Create Your Way to Wellness

What is Good Luck? What is Bad?

2012-01-22T00:10:00.000-08:00

Luck is neither good nor bad. Things happen, we deal with them. It’s the way we deal with our luck that can be either good or bad.

The answer may be a long time coming, and good or bad, there are always choices and decisions to be made.

Until the end, who can really tell which it was, good or bad luck? What seems to be good luck to one, may seem bad luck to another.

After luck is decided on, there are always more things that can occur to change the way one looks on life's events.

Book review John Birmingham's Angels of Vengeance

2012-01-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

I've recently read the final book in John Birmingham's most recent trilogy. Here'e my thoughts on it:

There aren’t many authors who grab the reader by the scruff of the neck, threaten them with extreme violence and then keep them racing along with them at top speed.

John Birmingham in his recent trilogy does all of these things and more. He creates action, places and people you truly believe in. Reading the first two books in the trilogy was a gut wrenching race to the end of each book, and then an agonising wait for the final book to arrive.

The unspoken question was always there – could John Birmingham pull this whole thing off? Really, think about it – some mysterious thing goes wrong in the world, and suddenly the whole world gets turned upside down. Mankind remains the same, some good people, some bad. The stakes are high – who will be the ultimate ruler? And the pressure mounts and mounts and mounts.

There is a broad range of characters here – fuelled by religion, hunger for power, people seeking revenge. And revenge is there in plenty, the ending gives visceral knowledge that revenge sought and gained is a sweet thing indeed.

Another great read from Mr Birmingham, a man who gives his readers what they want, blood, guts and plenty of things that go BANG! in a big way.

Life Isn't Always Going to be Great

2012-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

I'm the kind of person who always tries to find the good in all things in my life. I have some health issues, I don't have a paid job and don't know if I'll ever get another one. I've suffered some awful things in my early life.

This is true for many people, I'm well aware of that, many people have much worse than I have to deal with. I have a lovely family, and some dear friends who care deeply for me. I am a truly lucky person.

One of those dear friends though is suffering at the moment. Their spouse has a mental illness, and isn't doing well with it at the moment. This means my spouse is having a terrible time in their life. I've been keeping in contact with this friend, through emails and txt messages.

I let them know I care, and I hope they can find a way to find a way to live a better life. At the moment though, my friend only seems to be able to focus on the bad things. They go over the bad things over and over, with no thought of anything else.

I'm catching up with my friend tomorrow for coffee and a chat prior to our writing group meeting. My friends says they feel the need to talk to someone who at least in part understands what they're going through. I'm not sure that I do in fact have a big understanding of the extent of their issue, but I am more then happy to be there and listen to them as they talk through it all.

That's what my role in this friendship, I'm there to listen with empathy, and try to help them find some good in their life. That's what good friends do. That's what I will do.

We've shared good times and sad times. This is one of the sad times. My friend thinks I have some special gift that keeps me happy and positive in my troubled life. I don't have a special gift though. What I have is knowledge that no matter how bad life seems, there are ways to see happier times. Being alive is what helps a person to see those happier times.

Life isn't always going to be great, but if you wake up and can get up to face the day, you have the potential to live a good life. Positive feelings help me through, they can help us all.

Thoughts for the New Year

2012-01-02T01:35:00.000-08:00

Many people write New Year Resolutions. Many people fail to accomplish the things they'd planned to do. This year, 2012, feels somehow special. Some of my friends have said the same thing. We all feel that this year, we can achieve great things.

I have stated elsewhere that I want to do more with my writing in 2012. I intend writing a new poem on every day in January. I will work toward another writing project when January is over. And perhaps the most important thing is this: I will work toward increasing my physical fitness.

Everybody should work toward having a healthy and fit body. This has become even more important for me over the past year. In February last year I became ill, and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). MS can cause physical weakness, fatigued and a variety of things.

In the latter part of 2011 I began an exercise program. I strongly most strongly to continue this program. I currently have an issue with my health caused by a trip and fall accident, but I am doing my best to continue doing physical things, being careful not to overstrain my sore ankle. So far it's going well.

After two days of January, my poem a day is going well too. I wrote a new poem early in the morning and posted it online. I don't expect to write 31 perfect poems for the month of January. What I want to do is to get into the habit of writing on command.

If I can become accustomed to doing that, I'm expecting it to become easier, with an improvement in my creative efforts. Some people claim they can't write unless their 'muse' is there. I plan to write when I need to write, and the muse can catch up with me later!

For me, the important thing will be physically writing. The quality of the writing can be tweaked and polished after, but first I must have the words written.

