ONE LIFE BLOG
It's the small things....
One of my very favourite cartoons is this one from Michael Leunig. It encapsulates how life sometimes feels - and how - when things are very tough - it is the small things that get you through.
We are constantly challenged - on a daily basis - to rise above what we might consider our primitive response, to engage our brain, to make decisions no matter how minute on a moment to moment basis. We tackle traffic, a rude fellow human, a washing machine that breaks down mid-cycle, a phone call from a distressed friend and then we have to cope with the bigger things in life, death of a loved one, loss of a pet, dissolution of a relationship.
How to love everything you do
I've developed a simple rule over the past couple of years. It seems somewhat self indulgent. And I wondered for a while if it was. But it seems to work incredibly well. So much so that I almost think that it is not possible for things to be this simple or this easy.
Quite simply; stop doing the things you don't love.
Remember to Breathe
We've all experienced those moments. The ground moves beneath us, what we though was stable is not. As a friend hashtagged the other day #whathappenedtothecertaintiesoflife ! And it is a bit like that. We feel groundless.
Pema Chodron, Buddisht nun, teacher (and in my eyes a goddess) tells us to make friends with the groundlessness to sink into it. To breathe it all in.
If you've ever been in such a position - it is easier said than done. Some events literally take our breathe away, as if we have been punched in the solar plexus. Our initial urge is to stop breathing, to tense, to get ready for the fight or the fligh
Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda..... The truth about choice
Ever get stuck on the word 'should'?
You know - I should do some exercise. I should phone my friend. I should eat some spinach.
And then the word 'must'... I must sort out my filing, I must pay attention. I must pay the bill.
The definition (according to the online dictionary) of the word 'should':
used to indicate duty, propriety, or expediency.
Effects of Global Learning: Global Warming, Global Kindness
Today I had a Skype call with a few of the participants in the study group of the Science of Happiness course through Edx.
This was my second Skype conference call.
And both times I have come away from these with a profound sense of appreciation.
Five Ways to Well-being
We now have the research to back up what we think and believe promotes well-being. The concepts are simple and nothing is mentioned at all about owning stuff or watching tele :-)
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