My Hope For Other's Dreams

What stood out this week? Or rather, what positive event stood out this week as the news was full of horrific stories again so I won't even go there... ?

Hope!

A unique human quality of looking into the future and being expectant of an outcome. Maybe animals possess it on a very short time line perspective. My dogs watching my children eating, hopeful of a morsel dropping to the floor, as an example. But they don't look forward to next week and hope that we buy them a new bed or even to tomorrow, that the bowl of food is a little deeper than usual. Theirs is a very limited hope. We on the other hand, can extend of view years into the future and hope for a certain outcome. What are the things you are hoping for? How far into the future are you reaching for? And here's the clincher, how selfish are your hopes? Are they all about you and what you want to achieve or are their some that are purely for others, where you will have zero benefit other than the joy of seeing their dreams realised. I must admit, if I think quickly about what I am hoping for, I am pretty much on the selfish list! I of course have those 'hopes' of a peaceful country, a cure for cancer, better education for all, and so on and so on... but very few specific hopes for specific people in need. I hope I am the minority here and those reading this have far more worthy hopes than myself. There is of course, nothing wrong with personal hopes and dreams but (talking to myself now) don't become completely self-absorbed in yourself. Allow yourself to empathise with another's circumstances and then a hope for a breakthrough for them will develop in you. Everybody needs to have a level of hope and should grasp onto that hope with all they have. Even if it is the slightest thought of something better than where they are now. Without hope, you will have a dreary view of life and a very quick, slippery slide down into depression will ensue. On the other hand, if there is a hope for something small, there is reason to get up and actively look for it. One hope ignites another and another and another. Before long a hope inferno will be raging that others can't help but notice and be inspired. Helping others achieve their hopes and dreams will spread that flame further than your limited boundaries. Once again I ask you, what are the things you are hoping for? What are you doing to help someone else achieve their hopes? Once again, I am so far off the mark on this one, but have realised where I am and will make the change. Will you...?

The Light

This week I have had a number of messages and suggestions revolving around a theme of light so I thought I should explore it a little, embrace the light maybe...

"Sickening, weakening

Don't let another sombre pariah consume your soul

You need strengthening, toughening

It takes an inner dark to rekindle the fire burning in you

Ignite the fire within you

When you think all is forsaken

Listen to me now (all is not forsaken)

You need never feel broken again

Sometimes darkness can show you the light

Don't ignore, listen to me now (all is not forsaken)

You need never feel broken again

Sometimes darkness

Can show you the light"  

by Disturbed - The Light 

These lyrics stood out for me the other day and reminded me that sometimes, we need to be in a dark place in order for us to appreciate how good the light is. Being in the dark is also a time where we can see where the source of light is, even if it is only a speck way off in the distance but we can at least identify the direction we should be heading to be able to relish the light again. "It takes an inner dark to rekindle the fire burning in you," sounds quite sinister but the truth is that sometimes we need to be in a really bad space in order to trigger (rekindle) that desire to be great again, to pursue those things that motivate us. I don't believe those fires ever really go out; perhaps diminished or just far from your mind, but never completely out. The busyness of living overshadows what you really want to be doing and you neglect fuelling your inner fire. Stop! Check where you are. Is the light just beginning to fade, maybe an almost indistinguishable fade if you didn't stop to observe it? Perhaps you are already in a space of complete darkness without even realising that you have drifted so far? Maybe you have already set your focus back onto the light and are journeying back again? We all do this journey many times over through our lives and unfortunately the journey into the dark can be traumatic and full of pain but every so often we have to stop ourselves, even before "you think all is forsaken", and find out where the light is and redirect our efforts towards the light. Perhaps you have sufficient light to be able to guide someone else out of their darkness - do it. Even the smallest flame pierces through the darkest night.

Don't wait till you are in complete darkness as the journey back will just be unnecessarily longer than it needs to be. Start now, revel in the light.

Those with a Christian ethos, can also appreciate the symbolism here of dark and light and the constant spiritual battle that wages on. This too is a constant journey into and out of God's light. Not because of Him but because of our actions and attitudes in this life. Choose to be in the light.

It's Not About the 'ME' and 'I' Any More!