I will be posting some of my poems to this site, feel free to have a look, and let me know what you think about my poem!

Trip Hazards

2011-12-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

After last night's happenings, I've been thinking about hiring myself out as a Trip Hazard Locator. If there's something to trip over, I'll find it! It's not a safe job, but a satisfying one.

Last night I managed to trip and fall over the rug that is close to where I sit on the sofa. I stood up and walked toward our kitchen, taking my glass of water with me. One metre into my journey, trip, fall, scattering the contents of my glass and crashing down on my bottom and twisting my right foot painfully. Very, very painfully.

I can't remember the last time I felt such pain. It's OK today, a bit painful, but I can walk on it, carefully. I certainly wasn't able to do my usual Wii Fit exercises this morning. I've done one exercise this morning, and I intend lifting my small hand weights today. I have some other exercises that I do sitting down. I suspect sitting down will be how most of today is going to go.

Exercise is important to me. I have Multiple Sclerosis, MS, and I'm working at staying up and walking. The more I do, the more I can do. So, perhaps I won't do the Trip Hazard Locator job, I might end up too damaged!

Trips in the home, though, are a constant issue with people like me. I have what's called 'foot drop' in my right leg. The muscles on my right side are weaker than my left side, because of the damage I have in my Central Nervous System. It's quite a common thing for people who have MS. I have an orthotic device which assists me, but I rarely use this when I'm just sitting around at home.

Perhaps if I'd been wearing my 'foot up' device, I wouldn't have tripped last night. I don't know, but it's something to think about. When a person has something like MS, they have lots of things to think about. From which shoes to wear, to the weather being too hot or OK, you need to think about the issues and possible consequences of making the wrong decisions.

Life has become a more mindful thing for me. I have given myself permission to sit and think, and I'm finding great calm from this. If I have a thing I want to do, I'll consider the thing, and usually plan it in a way that makes it work. In the past, I might have just gone and done it, or tried to do it, but failed. Now days my tasks are planned well, and they work. My MS hasn't ruined my life, it's remade my life.

Promoting Happiness for All

2011-12-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

'If you adjust what you want to what you can achieve, you will be happy with what you get.'

Often what people want is completely at odds with what they need. Getting what you want, but ignoring what you need can lead to an unhappy life.

If you have enough food, good shelter and people to love who love you, you have enough. Wanting more than that is one of the reasons for dissatisfaction in life. People living in the Western World are being conned by big business, and we're told we should get everything we want.

This is a thing that leads to happiness for big business perhaps, but not for ordinary people.

Being satisfied with simple things in your life can be the most wonderful feeling in the world. Those simple things can be precious to the person who can see their true value.

I'm satisfied with my family and friends, my dogs and the good food I have every day.

That is what I need in my life, and that is what I get.

I am a Happy Person!

How I try to live my life

2011-12-06T19:45:00.001-08:00

Now, I'm not saying my way is the best way to live life, I'm just going to tell my own way. We're all different, and if the way you live your life works for you, and you're enjoying you life, well done.

That said, I know there are many people suffering because they hate the life they're living. It's a terrible thing, suffering through life, when life is there to be loved and enjoyed. If you think there are huge things in the way, and you'll never be able to enjoy life until those things are gone, well, you may be thinking the wrong way about things.

Money, good health, friends, fame, these things are great if you have them, but many people have them and still don't enjoy their life. Then there are people who seem to have nothing, but seem happy. How is it so?

Well, I've been thinking about these things in the past year and a half. I've come to the realisation, and I'm backed up by others far more learned than me, that our happiness comes from within, not from outside of us. When you look at a child playing, they can seem so happy, sitting on the ground and making things with blocks, or sticks and dirt.

If we can go back to our childhood and find joy and happiness with such simple things, we can live a happy life forever, if we let ourselves do it. I have a family I love and who love me, I have a house, enough money, and moderately good health. I also have friends who love or at least care about me. I am able to be listened to, and have my words read by others. I am HAPPY!

I couldn't be much happier than I am right now (well, if I had another car to replace the one I wrecked, that might do it!). So, I wrecked my car, did I plunge into depression? No, I was sad, but so relieved to be uninjured and alive still. I also met some wonderful people the night my car crashed. Wonderful people who did all they could to help me, when they could easily have just driven on, and left me there.

I was so thrilled to see again that there are still lovely, caring people in the world. That is one of my strongest feelings about the night I wrecked my car. I've been able to write two poems about the night too, and I suspect my creative writing about the night yet again is part of what helped me to get through a thing that could have been traumatic.

