Thanks for reading this. One of the big things that has been happening in my life this year has to do with my ability to be thankful in all circumstances. I used to be quite an ungrateful person, and i'm definitely not out of the woods yet, but I know that I have made some progress in this area.
One Thessalonians Chapter Five and Verse 18.
Often in life we think that if we could change our job, or move to a new city, or something like that, then life might be better. I know people who have done all of these things and are still miserable. That's because they are trying to change how they feel by changing what they do or where they are... Sometimes a change in scenery can give us a kick start, new lifestyle or new perspective, which is great, but often people do these things because it is much easier than facing their problem, and changing themselves. The best way to change yourself is by changing yourself, not by changing your job or house. It is the best way, but also the hardest.
I'd say it's about the hardest thing anyone will ever do. Opposing yourself and talking back to yourself. Take my ungratefulness for example. Only in the last couple of months have I noticed that I am thankful in most cirumstances, possibly all of my average daily circumstances. I havn't had anything major to confront so i'm not sure how I would handle that, but I am quite stoked that I seem to be saying thankyou regularly throughout my day. Even when my back was stuffed, I was genuinely thankful that my arms and legs were fine and that I could at least do something. I was also grateful that I had enough money to go to the physio and that my boss gave me time to go. I was in pain, but I was still happy and laughing about it! That's a good way to be I think!I hope I can keep it going!
But it wasn't always this way. A couple of years ago I would whine about everything and feel like the world was against me, but I decided to change my attitude and worked very hard at trying to be thankful until now where it has become a much more natural mindset.
So if you are negative and depressed, that sucks, but the only way to change is to do something about it. No amount of complaining will make other people fix you. You are not a child any more, you are an adult and you had better start acting like one. It's your life, so you make the decisions. Stop blaming others for your situation. Your life is your responsibilty, no one else will do it for you. The sooner you realise this, the sooner you can get on with living, and not just letting life pass you by.
You know that song "Thankyou very much for your kind donation...thankyou very much, thankyou very, very, very much..." Well I was singin the same tune in my head just before, except the words were changed to "Thankyou very much in my situation, thankyou very much, thankyou very, very, very much"
You don't have to be thankful that you hate your life, that's stupid, but you could be thankful that you can read this, think about it, make a coffee, feed yourself, walk, breathe, know where your next meal is coming from, have family and friends, have strength to get up and go to work, have had some cool experiences in life, the list is endless...and only cut short by your limited perspective.
"Without vision, the people perish" In this case, as soon as you lose your vision, or healthy perspective, then you lose sight of the many things you have to be thankful for. And then you perish, or die on the inside... God, life, other people and you are waiting for you to choose to be thankful. Always look on the bright side of life... Its hard at first but gets easier the more you choose to do it.
Thanks for reading:)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Getting offended
I get quite frustated when people get offended at things. The latest public uproar stems from Paul Henry's comments about Susan Boyle being a retard. Offences come at us all of the time, and it's our choice whether we take the offence and get angry, self-righteous and defensive about it. When people don't like something and they publically cry about it, I wonder if they actually realise how childish they look! I work in the trades so the predominant culture there is for people to hassle eachothers workmanship, or fat belly, or working slack 9-5 office hours etc... So if there was ever a place to take offence, my working environment would be up there. You can work really hard for days and then have people turn up and not like what you have done. And they tell you.
So it would be quite easy for me to get offended at work, and I have a few times, especially when I don't get enough sleep the night before. The school of hard knocks is good if you can graduate from it!
I used to get offended quite easily, and it made life very hard. But when I learned that being offended was entirely my own decision, and that I didnt have to get offended if I didnt want to, things took an upward turn. And life is so much easier now, especially my relationships. I have found that forgiving people can be quite hard work sometimes, and that it is actually much easier to just not even get offended in the first place. Cut it off before it grows and then you don't have to worry about forgiving people all the time.
