Stress

I cannot tell you the amount of times I put myself through unneccessary stress.

I have scenarios running round in my head about who will say what and what my reactions will be.  I get all tense and upset.  I can't eat, I can's sleep and then what happens?  Nothing!  My scenarios were a waste of energy because it never happened.

I have a tendancy to imagine the worst - the downside of an active imagination.

So why do I do this to myself? I have no idea.  Is it of any use to me? I am not sure.

Sometimes, I think it is not a waste of energy after all.

In these worst case scenarios, I plan what I will do.  First reaction is either being a coward or getting even.  Then, after a little while, I realise I am better than that.  I decide on a course of action that I can carry out with a calmness that I may not always feel and usually decide on an action that has me standing up for myself (something I find hard to do).  Then when I know I can carry out the intended reaction, I feel strong within myself.  Then the worst does not happen.

Was it a waste of energy? Perhaps not.  Maybe my committment to stand up for myself made the confrontation unnecessary.  I could overcome my own lack of confidence in my imagination without having my ripples affect others.

The next thing I have to work on is to leave the emotion out of my scenarios.

Making Sense of Disasters

I have been caught up in the natural disasters that have affected me personally and my family members recently.  Then I looked at all the disasters and unrest in the rest of the world.  It just does not make sense to me.  Then, I felt a glimmer of hope when I found something that made sense to me.

I have had the disasters and unrest explained to me as follows:-
It is when you are the middle of a cyclone, cowering in fear that you evaluate your core being.  It is while you are in the middle of an earthquake fearing whether you will see your loved ones again that you see yourself for who you really are.  After you survive a natural disaster, you start to evaluate yourself and your life.  It is after a natural disaster that you see the human side of people helping each other through a tough time.  The spirit of human kindness is reignited in most people.  It is this caring of other people that changes the world slightly from self absorbed people to caring people.  As people change, the light of humanity brightens.

As people in countries rise up against dictatorships, people are putting themselves at risk for the greater good of their fellow men.  They are fighting for freedom and are starting to win.  People are no longer wanting to live in fear and are doing something positive to change their world.  Their light of humanity brightens.

People have said much about the world ending in 2012.  Maybe the world we know will change in 2012.  Going from one where people are self centred, materialistic and argumentative to a world where people are interested in the welfare and well being of their fellow man.  A time of peace and harmony.

As each new disaster unfolds, I hold onto the hope that we have to endure these scenes of devastation for the greater good of humanity.  That after all the horrible things that happen we will be rewarded with a brighter future of peace and harmony.

The Spirit of Connectedness

It has been difficult seeing all the death and destruction caused by natural disasters all over the world this year.  There is no way that I, or anyone else, can make sense of the havoc caused by Mother Nature.

One thing that has become clear for me amidst all the devastation is the connectedness of the human spirit.  I may not personally know the victims in the floods or the latest earthquake but I can feel compassion for the victims and their families.  It affects me that someone is pain due to the disaster.  It affects millions of people all over the world at the tragedies that are unfolding.  For a time, people are forgetting about themselves and thinking of the people who are affected by these natural disasters.  Their heart goes out to unknown, anonymous people who are enduring an unimaginable horror.  For a moment in time, they are connecting to the spirit of someone they do not know and feel their pain.

My interepretation of this is that it demonstrates at a very basic level that all human spirit is connected in one way or another.  We may be individuals but we are not alone.  As long as people care about people they do not even know, then there will always be hope for a better world.

Attitude

In the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi, power has been out in some suburbs for 7-8 days.  Further North, where it was worse, they have been told power could be out for over a month.

I have been reading on Facebook the comments from customers without power.  They fall into two categories.  One are saying, when are you putting my power back on, I should have it, why are you taking so long, I am suffering here.  The other customers are saying, you are working hard, we appreciate your efforts, we are doing fine and enjoying the family time without power.

Yes, it is a shock not to have power at your fingertips but it is outside your control to get it back on.  You have two choices, moan about it or make the most of it. I do understand it is not easy without power but surely when it gets back on you will appreciate it even more and maybe your life will change for the better by continuing to have more family time.

When life gives you circumstances that are out of your control, you also have two choices.  You can moan about it and make yourself and everyone around you miserable.  Or, you can see the silver lining, appreciate the opportunity to learn something new or just enjoy the new set of circumstances. 