So, anyway, if I can live a happy life, living as I do with a chronic illness with no cure, and with no car at the moment, what's holding you back? Smile and take a good look at your life - if you can wake up and get out of bed without too much pain, that's surely the beginning of a happy day, so SMILE!

Every Day is a New Day!

2011-11-23T15:55:00.001-08:00

When you wake up in the morning, do you look forward to a brand new day of things to see and do? Or do you wake up and dread what's going to happen?

I hope the first is the one for you, not the second. Your own attitude to your life is the most important part of the things that impact on your day. It's your day, and it's your own responsibility to a large extent.

If you wake up and can only think of the bad things planned for the day, it might be time to consider the things in life that are good. If you wake up and are able to get out of bed, you're better off than some people. If you have things in your kitchen to have for breakfast, you're better off than millions of others.

If you have a job to go to, even if it's a job you hate, well at least you have a job, many have no job and no money coming in.

When I wake up, I look out of my window and look at the piece of sky I can see. Blue sky and fluffy clouds mean a nice sunny day, black clouds mean rain for my trees and plants outside and the possibility of a rainbow!

When you wake up tomorrow morning, think about these things, and consider what you have to look forward to, get out of bed, ready to enjoy it all - it's all up to you!

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Charles R. Swindoll quotes (American Writer and Clergyman, b.1934)

The World is not all Black and White

2011-11-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

When I realised there are always lots of side to every story, that it's not all either/or right/wrong black/white, my world opened up and became a better world. The world and its people are multi-hued. I may be right, but some of what you say is right too, or maybe is right for you but not for me.

We all need to give others the right to have ideas and stories of their own, whenever we can. I live a happy life, with love and caring from my family and friends. Money is an issue sometimes, so is health, but life can continue to be happy anyway.

These thoughts were prompted by something I read on Facebook, from Mind Recipes. They have many interesting and enlightening things to say there, I heartily recommend you visit them.

I love finding interesting things and following the path my thoughts take me with my musing. As a writer and poet, I am also a thinker. My forms of writing help me to understand how I feel and what I think. If you are ever troubled, I suggest you could get out a piece of paper and write out your troubled thoughts.

It might lead you to a solution or at least bring your mind to a better place. Writing in a journal has been a saviour for many people. Why not give it a try? If you have a journal, please tell me about it, I'd love to hear your stories about journal writing.

Words of Wisdom from my Facebook Page

2011-10-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

I'm often inspired by the words of others when I'm flitting around Facebook. I saw something on someone else's Facebook Page which prompted some thinking and I ended up something that encapsulates my attitude to life.
These words seem true to me, and may be useful to some people. I've slowly come to realise that my way of thinking is not the same as everyone else's way of thinking. I'm not saying my way is the best way. I just know that I live a far happier life than most people.

Life becomes much easier and more pleasant when you refuse to label things as bad. Things happen, you deal with them, life goes on. No problems, only challenges, and challenges help you to grow into the person you were always meant to be.

This is the way I live my life, and I'm living a great life!

Poetry and Life

2011-10-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about life and ways to live a good life recently. I feel these thoughts have been brought on by my need to stay in a positive mood as much as I possibly can.

I've had some things happen in my life, some good things and some bad things. Everyone could probably say the same thing. At some stage I seem to have made an unconscious decision to look to the good things in life and not get all caught up in the bad things.

One of the tools I've used to do this is creative writing. I've been consistently writing short stories, longer stories and poetry for more than half of my life now. My writing has brought me joy and has brought joy to other people too.

Bringing happiness to people is a major need in my life - I'm a people focused person. If I can give someone else a smile, it makes me happy as well as making the other person happy.

I recently wrote a poem, which I posted to a website Triond. I have much writing on that site, about all kinds of things. My writing on Triond brings some money, but not very much. The most important thing it brings me is connection with other people. Feel free to having a look at my Triond profile and have a read of some of my writing. If anything interests you, please leave a comment, I'd love to read what you think. It's all about connections, good connections.

The particular poem is about resilience. I recently read a book all about resilience and it struck a chord with me. I realised that I'm a resilient person - things happen to me but I always bounce back. I hope with my writing I can help others to find resilience.

Musings from the Library 8

2011-10-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

This is the penultimate musing from the Library. I will visit the Tea Tree Gully Library many more times of course, but I don't know whether I will ever find the same inspiration there again. That day back in early September felt like I was with something kind and wise and beautiful.