I also learnt that taking offence is a sign of immaturity. (prov 19:11) I read my bible sometimes and it tells me good things like that! You should read one too. Better than any self help book out there. I don't want to be immature so I decided that, right or wrong, another person can say what ever they like about me or to me etc and I will not even worry about it. Sure, easier said than done, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.
If someone calls me fatty or says I have doane a bad job or something, I simply do a quick check in my head. Is anything they are saying true? Maybe it is. Ok, i'll do something about it... Or maybe there's nothing really true in what they are saying, in which case, I will just say to myself... Yeah, another comment from someone who didn't give much thought to what they said, or maybe they've had a bad day, or maybe they just want some attention, I wonder if I can help them out etc... No big deal...
Then I pretty much forget what they even said. Unimportant...
Much easier than saying... How dare they! Thats not fair, I try really hard and then they hassle me, who do they think they are... look at them... pot calling the kettle black there! Hypocrite, last time I talk to you and do something to help you out. Loser, cant wait to tell everyone what a loser you are... angry downward spiral of thinking... which my moods, emotions and feelings quickly follow downwards as well.
One reason that being a Christian is good is because you can trust God to stick up for you! You don't have to fight to prove you are right. What other people think about is not really important because you know that the unseen character is what will shine through in the end. You dont like me? Who cares! You gossip and judge me? I dont like that, but really, who cares! The truth comes out in the end, and I don't have to fight and strive to prove anything to anyone! God does that for me, ahhh, peace... No one's perfect, get over it and move on!
The real problem is that people don't know who they are. If you have healthy self-esteem and an accurate view of yourself, people can say whatever they like about you and you won't be bothered. But if you are unsure of yourself then people's comments can offend you because you are still trying to prove to the world who you are, and when other people suggest something different, your fighting reflex wants to stick up for you, take offence, and prove them wrong.
"Like a sheep before his shearers, He was silent".
Don't get offended! Grow up!
So it would be quite easy for me to get offended at work, and I have a few times, especially when I don't get enough sleep the night before. The school of hard knocks is good if you can graduate from it!
I used to get offended quite easily, and it made life very hard. But when I learned that being offended was entirely my own decision, and that I didnt have to get offended if I didnt want to, things took an upward turn. And life is so much easier now, especially my relationships. I have found that forgiving people can be quite hard work sometimes, and that it is actually much easier to just not even get offended in the first place. Cut it off before it grows and then you don't have to worry about forgiving people all the time.
I also learnt that taking offence is a sign of immaturity. (prov 19:11) I read my bible sometimes and it tells me good things like that! You should read one too. Better than any self help book out there. I don't want to be immature so I decided that, right or wrong, another person can say what ever they like about me or to me etc and I will not even worry about it. Sure, easier said than done, but the more you do it, the easier it gets.
If someone calls me fatty or says I have doane a bad job or something, I simply do a quick check in my head. Is anything they are saying true? Maybe it is. Ok, i'll do something about it... Or maybe there's nothing really true in what they are saying, in which case, I will just say to myself... Yeah, another comment from someone who didn't give much thought to what they said, or maybe they've had a bad day, or maybe they just want some attention, I wonder if I can help them out etc... No big deal...
Then I pretty much forget what they even said. Unimportant...
Much easier than saying... How dare they! Thats not fair, I try really hard and then they hassle me, who do they think they are... look at them... pot calling the kettle black there! Hypocrite, last time I talk to you and do something to help you out. Loser, cant wait to tell everyone what a loser you are... angry downward spiral of thinking... which my moods, emotions and feelings quickly follow downwards as well.
One reason that being a Christian is good is because you can trust God to stick up for you! You don't have to fight to prove you are right. What other people think about is not really important because you know that the unseen character is what will shine through in the end. You dont like me? Who cares! You gossip and judge me? I dont like that, but really, who cares! The truth comes out in the end, and I don't have to fight and strive to prove anything to anyone! God does that for me, ahhh, peace... No one's perfect, get over it and move on!
