Gratitude

Gratitude is something many of us forget about. At the moment I am feeling very grateful for all the help I received from others this weekend. I have been away on a course and I could not have done the course without the help of others.

I am also grateful for other things, a roof over my head, enough food to eat and enough clothes to wear. There are many people living in our world that do not have these things, many of which are basic to living, such as clean water which we take for granted. I try to think about five different things I am grateful for, each day.

What are you grateful for? And do you let those who help you feel appreciated? Can you help others be grateful for basic things in life?

The photo below was taken this weekend at Denman College where I stayed. I feel grateful to have seen this flower as to me it is very beautiful.

Not in my back yard

I was going to write about NIMBYs (not in my back yard) today but I suspect my ramblings will change as I write. One of the things I have noticed this week in my local area is the lack of thought about anything to do with alternative energy and new housing. Before you can get the words out about wind farms and solar farms, people say a very loud ‘no’. Their main reasons are that it will spoil the view for them and that their homes will also go down in value. Have they ever thought what life will be like if we do not find alternative sources of power? Their homes will have no value at all. And as for spoiling their view, do they not see the pylons, the horrible looking factories and the TV mast?

Then there are those who complain about athletic events, runs, cycle races and such things as the Commonwealth Games when roads are closed temporarily or diversions put in place for a couple of weeks. These things are OK as long as they don’t affect them and their everyday life.

Have we lost all thought of compromise and the thought of looking at ways that these things can be done. Where alternative energy is concerned, why not make all new build homes have solar panels installed and also grey water systems. This would make a lot of sense but no one seems to want to look to the future. We should be thinking of our grandchildren and their children and grandchildren and how we can make sure their life is better.

So much food for thought again. Are you a NIMBY and if so why?

Forgiveness

Sitting in a coffee bar last week I overheard a conversation. A woman had been waiting for her friend to arrive and when the friend arrived she said she was sorry she was late but the traffic was bad. The woman who had been waiting said that she forgave the other woman this time. So how easy is it to forgive? And what do we mean by forgiveness? A dictionary will say it is about letting go of anger towards someone who has hurt you in some way. How do you define forgiveness?

In some countries, people who are due to be executed because they have murdered someone can be let off if the victim’s family forgive them. In this country there are schemes for a victim and the perpetrator to come together and talk and also forgive each other.

Should we be more forgiving? And should we let crimes of many years ago be forgiven too?

If someone hurts you in some way and you are angry, this anger will eventually eat away at you and affect your health. This is surely a good enough reason to work with someone who has hurt you and forgive them. As a Reiki Master Teacher I have worked with many people about their anger and about forgiving others. You cannot move on unless you forgive. We are all spirit in a human body living a human style life but we must learn to be more perceptive of what we do to others and be prepared to forgive what they do to us.

Are there things that happen or have happened to you, or to others that you could never forgive?

 

Emerging from the dark

This week has been quite strange but very uplifting in many ways. I don’t know what started it but the hour I spent in the park reading the script of a book I had written some time ago seems to be the beginning of the move out of the darkness that has been around me for some months now. On Wednesday I had a hospital visit for a clinic about preventing falls. This was very good and for once I felt that I was of importance to the medical profession and that they wanted to help me This made me feel much more positive about the future.

On Friday a friend came over and we chatted and did some odds and ends with which I needed some help. We also read the cards and some of the poetry I wrote ages ago. That evening I sat down and suddenly found myself writing poetry again after at least 12 months of stagnation. This was wonderful and I am now seeing my way out of the darkness. Not quite out yet but nearly there.

Do you ever have times like these? It is a bit like a rebirth or the phoenix rising from the ashes. Whatever you want to call it, it feels good! Please share any experiences you have of this kind.