I have mentioned it before but my top peeves are arrogance and selfishness. This week my mind has been pre-occupied with the tragic events of Sunday morning when Jared Dwyer and Richard da Silva were murdered while cycling on the M4. It was murder, because when you get into a car intoxicated, way over the legal limit and then start racing another vehicle, it is murder! I am angered to such a degree that individuals can actually be so selfish and so self-absorbed that they can behave in such a manner. Their "fun" has lead to the loss of lives with tremendous impact on family, friends and the whole community they interacted with. What about the passengers in the car? They too are responsible for allowing the driver to actually get behind the wheel. These days, there are so many alternative means of getting around if you see things getting out of hand. At 33 years of age, you really should be mature enough to make responsible decisions. My heart aches for the families and the unnecessary loss they have had to experience. I pray this is the last and that Richard's and Jared's lives create the start of a shift in people's minds, that we have to live together in this land.

It's not about the 'me' and 'I' any more, it's about the 'we' and 'us'.

"Love your neighbour as you love yourself."
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."

Imagine a land where people actually help one another rather than always trying to see what they can gain. I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I was clearly battling to parallel park (insert red face here) as a pedestrian stopped and help guide me in. He took time out of what he was doing (with friends) and helped me get into that very tiny parking spot... What a simple thing to do which probably cost him less than a minute but made a huge impact on me.

What have you I done recently to selflessly help someone else?

In our daily routines, let's actively seek out opportunities to help someone else, strangers even. Don't wait for the right time or place to do something good for somebody else, do it now. We are all busy and waiting for the 'right' time or when it is 'more convenient' is actually selfish. It has to cost you something, even it it's just 60 seconds of your time, that's what selfless means. You have to think less of your self and value others more.  Do this often enough and it will become habit. Just imagine this attitude going viral and everyone behaving in this manner? A country of selfless people! I can only think how great things would follow when we all adopt this mindset and I truly believe it is really not that difficult to do, it just relies on me and you taking the first step of selflessness. I'm in!

Don’t Let Your Grumbling Overshadow Your Gratitude!

So Friday morning routines are seemingly a problem for me in 2016. Well actually Thursday nights and falling asleep to be precise!!! Anybody have recommendations for natural remedy solutions?

Before I start let me clarify that there is nothing wrong with my health but a story I read made me think…

What if you were told you had a curable disease but there were no available facilities to treat you in the time frame you required, so you are likely to pass on before you could get the medical attention you needed?

How would you process that information?

Getting the news that you have a life-threatening disease would be traumatic in itself but at least you have the consolation that, with treatment, you will make it through. Having that lifeline (literally) dangling in front of you but just out of reach must be the ultimate level of frustration imaginable. Imagine if this was you or one of your family members. How helpless you must feel! The account that I read about, was written from the perspective of a daughter whose mother was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer. Her mother was able to be allocated a treatment position but a fellow patient was not so fortunate and required a specialised machine for her treatment. Because of the volumes of patients requiring the same treatment from the single available machine, the first appointment was more than a year away which would more than likely be too late for her. The doctors commented that they have to deliver this same news to patients every day.

I could, in some manner, understand this situation if we lived in a primitive country where access to technology was limited and the level of governmental wealth was a real problem. Even in those situations external aid can be engaged to supplement short-falls where human life is in jeopardy. This is not the case in South Africa. We have some of the best technical facilities available and our government certainly has resources available to use (unfortunately in misallocated ways though). This is a tragic situation and requires immediate response. I don’t have a solution but would definitely sign up for any action to find a remedy for the problem. (Any ideas would be welcome.)

I am fortunate enough to be alive and healthy. I have so much to be grateful for and thank God every day for the breath in my lungs. I do grumble (a lot) but I am truly thankful for what I have.  I often sit back and just smile when watching my family and what we have together.

Don’t let your grumbling overshadow your gratitude!

Take stock in the moment, right now even, of 3 things you are grateful for. It is actually really easy to think of more, the difficulty is to stop what you are busy with and do it. I’m going to try this every day and will try to think of 3 new things every day.

1.    I am alive & healthy.

2.    I have an awesome family.

3.    It is Friday :)

What are your three things for today?