The real problem is that people don't know who they are. If you have healthy self-esteem and an accurate view of yourself, people can say whatever they like about you and you won't be bothered. But if you are unsure of yourself then people's comments can offend you because you are still trying to prove to the world who you are, and when other people suggest something different, your fighting reflex wants to stick up for you, take offence, and prove them wrong.
"Like a sheep before his shearers, He was silent".
Don't get offended! Grow up!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Looking good
I have been thinking about the word "Paradigm" for a couple of days, what it means, what my paradigms about certain things might be etc.. In my searching, I came across some interesting things like this commentary on part of Steven Covey's book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". The way we see the problem is often the problem itself! I like that. Two people might have exactly the same problem but their lives could be completely different from eachother because of the way they each see that problem. It's not what you look at, it's what you see that is most important and we can have a choice in that. So here's some cut and paste for yo.
The Power of a Paradigm Shift
Covey has the best example of a paradigm shift: he was traveling in a subway, a man gets in with his two sons, the sons are running all over the place bothering the people, this continues, so he finally gets irritated enough to ask the father why he doesn't do something to control his kids. The father replies, "We just got back from the hospital where their mother died. I don't know how to handle it and I guess they don't either."
Suddenly you see the everything differently. That is the power of a paradigm shift. They are the same kids yelling and screaming in the subway, but you look at them and understand them in a different way.
I was at the swimming pool the other day and saw a family of three leaving out the door. The little boy suddenly stopped and stood looking through the glass at the swimmers in the pool who were still swimming. The father yelled back to him, "Come on, what are you doing, just staring at things again? Let's go!" I thought about the paradigm that the father had of his son: "stupid, slow kid who's always doing something he isn't supposed to." Now what if the school counsellor were to call the father up the next day and tell him, "We have just received the test results back from your son and have discovered that he has impressively high IQ. He is a genius." The next time his kid stood staring at something, I wonder if the father wouldn't go back to him inquisitively and say, "Tell me what you are thinking about son. What do you see?"
Our behavior results from our paradigms of the world. The classic example of the old woman/young woman picture which Covey includes in the book is a good example. You can look at the picture and see an old woman or you can look at the picture and see a young woman. Depending on what you see is what you are going to say about "that picture."
The Principle-Centered Paradigm
In this book, Covey wants to express to us how we can base our behavior on a paradigm of the world which is centered on our unchanging principles instead of being centered on what happens in the world, what others do, what we do, how we feel, how others feel, the stock market, and the vicissitudes of life.
The Way We See the Problem Is the Problem
If you have a problem, the actual problem is that you are looking at it as a problem. It could be something else, such as an opportunity. When it rains lemons, make lemonade. You just need a paradigm shift.
The Power of a Paradigm Shift
Covey has the best example of a paradigm shift: he was traveling in a subway, a man gets in with his two sons, the sons are running all over the place bothering the people, this continues, so he finally gets irritated enough to ask the father why he doesn't do something to control his kids. The father replies, "We just got back from the hospital where their mother died. I don't know how to handle it and I guess they don't either."
Suddenly you see the everything differently. That is the power of a paradigm shift. They are the same kids yelling and screaming in the subway, but you look at them and understand them in a different way.
I was at the swimming pool the other day and saw a family of three leaving out the door. The little boy suddenly stopped and stood looking through the glass at the swimmers in the pool who were still swimming. The father yelled back to him, "Come on, what are you doing, just staring at things again? Let's go!" I thought about the paradigm that the father had of his son: "stupid, slow kid who's always doing something he isn't supposed to." Now what if the school counsellor were to call the father up the next day and tell him, "We have just received the test results back from your son and have discovered that he has impressively high IQ. He is a genius." The next time his kid stood staring at something, I wonder if the father wouldn't go back to him inquisitively and say, "Tell me what you are thinking about son. What do you see?"
Our behavior results from our paradigms of the world. The classic example of the old woman/young woman picture which Covey includes in the book is a good example. You can look at the picture and see an old woman or you can look at the picture and see a young woman. Depending on what you see is what you are going to say about "that picture."