I guess what I am saying here is, your attitude makes the difference between enjoying something or being miserable.  Isn't it much better to choose to enjoy the opportunities life presents you with?

Reflections on Yasi

Having come through Cyclone Yasi unscathed, I have turned my thoughts to understanding what I have learnt from the experience.

One thing I learnt about myself, I don't care about material things.  I left my home and did everything I could to protect what we had and not knowing what I would find when we came back.  At the height of the cyclone all I was thinking was I am so grateful that my family is together, I knew that if everything was destroyed, that it would only be things, and we could rebuild our life if necessary.  It is times like these that the old cliches that you spout of on a regular basis actually take real meaning.  It is my family that is most important to me. 

The other thing I learnt is that if you busy yourself looking after others then you don't have time to dwell on what 'might' happen.  Let me explain.  For the days leading up to the cyclone I was quite frantic with making preparations and thinking of what might happen.  I really got myself worked up about the what ifs (Hey, I am still learning lessons).  Then when all preparations were done, I went to the Nursing Home where my husband works.  He was needed there and we wanted to be in the same place when the cyclone hit so we wouldn't be worrying about each other. 

When I got to the Nursing Home, I was sent to help out in the ward.  Doing little things that would help out the staff, so they could get on with the important work.  Helping out stopped me from watching the news, there were too many other things to do to stop and watch TV.  Not watching the news meant that I was not getting caught up in the drama of it all.  While helping out, I was struck by how sad it was for a lot of these residents and the circumstances they found themselves in.  Once lively people who could no longer communicate or live in the world of today.  I have such an admiration for the Nursing Staff who work so tirelessly with these people and treat these people with such dignity.

So, Yasi has taught me a couple of things.  One, possessions don't matter.  Two, when your world looks terrifying, stop, look around and help out someone who is less fortunate than yourself.  You lose sight of your own problems and when you do look around, your storm has passed without you noticing.

Choose to be Positive

I am contemplating at this moment the prospect of two cyclones hitting our coastline within a week.  I have stocked up on food and got my cyclone kit all ready.  There is nothing more I can do to prepare for the cyclones.  It is up to nature as to whether we will be in the firing line or not.  I have done all I can.

So it is with life.  You can prepare to lessen the impact of situations on yourself but there comes a point when you have done all you can and outside influences will have the final say.  However, no matter what the outcome of outside influences, you still have the power to choose how you are going to react.  Life and situations do not leave you powerless, your reactions can though.

Choose to react in a positive way.  Fight those negative thoughts, pick yourself up and carry on.  People or situations only have power to affect you negatively if you allow them to.  You have the power and strength within yourself to overcome anything that life throws your way if you choose to draw on it.

If you are used to thinking negatively it can be a challenge to change your thought patterns but it can be done.  Work hard to choose positive.  Negativity is a habit that can be changed to positivity.

Choose to have a positive influence on your life.

New Year

As the New Year approaches, it is time to reflect on the past and to plan the future.

This year has been full of changes for me.  At first, I did not want to accept the changes and made my life more difficult than it needed to be.  Once I accepted the changes, life got a lot more enjoyable.  I realise now, that my life had to change if I wanted to achieve my dreams.  I guess I was hoping I could achieve my dreams without changing the way I live.  The old adage if you alway do what you always did you will always get what you always got comes to mind.  The changes may have been painful but they were certainly worth while.  My life has changed dramatically and I am so thankful for that.

Part of my changes helped me to really appreciate the family and friends who surround me now.  They helped me through a difficult time and stood by me.  I am truly blessed to have these people in my life.  I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and the laughter and wellbeing associated with their company.

I have grown as a person and have started to work towards my goals and dreams rather than waiting for them to be handed to me on a platter.  I will no longer hang on to anyone else's coattails to get the life that I want (hanging on someone else's coattails didn't work anyway).  I do sometimes worry that I have left my run a bit late then realise that worrying is a part of my past I will leave behind.  I have become more aware of my useless habits and endeavour not to make use of them in my present or future.  It is not always easy but the more I practice positive life choices the easier it becomes.

After spending Christmas Day with family, I realised how truly blessed I really am.  I could not ask for a better family.

The New Year is looming.  I will not make any New Year's Resolutions.  The thing is that I have been enacting my new resolutions during the year, I did not have to wait for a New Year to change.  I will welcome the New Year as a celebration of the past and anticipation for the future.

Happy New Year to everyone!