Reflections

Time to empty my cache of thoughts that surfaced today. Love the opportunity this blog gives me to clear my head.

Good morning.

I've just finished my breakfast and have also read the paper. These past days the papers have been full of  'warnings' from coaches and psychology experts about how to 'cope with Christmas arguments' at dinner tables and the 'mean mother in law' scary stories. So depressing really. Warnings about which topics to avoid at all cost. Thoughts on how to handle the 'politically incorrect' uncles ( and aunts) who drag nieces and nephews onto their laps etc etc.

Then on the other side of the coin. The 'things' that will make you super happy. What you needed to purchase for gifts, food items etc. Not to mention the advertisements for a 'Seasonal' holiday away'. This morning an article caught my eye. The internet sales site ( Marktplaats) is now reportedly crammed full of those 'much needed for you to be happy' Christmas gifts.

Now the Christmas part of this festive season has passed, the pages are now filled and focussed on 'Flash backs'. How well or how large the succeses and failures were these past 12 months. The people who achieved greatness but with extra verver on those who fell from grace.

It is round this time of year I feel like cancelling the newspaper. Don't get me wrong, the subjects I mentioned don't get a lot of my time, in fact more at a glance, but I cannot imagine why reporters want to infuse the readers with all this drab and negative stuff in a season when we as humans try to re-focus on the goodwill in people, of life in general, in gratitude and love for one and other. Or else why celebrate Christmas at all?

It appears that there was a newspaper, some time back, which would only print and proclaim good news. Positive articles about progress, new initiatives and succes stories. The idea behind it was to bring a balance to the negativity in the Daily paper 'we' the people devoured before or with our breakfast allowing it to influence our day. Generally with negative results. I believe it had to stop due to low distribution numbers and high costs. How come we shun Good News?

So that's my paper reflection this morning. Now I'll do a bout of 'reporting' myself.

Pre-Christmas time. Having invited our single neighbour to join my husband, my brother in law and me at the dinner table. Devouring recipe books and YouTube videos for that which may end up on our table. Managing in the nick of time to get some Christmas cards in the postbox. The tree decorated. I struggled this year more than most years. I miss my children with much more intensity at these special times. It took a dosis of down to earth thinking and encouragement to shed those sad thoughts. I decided too that I didn't NEED that new dress or sparkly top for that one special day. Went grocery shopping during the quieter hours. This didn't go quite as planned as we had a 'car breakdown' situation and it took 7 days to get a lease car, according to the garage proprietor  due to the 'Mad Season'.

Now this isn't a recipe for everyone's Christmas routine. I am just reflecting on how I managed to 'cope' with all this Christmas stress which the 'experts' tell us we are going to experience. Such a pity. I am not blind to the darker side of humanity. I DO know that there are tensions, disasters, great sadness and tragedies and they seem to escalate at certain times of the year. A wee tiny voice in my head does say however, that there maybe is a connection between all that negative reporting almost giving off a signal saying, " if you are going to be unhappy, derail or cause mayhem, now is the time because we expect you to not cope." People with the depth of problems need help ALL YEAR round, not just at the end of a, for them possibly, hardest year ever.

So, that's my bit for today. We need not stress anymore till next Christmas Season. Well that's a relief. I'm looking forward to the newness of each day whether it is 29 December or 4th January or even 19 April. For me, each day is the first day of a New Year. I'll no doubt toast right on 00:01 2019, as that moment too is worth highlighting. Bring it on.

HAPPY 2019 EVERYONE. 

YOU ALL DESERVE IT!

Name one thing that made you smile/happy today.

When I opened my Facebook the other morning, the name of one of my nieces appeared on screen. She had placed a reaction on a message. Now, I don't follow everything- and certainly not all messages or page posts. Every now and then I look on personal pages just to see if there are some startling, funny or eventful happenings on someone's page. I am selective what I spend my time on dependent on how much I have to spare.

"Write down one thing that made you smile/ happy today!" and her response was " What only one?"
A girl after my own heart. Certainly also the same reaction I would have given had I receive that request. My belie fis, that a person tends to gloss over the good bits in relation to maybe one or possibly two downers that may happen in a day.

It set me thinking. Sometimes on Facebook there are challenges with Photography for instance - place for 7 days a Nature photo, or share happy moments for the next 7 days. Or the request to state daily a place one would like to visit. That sort of thing. The question raised - 'happy moments in a day' inspired me to challenge myself to write down happy moments. Not just one...but all moments in a day that made me smile, or gave me a 'happy feel' or a success moment. And not just once or for one day - but I'm going to see how long I can keep this up. My first timeline is for 2 weeks.

At the end of each week I'll make a 'report' of my happy moments... and maybe illustrate it's effect or explain why that minuut moment was so special. Or why I had a smile on my dial all day!

I'm smiling now at the thought. A challenge, for which I am responsible in both design and execution. I'll be my conscience and cheer leader. Now if that isn't a challenge, I don't know what is.

How I shape my world- and how you can help to reshape yours!

It doesn't take the brain of a rocket scientist to understand that there are many issues being faced in today's world, that give cause for concern, sadness, unrest and insecurity.

One only has to read the paper, watch the news, go online and at every turn the 'news' reveals another sad tale of pain, destruction and hardships.

There are ways of 'dealing' with this daily overload of information, mostly negative rather than positive, and I am trying to alter my way of looking at these events in the attempt to better 'handle' the effects it has been having on me of late.

You see, I was becoming more and more concerned and slightly pessimistic about the world my grandchildren are growing up in. The youngest being only 3. I felt a sadness and gloom taking hold. The 'what-ifs' danced in my brain and the doom scenarios paraded it's film in my mind's eye as I struggled to get to sleep at night.

Did it help? NO!

Did things change? Of course not! 

Was I well rested in the mornings? Not on your nelly!

So why did I allow myself to slide down this tunnel of mire and sludge? What difference had I made by allowing my downward spiral of defeatism to take charge of my mind, my daily activities, plans hopes and dreams for a happier, better and safer world?

You see, in my optimistic self I have always known, it isn't up to 'others' to change the world in which I live, but for me to do my utmost to be the best tenant I can be. Somewhere in this fast changing society I had lost sight of, let my grip loosen and failed to act so as to be the person I need to be to change my own space. In doing that I know for a fact I will be able to cause my own ripples in life's pond with every intention of bringing about positive acts of kindness, of smiles on faces,  happier moments and more positivity not only in my life but in that of those I love and whose lives I touch.

Somewhere somehow, the balance between expecting things to go well, and bringing about good deeds and shared responsibility needs to be reinstated in me, in us, as a people. We are all in this together.

I do not believe in coincidences but believe things happen for a reason. And just 10 minutes ago I read this article online: Woman looking for her hero! And it put a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. I cannot explain more clearly how my/our world can be a safer and more enjoyable place, that the events in this article can.

My dad's and for many years also my motto to strive to live by;

To Live justly

To love tenderly

and to walk humbly with my God.

(Micah 6:8)

Smile, YOU are worth it. 

Laugh and the world will laugh WITH you.

Share your joy and help someone

- see the light at the end of their dark tunnel!