The Principle-Centered Paradigm
In this book, Covey wants to express to us how we can base our behavior on a paradigm of the world which is centered on our unchanging principles instead of being centered on what happens in the world, what others do, what we do, how we feel, how others feel, the stock market, and the vicissitudes of life.
The Way We See the Problem Is the Problem
If you have a problem, the actual problem is that you are looking at it as a problem. It could be something else, such as an opportunity. When it rains lemons, make lemonade. You just need a paradigm shift.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Too much good is bad
I don't know what to write. I havn't had any interesting insights in the last few days. I've been working quite hard out in the heat and to be honest I am feeling really worn out. My back feels better though. That was getting to be ridiculous, but thankfully mountains of cash given to the right person can fix any problem. Thank you physio and massage therapist. The bit I really love is how we pay hundreds of dollars a year to ACC and then when we need them, we have to pay with our own money anyway. I love how life is fair like that. Good system. At least my taxes go to worthy causes. Prisoners eat better than I do. Good on them. They deserve a good feed at the end of the day.
Tired. Can only manage short sentences. Boy it's hot. Not quite 40deg, but still hot.
I guess the one thing I have been thinking about a little bit today was around the topic of too much of a good thing is usually a bad thing. There's lots of things that are bad for us, and lots of things that are good for us. But if we do too much of those good things then they become bad for us. Sleep, food, wine, exercise, work, socialising, sun, thinking, talking, music... are all good things. But if we have too much of these then they become bad for us. Everything in moderation, including moderation. Too much sleep and the world would be like a big group of students. Nothing getting done, but lots of nice looking bed hair. Too much food and the world would look like a planet full of overweight Americans. Too much wine and the world would look like a bunch of Aussie teenagers. The list could go on. I like getting my shirt off at work, coz it's so hot (the temperature, certainly not my body) and that sun is good for my vitamin D and healthy looking appaerance, but if it's off for too long, then I look like a lobster, get melanoma and eventually, will age like the man from the Dolmio Grin ads.
No one wants that do they?
Also, there has to be a balance between doing lots of good stuff. Like when you are eating healthy, it's good to have a day off to have a treat or two. Exercising should always include a day off in between or as often as you deem appropriate. Even alcoholics have a day off every year and followers of the Consumer Religion even take a day off at Easter.
It's ok to not be perfect and always maintain perfection in your life. There's only one person who was and is perfect and if we try to live up to that standard then we are self deceived idiots. Excellence is a good thing to aim for, but excellence isn't perfection. Once you realise that you don't have to be perfect and live up to impossible standards, a real freedom comes into your life. Jesus earnt all the brownie points for us! So as long as we are honestly doing our best as is humanly possible, there's nothing wrong with making mistakes as long as we learn from them. If you eat healthy for a while but then eat fish n chips for a few days, so what! Yeah it's not a good thing, it's not what I want my life's diet to be like, but it's also not the end of the world.
I'm writing this for people like me. Perfectionists. Who think perfection can be attained by lots of effort, but every time I don't reach it, I beat myself up. I sometimes need to tell myself that "Good enough is actually good enough".
God fills in the gaps for us, and makes us perfect in His sight. Do your best and then relax. Then do your best again...
Gee, I don't think that blog makes any sense. I am spaced out. Too much exercise today...
Tired. Can only manage short sentences. Boy it's hot. Not quite 40deg, but still hot.
I guess the one thing I have been thinking about a little bit today was around the topic of too much of a good thing is usually a bad thing. There's lots of things that are bad for us, and lots of things that are good for us. But if we do too much of those good things then they become bad for us. Sleep, food, wine, exercise, work, socialising, sun, thinking, talking, music... are all good things. But if we have too much of these then they become bad for us. Everything in moderation, including moderation. Too much sleep and the world would be like a big group of students. Nothing getting done, but lots of nice looking bed hair. Too much food and the world would look like a planet full of overweight Americans. Too much wine and the world would look like a bunch of Aussie teenagers. The list could go on. I like getting my shirt off at work, coz it's so hot (the temperature, certainly not my body) and that sun is good for my vitamin D and healthy looking appaerance, but if it's off for too long, then I look like a lobster, get melanoma and eventually, will age like the man from the Dolmio Grin ads.