I was more than happy to sit at the library and take in the thoughts and write them down as they occurred to me. The sharing that had happened since that day has been inspiring too, and I hope people who come across these thoughts will feel a beautiful sense of rightness, as I felt on that day.

So here is the second to last musing from the library:

SMILING AT YOUNG PEOPLE IS INSURANCE FOR THE HAPPINESS OF THE WORLD.

Musings from the Library 7

2011-09-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

Another of my thoughts for you. Some people are too afraid to try new things because they fear failure. Failure isn't a thing to fear though, it's a thing to be proud of. Having a go can be the scariest thing, but the most satisfying thing in the world.

I have published my first poetry collection after years of wanting and wishing. It felt scary to do it, but the finished book and the wonderful comments I've received from readers of it have been absolutely wonderful.

I still have books from that first print run left, but I've barely begun the marketing side of the equation yet. I'll be going out and talking to groups about the content of the collection soon, and things will take off from there.

Regarding my poetry collection 'damaged children Precious Gems'

I tried and succeeded, now to try something new!

If you'd never tried and failed, you've set the bar too low.

Musings from the Library 6

2011-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Here's another of my thoughts from that thinking day a few weekends ago. I love libraries, have done since I was a little tacker catching the bus into Adelaide with my mum and brothers.
I always used to love poking around the book shelves there. Now Graham and I (sometimes Jake too) go to the Tea Tree Gully library monthly, Graham visits the council library in Adelaide, and I go to the Gawler and Mallala/Two Wells libraries occasionally. You can’t go wrong in a library, not with all of those lovely books there waiting for you…

Open yourself to the world – the rewards will flow to you.

Musings from the Library 5

2011-09-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

I find a lot of peace from watching Nature, in particular our feather friends who fly in to visit and live their lives where I can see them. The following words mean a lot to me, you may feel differently. As long as you have at least one thing that brings you happiness in life, make sure you cherish that thing.

If you can find no pleasure in the flight of birds, happiness may elude you.

Musings from the Library 4

2011-09-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

I shared some of these thoughts with friends at our writing meeting last night, and this one particularly resonated with one friend.

Failures are simply necessary steps on the way to success.

Musings from the Library 3

2011-09-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Another of my thoughts from that day at the Tea Tree Gully library. Being in that place with so many books and people who love books leads my mind to thinking deeply...

Whatever you are doing, search for the joy in the doing of it. Happiness will be there with you.

Musings from the library 2

2011-09-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

Here is another of my thoughts from that day at the Tea Tree Gully library

Being kind to others brings its own rewards, and being kind to yourself can be the best thing in the world.

Musings from the Library

2011-09-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

I was at the Tea Tree Gully library yesterday. I'd found enough books to see me through the coming month, so I sat down to have a fine cup of coffee and a yummy biscuit. As I sat and sipped and nibbled, I glanced through a book sitting on a table nearby.
The clever aphorisms, words from wise people from the past, set my mind to thinking and I found some words of my own and keyed them into my calendar on my phone. Are they wise words? Read them and see for yourself, I'll post one every now and then. This the first in the series-

Be proud of your failures, the cleverest in the world are those who fail, but continue on until they get it right.

Working and loving it!

2011-08-31T03:19:00.000-07:00

I began working this week. The work is at the MS Society office in Modbury, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. I'm going to be working 15 hours a week. Five hours a day, three days a week. So, on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, I'll be heading off for the 45 minute drive. I start at 10am and finish at 3pm.

I wasn't entirely sure I could do this, but, judging by my first two days this week, it's going to be great. I've enjoyed the work so far and I'm excited about the project I'm working on. This job is a work placement and is the final piece of the journey started with studying for the Certificate 4 Community Services Work.

I completed the study part, and now I am going to do 140 hours of this work placement, then I will have earned the qualification. There is no money for this work, but the experience I will gain as I put what I have learned into practice, will be invaluable. I have an illness, Multiple Sclerosis, and the people in my workplace know exactly what I need, and what I can and can't do. It's good not having to explain everything if I feel I have to sit down for a rest.

It may be harder work than just staying home doing not much at all, but I want to do this. And if it does get more difficult, I'll keep on as best I can. I certainly won't let that stop me from following my dream of helping people to find their best life possible, no matter what is handed to them.

I'm living my dream life, and I don't see why other people shouldn't be able to do the same.

A thought for your consideration

2011-08-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

You can't buy happiness, nor can someone else give it to you.

You already have all the happiness you'll ever need,

right there inside of you.

Let your inner happiness out

and live a great life.

