is the best we can do.

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> Bob Rich>And thank you for having me here, Curtis.

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> Speaker A>For more information on the living the Dream podcast, visit www.djcurveball.com.

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> Speaker A>Until next time, stay focused on living the dream dream.