No one wants that do they?
Also, there has to be a balance between doing lots of good stuff. Like when you are eating healthy, it's good to have a day off to have a treat or two. Exercising should always include a day off in between or as often as you deem appropriate. Even alcoholics have a day off every year and followers of the Consumer Religion even take a day off at Easter.
It's ok to not be perfect and always maintain perfection in your life. There's only one person who was and is perfect and if we try to live up to that standard then we are self deceived idiots. Excellence is a good thing to aim for, but excellence isn't perfection. Once you realise that you don't have to be perfect and live up to impossible standards, a real freedom comes into your life. Jesus earnt all the brownie points for us! So as long as we are honestly doing our best as is humanly possible, there's nothing wrong with making mistakes as long as we learn from them. If you eat healthy for a while but then eat fish n chips for a few days, so what! Yeah it's not a good thing, it's not what I want my life's diet to be like, but it's also not the end of the world.
I'm writing this for people like me. Perfectionists. Who think perfection can be attained by lots of effort, but every time I don't reach it, I beat myself up. I sometimes need to tell myself that "Good enough is actually good enough".
God fills in the gaps for us, and makes us perfect in His sight. Do your best and then relax. Then do your best again...
Gee, I don't think that blog makes any sense. I am spaced out. Too much exercise today...
Saturday, November 21, 2009
What a load of rubbish
I like picking up rubbish. I don't really know why. After all, it's not exactly the most exciting thing to do is it. Some people like to throw rubbish. Out the car window, or leaving it behind after a picnic etc. Just because they don't want the inconvenience of responsibility. Why should they be responsible anyway? Doesn't the world know how important they are! Someone else will pick it up because I am the centre of the universe.
So I was wondering why. Why do I have this underlying compulsion to pick up other people's rubbish, garbage, trash, etc? And it got me thinking about how much I love nature. Or in particular, how being out in nature makes me feel. I love being in the great outdoors, whether it's riding my bike, swimming in the river, walking, lying on the grass in the park, or snoozing in the sand dunes... Nothing brings a clearer perspective and inner peace in to my life like contemplating about things bigger than me, in an environment that is clearly bigger than I am.
And then wham! A McDonald's paper bag rolls in to view and I feel my anger rise. Goodbye inner peace and perspective. Why must people be so lazy, arrogant and selfish?! What's the point of trying to be a better person and helping others if they won't even put their trash in the bin. We live in a beautiful world and it is the pride and arrogance symptomatic of the trash biffers that is the main reason behind the world's problems. (please note that I am judging them, so I am no better!)
anyway...
I'm not saying that dropping rubbish is causing all of our world's problems, even though some environmental problems are a direct result of littering. Such as polluted waterways etc. What I am saying is that the attitude people have when they drop rubbish without caring is what is causing most of the world's problems.
So next time you think about dropping, or leaving rubbish somewhere, consider this. I am making the world an uglier place, both physically of course, but also because of my ugly attitude towards other people. Way to ruin things for the rest of us who just want the world to be a better place.
So it's not that I enjoy picking up rubbish per se, but my attitude when I choose to do it is making the world better for myself and those around me. I reckon that could be why I enjoyed getting detentions at school.
So I was wondering why. Why do I have this underlying compulsion to pick up other people's rubbish, garbage, trash, etc? And it got me thinking about how much I love nature. Or in particular, how being out in nature makes me feel. I love being in the great outdoors, whether it's riding my bike, swimming in the river, walking, lying on the grass in the park, or snoozing in the sand dunes... Nothing brings a clearer perspective and inner peace in to my life like contemplating about things bigger than me, in an environment that is clearly bigger than I am.