This thought came to me this morning and I was compelled to share it with others.
It is now on my Facebook page and I put it on Twitter as well. Feel free to share this
idea with other people.
Smile, the world can never have too much happiness.

Sometimes your Friends aren't really Friends

2011-08-12T19:34:00.000-07:00

Do you know anyone who always brings you down? You know, the sort of person who can only see the bad things in life? Do you listen to them and maybe try to help them see the good things, to no avail?

If you know someone like that, who constantly undermines your positive attitude and who just can't or won't see the good things in life, it can be deadly to your happiness. If you've known this person for a long time and they've always been like this, do you wonder sometimes why you bother?

Well, if, despite all of your efforts to help them, they haven't changed, maybe it's time to make the tough decision and let them go. These kinds of people can be leeches, sucking the good from you and leaving you weak and with your happiness levels sadly depleted.

People can't be made happy by the actions of others, personal happiness is up to each person. You can't make someone happy if that person refuses to try to be happy. And if your friend is sad, well that's not because of you either. Your friend may not realise it, but because of the way they think about things, they're making themselves sad.

So, how about you have a quiet chat with your friend and let them know you've decided to look to your own happiness first, and you don't feel you're helping them by listening to them whinge and complain. It will be tough to do it, if you've always been there for them, but unless you let them go, you'll both be suffering from the friendship.

This friend needs to find their own happiness, and you need to protect yours from their negativity. You can both gain from this action.

Thinking About 'Good'

2011-05-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been thinking about and writing about the Power of Good. Doing good for others, the power of good to improve my life and the lives of others and in fact the power of Good to improve the whole world.

You see, it seems to me that religions around the world aren't able to decide on the best way to live your life, so that you have a good life and other people do too. Of course there are some special people from particular religions who do wonderful things to help other people. Jesus seems to have been one of these people. So does the Buddha.

But these two people, and others like them connect with the power of Good. Doing good for other people is a wonderful thing - it makes you feel good, it makes the person you're helping feel good and it makes people who hear about it feel good too. This is if you do good in an open hearted and kind way. If you only do good things because you have to and you resent having to do it, it won't have the good consequences for you.

I believe in keeping an open heart, and believing in the old glass half full view of life. My life has troubles, sure, most lives have troubles. But by seeing the good things in my life, and concentrating on those good things, I live a happy life.

Are you living a happy life? Are you celebrating the good things in your life? These two things go together, that's what I think. Do you believe that too? Tell me about your life, I'd love to read your story.

Live a Good Life, Enjoy Your Life

2011-04-25T00:43:00.000-07:00

If you can enjoy your life, you will most likely consider you are living a good life.

A life made up of many stresses and strains will never be a good life. Stresses and strains make it to hard to find enjoyment. Living a simple life, and being happy with whatever you have, make it so much easier to have fun and enjoyment.

So if you're fighting to get the new best thing, maybe you could think clearly about it. Will that thing truly make you happy for long, or only for a short while. Then the next new best thing will pop up and you'll be stressing and straining to get one for yourself.

I find pleasure in being at one with Nature, and in other simple things in life. I truly am living a good life and enjoying my life!

Practicing Mindfulness

2011-04-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Mindfulness is the practice of being in the present rather than thinking about the past or the future. People who practice mindfulness tend to be calm people who live with minimal stress.

This is the way I try to live my life. I try not to worry about things, and I try not to go over and over the things that go wrong in my life. Being mindful helps me to stay open to all of the good things in my life.

The sun is shining, or the stars are, the winds, the rain, the many creatures living near me - all of these are things that are good in my life. I have issues, the same as everyone else does, but I don't allow these issues and bad thoughts to damage my life.

While I am alive and able to see the good things, I can remain happy. Being happy brings actual physical benefits. Happiness can help you to live longer. There was a study of nuns in America which showed the happier nuns lived longer and more joyful lives.

I'm aiming at living to be as close to 100 as I can, and I want to remain as well as I can, and happy too. I'm not halfway there yet in time, but I'm certainly there in terms of happiness!

One thing I love to do is to sit outside and connect with Nature. I watch the insects and birds, I watch the clouds and the trees and I just sit and watch. I concentrate on my slow, slow breathing, innnnnnnnnnnnnn, outtttttttttt, innnnnnnnnnnnnnn, outtttttttttt. My mind slows with my breathing and worries don't invade my peaceful place. Nature is my guide and my god. When I sit with Nature, everyday worries disappear for me. This is my way of mindful meditation.

This is what works for me to stay as happy and healthy as I can. I hope everyone else can live a happy and healthy life too!