Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Irritation

  
     A mosquito buzzing around your ear then bites and makes you itch, an inconsiderate pain in the neck wasting your time or driving like an idiot, commercial interruptions, obnoxious politicians, annoying phone calls, bad weather, allergies, broken promises - anything that pushes you out of your comfort zone, that impedes your chosen journey, or disrupts your way of thinking can become an irritation.
     Sometimes, irritation is good, a signal that we need to pay attention to something physical or mental.  Our bodies often warn us of potential dangers; our minds may need to grow and develop.  By only listening to what we want to hear and reading what we already agree with, communication and understanding are reduced.  When something irritates you, get beyond the emotion and try to solve the problem.
     We hope, however, that we are not a cause of irritation when we communicate our ideas, that we aren't condescending or insulting when presenting our point of view.   When people get irritated, they may swat you away like a mosquito.
         

Friday, December 25, 2015

Holy Days and Holidays

     A holy day is a time of religious observance, honoring a past event or miracle with worship, praise, and prayer, songs and symbols, fast and feast.  A holiday is a vacation from work and school,  perhaps coinciding with a holy day of the predominate religion of a country, a time for reunion of family and friends or a time for rest and peace.
      You may be celebrating a holy day, a holiday, neither or both.  Enjoy all the days of the year, the special days and the ordinary.
      Happy Holidays!  

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Radical

     Human beings have the brain power to think logically and to survive as individuals and as a society.  Our brains, however, have a weakness to be consumed by extreme radical beliefs which bypass logic and at times become lethal.  Humans can become radicalized and attempt to radicalize others.    
     So easy  to label a terrorist as radical.  Their beliefs stem from a literal or misinterpretation of the Koran.  Their mind is fixed on destroying non-believers or anyone who is a supposed threat to their group.  Their convictions can lead to murder and suicide.  Also easy to see how some people become consumed to abuse, murder, and mass murder.
     Not so easy to see how we may also be radical.  We may not be as extreme as some, but sometimes we have radical thoughts stemming from religious and political beliefs.  We don't condone murder or suicide but are willing to go to war on anyone who is a threat to our group.  Some people's minds may be fixed on limiting the rights of women and LGBT and pressuring government to make or change laws based on their interpretation of scriptures. Limiting a person's rights is limiting their life.  Some people may wish to further the ideas of creationism and other miracles rather than promote science. Denying scientific facts can limit intellectual progress.
     Some people have other radical beliefs based on stereotypes of other groups and often use propaganda to further their own causes.  Fear can strengthen prejudice.  Anytime we berate another group of people, our radical side begins to show.
     No one wants to think of themselves as extreme; they just see themselves as right, labeling other people as wrong.  It's always someone else who is radical.
 

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Compartmentalize

     No matter how good you think you are at multitasking, our bodies, brains, and emotions can only handle so much at once.  We need to compartmentalize to deal with the past, present, and future and to organize conflicting opinions and choices.
     Focus on the present, on the task at hand.  Prioritize your time and energy.  Limit emotional reactions that slow progress.  Keep the past where it belongs so it doesn't taint the present.  Keep the future as a goal that may be planned to reduce stress and worry.
     Many experts say be present and appreciate the moment, but sometimes the present has many facets competing for our attention.  Too much to do; too much to think about.  We need to prioritize, even delete some activities, then try to handle the essentials.  We can learn from the past, forgive ourselves and others, and enjoy memories, but we must not dwell there.  We can think about the future but not let it consume us.
     We can have co-existing conflicting opinions or find ourselves changing our minds.  We may never have complete faith in just one idea.  This can be an asset that leads to understanding others and gaining wisdom.
    By compartmentalizing, separating and categorizing our thoughts, we can focus and make progress in our lives.  This will help us cope and reduce stress and worry.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Pushed

  
     When your inner voice is saying "Slow down, stop!" you may begin to realize you are being pushed by someone or something.  As you are pushed to do what you really don't want to do or guided in a direction you don't want to go, listen to your own common sense.  Guide yourself toward your own goals at your own speed.
     Many outside influences benefit from your acceptance of being pushed around.  Other people want you to go with their flow.  Family, friends, commerce, religion, and society want you to take the route they have planned for you.  You may not even realize how their motives are pushing you.
     We need to take some quiet time to allow our thoughts and opinions to develop.  The right time or a good time may not present itself.  Unnecessary activities may take the place of what we really want to do or take the place of just doing "nothing."  Obligation may seem a requirement to do the bidding of others.  When push comes to shove, a big part of our lives may go by without our conscious consent.
     You may also wish to push others to do things your way.  Your confidence in deciding what is best for children and adults may make them less confident in making their own decisions.  We need to honor everyone's opinions, not just our own.     
    Slow down, stop, and take a stand.  Don't allow yourself to be pushed around.
  

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

December


     December is full of myth and magic.  We believe the myths to feel the magic.  When we grow up, we learn to get our happiness from appreciating the wonders of the real world.
     Children are taught the myth of Santa Claus: if you are good and make a list of stuff you want, a magical creature will bring presents that make you happy.  As you grow up, you learn that  people buy the presents which may make you happy temporarily.
     Retailers try to teach us the myth of consumerism: the more you spend, the more happiness you can give.  As you wise up, you learn that spending more than you can afford causes problems and that giving and receiving gifts is not essential for happiness.
     Other myths promise magic.  Many people celebrate supernatural events of the past and have faith that gifts will be bestowed in the future. 
     No matter what our age, we believe in the magic of December.