And then wham! A McDonald's paper bag rolls in to view and I feel my anger rise. Goodbye inner peace and perspective. Why must people be so lazy, arrogant and selfish?! What's the point of trying to be a better person and helping others if they won't even put their trash in the bin. We live in a beautiful world and it is the pride and arrogance symptomatic of the trash biffers that is the main reason behind the world's problems. (please note that I am judging them, so I am no better!)
anyway...
I'm not saying that dropping rubbish is causing all of our world's problems, even though some environmental problems are a direct result of littering. Such as polluted waterways etc. What I am saying is that the attitude people have when they drop rubbish without caring is what is causing most of the world's problems.
So next time you think about dropping, or leaving rubbish somewhere, consider this. I am making the world an uglier place, both physically of course, but also because of my ugly attitude towards other people. Way to ruin things for the rest of us who just want the world to be a better place.
So it's not that I enjoy picking up rubbish per se, but my attitude when I choose to do it is making the world better for myself and those around me. I reckon that could be why I enjoyed getting detentions at school.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Go Away.
I went away over the long weekend and I had a really great time. Apart from getting a bit seasick on the ferry and having a couple of early mornings, I was incredibly blessed to be in Wellington for one of the most important nights in New Zealand sporting history. Even if you have some sort of psychological disorder and don't get in to sports that often, you could not help but get carried away with the emotion of a country coming together like it did on the weekend. This isn't a small global sport like rugby or cricket, this is bigger than the olympics. This is football, the world game. This was an incredible game, crowd and result. I will never forget it as long as I live. And yes. I took my shirt off and danced in my white boxers. I can hear the religious stiffs tutt-tutting. God still loves me. And Rory Fallon! Thank you Jesus!
Just got me thinking about how important it is to have a break from the monotony of every day life. I havn't had a single day off this year, apart from a conference, which is hardly relaxing. In fact, I havn't even had a cold for over three years. So not even a sick day! Some people aren't so fortunate. One of the benefits of growing up on a farm and always being dirty I guess! Built up a good immune system. Some people just need to let their kids get dirty and stay dirty I reckon. That's if they get off their cellphones and Wii for a few minutes and play outside. Another symptom of a modern society with no real problems, which forces us to make problems up just to keep us busy. Some researchers have coined the term "Affluenza". A hybrid of "affluence" and "influenza" where people get sick because life is too easy, clean and under control. Without any real problems like hunger, life threatening situations, poverty etc, people get depressed and anxious over small, unimportant things. I'm not talking about when people live in terrible situations that can seem impossible to change. Like depression, family violence etc. I am talking about people who have a generally good life and get busy doing things that don't matter! If you have a good life, then help someone who doesn't. Put your organic food and biodegadable cleaning products away. Stop conjuring up more things for you to worry about just to distract yourself from what you know you really should be doing.
I think that was an off the topic rant! Oops, ok, I will see if I can steer the ferry back on course.
One reason why it is so important to take breaks is so that you can regain a clear perspective on life. If you always do what you always do, then you'll always see what you always see. I just made that up. Bit like another popular quote except I changed it. Pat on the back. Thanks.
Back to the story...
"Without vision the people perish". If you have a bible then you might recognise that one. Another way to look at that would be to say that if you have nothing to look forward to then you will slowly die on the inside. Most of us have something that we really want to do, or want our life to be like etc... and that is great! But if we get so busy doing our everyday lives then we can forget those things that used to get us enthusiastic about life. Noel Gallagher once wrote "The dreams we have as children fade away". Sadly this is true for many of us. But I think if we can remember to take regular breaks and "re-create" ourselves, those dreams can stay with us, or be rediscovered from deep inside us.
