Welcome to 2012.
As we say goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012 what does this mean to us as individuals? Did you set any new year resolutions for the year ahead? January already at its end February already here, time unaware of its own existence or its value. We all seem to be focused on what’s next or what’s passed us by and miss out on the now. We seem to be creatures of productivity, doing rather than being, just being somehow not enough. Mindfulness promotes the being in the moment and reduces effects of stress, worry and anxiety. Why Mindfulness? What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops — at all –
And sweetest — in the Gale — is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb — of Me.
Dickinson often identifies the robin with singing, this is one of the places where she links that singing to her concept of “Hope.”
How do you perceive this time of year as our winter draws in ? does it fill you with hope for what is to come, give you an energy for the coming year ? or do you hibernate , shut down till the warmer weather ?
JDP
STORY TELLING
The one who listens is exposed to the impact of the tale. It is possible for your whole life to be changed by a story at a crucial time by someone who you respect and trust. The effect of a story not only counts on its content but also in its timing and above all dependent on the relationship between teller and listener.
Within your mind’s eye imagine two people sitting near one another. One is telling a story the other is listening. In the space between story teller and listener images will arise. Characters will be created; both people will see the story but both will also see their own story. The power of words extends beyond the power of content it also has the power of repeated usage, of association and of intent.
What has been the impact of the stories you hear? Told to you in your role at work, by family or friends.
JDP
Ask What If?
Too often we accept things the way they are.
That famous saying ‘if you always do what you always did you will always get what you all ways got.’
To realise our full potential we need to update the strategies for dealing with life which we decided upon as infants. When we find that these strategies are no longer working for us, we need to replace them with new ones which do work.
So when you reach an impasse take a new approach.
J D-P
( TA Today pg7)
‘We cannot be made to feel or behave in particular ways by others, or by the environment. Other people in our lives, or our life circumstances, may exert strong pressures on us. But is always our decision whether to conform to these pressures. We are responsible for our own feelings and behaviour.
Any time we make a decision, we can change that decision later. This is true of early decisions that we make about ourselves and the world. If some of these infant decisions are producing uncomfortable results for us as grown-ups, we can trace the decisions and change them for new more appropriate decisions. Thus people can change. We achieve change not merely by insight into our old patterns of behaviour, but by actively deciding to change those patterns. The changes we make can be real and lasting.’
As the summer deepens people make time for enjoyment. For me pleasure comes from visiting new places. Pitching up in various places with my caravan, enjoying new views and nature at its best, admiring the creations of man over the centuries in the form of châteaus, great gardens and historic towns, taking life at a more steady pace and stopping to notice what surrounds me. I am reminded how even a small change can reap big benefits.
So pause awhile; we all need time to reflect, to truly value things in our life and appreciate them. So sit on a quiet beach or in a beautiful garden and muse without distraction.
JD-P
QUOTE
The hardest thing is to see what is in front of your eyes.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