I was so enthusiastic before this trip away! Because I had something to look forward to. Imagine a life full of those sorts of things. Not things that other people enjoy so you pretend to enjoy them too, but things that YOU really enjoy. I suppose it's a vicious cycle isn't it. If you have a busy life then you probably don't have time to stop and remember what it is that YOU actually enjoy, so when your time off arises, you opt for the easy option of doing whatever everyone else likes to do. But surprisingly you are not fulfilled or recharged. So you continue to keep busy to ignore those feelings some more. You never get anywhere in life until you know who you are and what you enjoy. And because you are unique, it may just be different from anyone else! It's ok to be different by the way. I'm not talking about when people rebel and try to be different on purpose, that's a teenage thing that some people never grow out of. I'm talking about knowing who you were made to be and enjoying that.
Well that was a bit all over the place. Probably a few too many creative juices flowing after my break. Bit hard to organise them all. Sorry about that! I suggest you diary in one night a week, or as often as you can, to stop and think about what you like doing when you were a kid. You are still that person, so it might give you some direction towards what YOU like to do now! If you get lost it helps to go back to the beginning and start again. I made that one up too. I like doing that:)
Just got me thinking about how important it is to have a break from the monotony of every day life. I havn't had a single day off this year, apart from a conference, which is hardly relaxing. In fact, I havn't even had a cold for over three years. So not even a sick day! Some people aren't so fortunate. One of the benefits of growing up on a farm and always being dirty I guess! Built up a good immune system. Some people just need to let their kids get dirty and stay dirty I reckon. That's if they get off their cellphones and Wii for a few minutes and play outside. Another symptom of a modern society with no real problems, which forces us to make problems up just to keep us busy. Some researchers have coined the term "Affluenza". A hybrid of "affluence" and "influenza" where people get sick because life is too easy, clean and under control. Without any real problems like hunger, life threatening situations, poverty etc, people get depressed and anxious over small, unimportant things. I'm not talking about when people live in terrible situations that can seem impossible to change. Like depression, family violence etc. I am talking about people who have a generally good life and get busy doing things that don't matter! If you have a good life, then help someone who doesn't. Put your organic food and biodegadable cleaning products away. Stop conjuring up more things for you to worry about just to distract yourself from what you know you really should be doing.
I think that was an off the topic rant! Oops, ok, I will see if I can steer the ferry back on course.
One reason why it is so important to take breaks is so that you can regain a clear perspective on life. If you always do what you always do, then you'll always see what you always see. I just made that up. Bit like another popular quote except I changed it. Pat on the back. Thanks.
Back to the story...
"Without vision the people perish". If you have a bible then you might recognise that one. Another way to look at that would be to say that if you have nothing to look forward to then you will slowly die on the inside. Most of us have something that we really want to do, or want our life to be like etc... and that is great! But if we get so busy doing our everyday lives then we can forget those things that used to get us enthusiastic about life. Noel Gallagher once wrote "The dreams we have as children fade away". Sadly this is true for many of us. But I think if we can remember to take regular breaks and "re-create" ourselves, those dreams can stay with us, or be rediscovered from deep inside us.
I was so enthusiastic before this trip away! Because I had something to look forward to. Imagine a life full of those sorts of things. Not things that other people enjoy so you pretend to enjoy them too, but things that YOU really enjoy. I suppose it's a vicious cycle isn't it. If you have a busy life then you probably don't have time to stop and remember what it is that YOU actually enjoy, so when your time off arises, you opt for the easy option of doing whatever everyone else likes to do. But surprisingly you are not fulfilled or recharged. So you continue to keep busy to ignore those feelings some more. You never get anywhere in life until you know who you are and what you enjoy. And because you are unique, it may just be different from anyone else! It's ok to be different by the way. I'm not talking about when people rebel and try to be different on purpose, that's a teenage thing that some people never grow out of. I'm talking about knowing who you were made to be and enjoying that.
Well that was a bit all over the place. Probably a few too many creative juices flowing after my break. Bit hard to organise them all. Sorry about that! I suggest you diary in one night a week, or as often as you can, to stop and think about what you like doing when you were a kid. You are still that person, so it might give you some direction towards what YOU like to do now! If you get lost it helps to go back to the beginning and start again. I made that one up too. I like doing that:)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Appreciation is Back!!!
I have a sore back. No surprise to my friends there. Continuous whinging and manipulation for another back rub are a staple diet for those in my circle of friends. Of course me being the selfish person that I am, I never give them back.
What I have at the moment is a bit more than the ordinary sore back that I usually carry around because of the physical nature of my job,(Or does it carry me around?.. anyway..). This one is apparently a "chronic back fatigue". Thankyou for that apt description Mrs Physio. Kind of like a long term build up of back badness. I have been experiencing varying degrees of discomfort throughout the day, for the last three weeks or so. The pain ranges from a mild throbbing all the way up to pins and needles down my legs, sharp pains that make my eyes water and I have fallen over a couple of times when moving around. Coupled with my prideful stubbornness that refuses to ask for help, or take a sick day, this really is a pain in my etc... literally.
This got me thinking. We take our health for granted. We take many things for granted and we often don't realise how good we had it until it is gone. My back, for example, holds me up and basically enables me to do anything I want. Walk, run, lift, boogie-on-down, you get the point.
If I had understood and appreciated what my back was doing for me all these years, then I would probably have been much more careful with it and looked after it and been much more thankful for it. But because I abused it, took it for granted and hardly ever maintained it's health, its strength has been taken away from me and now I have to work really hard, in pain, financially etc, to restore it back to health.
As you know, if you ever bought a new car, it DEpreciates in value over time until it is worth a fraction of its original price. Imagine if you bought a new car and it began GAINING in value over time! Well that's what appreciation does. The more you stop taking something or someone for granted and start appreciating them, the more they feel their value increase. Every human is infintely valuable to God, but most of us don't feel that way all the time. By showing someone that you appreciate them, they can start to FEEL a bit more valuable. Like they deserve to. That's the power of appreciation.
What, or who, is there in your life that you take for granted? It is a far better thing to do to be thankful for them and to appreciate them, than to suddenly have a mess to clean up because you didn't put the effort in.
Oh, by the way, this wasn't a manipulative effort to gain more friendly back rubs. I am trying to stop doing that!;)
What I have at the moment is a bit more than the ordinary sore back that I usually carry around because of the physical nature of my job,(Or does it carry me around?.. anyway..). This one is apparently a "chronic back fatigue". Thankyou for that apt description Mrs Physio. Kind of like a long term build up of back badness. I have been experiencing varying degrees of discomfort throughout the day, for the last three weeks or so. The pain ranges from a mild throbbing all the way up to pins and needles down my legs, sharp pains that make my eyes water and I have fallen over a couple of times when moving around. Coupled with my prideful stubbornness that refuses to ask for help, or take a sick day, this really is a pain in my etc... literally.
This got me thinking. We take our health for granted. We take many things for granted and we often don't realise how good we had it until it is gone. My back, for example, holds me up and basically enables me to do anything I want. Walk, run, lift, boogie-on-down, you get the point.
If I had understood and appreciated what my back was doing for me all these years, then I would probably have been much more careful with it and looked after it and been much more thankful for it. But because I abused it, took it for granted and hardly ever maintained it's health, its strength has been taken away from me and now I have to work really hard, in pain, financially etc, to restore it back to health.
As you know, if you ever bought a new car, it DEpreciates in value over time until it is worth a fraction of its original price. Imagine if you bought a new car and it began GAINING in value over time! Well that's what appreciation does. The more you stop taking something or someone for granted and start appreciating them, the more they feel their value increase. Every human is infintely valuable to God, but most of us don't feel that way all the time. By showing someone that you appreciate them, they can start to FEEL a bit more valuable. Like they deserve to. That's the power of appreciation.
What, or who, is there in your life that you take for granted? It is a far better thing to do to be thankful for them and to appreciate them, than to suddenly have a mess to clean up because you didn't put the effort in.
Oh, by the way, this wasn't a manipulative effort to gain more friendly back rubs. I am trying to stop doing that!;)
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